Toronto Tenant Support During Covid

[Ashwin Samtani]

Hi fellow Torontonians,

I wanted to share a couple of tenant resources that I learned about recently which you could use or recommend to your tenant other than the standard EI benefits that most people already know about:

1. RentBank

Provides Toronto renters an interest-free repayable loan to low-income families to help cover one month's rent
To qualify: Must live in Toronto with ongoing source of income or currently receive income through social assistance, and the rental unit must be covered under the Residential Tenancies Act

2. Emergency Care Benefit

Provides up to $900 bi-weekly, for up to 15 weeks and is administered through the Canada Revenue Agency.
To qualify: Workers and self-employed who are themselves or quarantined or sick with COVID-19 or are taking care of a family member sick with COVID-19 (such as an elderly parent) but do not qualify for EI sickness benefits. Parents, regardless of whether they qualify for EI, who need to stay home with children due to school or daycare closures and are unable to earn also qualify for this benefit

Hope you find this information useful,