Beginning next month, some people in the Quinte area looking for affordable housing may get an extra financial boost.
The federal-provincial portable housing program, launching in April, is aimed at increasing housing options by providing a monthly rent subsidy to eligible low-income households to assist with increasing market rental costs.
The benefit is associated with the individual or family unit and is portable across Ontario.
On Wednesday, the Hastings County Community and Human Services Committee approved implementing the benefit program for a period of two years, beginning on April 1.
Director of Hastings County Community and Human Services Erin Rivers tells Quinte News people on the waiting list for community housing will be eligible, but it’s not known how many will benefit in this area.
Rivers added, “I know the government is targeting 5,200 people across the province in the first year. How many we’re going to be able to target will depend on how many people that we can recruit for the program and who are eligible for the program. We will be helping them complete financial application packages. We’ll start identifying people on our wait list who are eligible for the program.”
Rivers says many people are happy living where they are but cannot afford the rising rents.
Hastings County, along with Belleville and Quinte West, have more than 1,000 people on the waiting list for community housing.
