You can make your change of address by using the Service québécois de changement d'adresse. Thanks to the Service québécois de changement d'adresse, you can notify many government services of your new address in a single, secure operation.
Any change in your family status may warrant a new application for Shelter allowance. The program's fiscal year begins on October 1 and ends on September 30 of the following year.
The shelter allowance program provides financial assistance for low-income households that spend a large portion of their budget on housing.
The program is administered jointly by the Société d'habitation du Québec and Revenu Québec.
Clientele
The shelter allowance program is designed for:
- persons aged 54 or over living alone;
- couples, where one of the spouses is aged 54 or over;
- low-income families with at least one dependent child (including a child aged 18 or over in full-time education).
Recipients of the allowance may be:
- homeowners;
- tenants;
- tenants in a rooming-house with two or more rooms;
- persons sharing a home with one or more occupants.
Restrictions
The shelter allowance program is not designed for:
- individuals, couples or families living in low-rental housing, a hospital or a government-funded residential centre;
- beneficiaries of the rent supplement program or other housing programs;
- individuals who own, or whose spouse owns, property or cash assets with a market value of over $50,000 (excluding the value of their house, land, furniture and car, and amounts received under the provincial reconciliation program for orphans from the Duplessis era who attended certain institutions (Programme national de réconciliation avec les orphelins et orphelines de Duplessis ayant fréquenté certains établissements).
Eligibility
To qualify for the shelter allowance program, an applicant must:
- have filed an income tax return for the year prior to the application;
- reside in Québec on December 31 of the year prior to the application;
- have lived in Canada for at least one year on December 31 of the year prior to the application;
- spend over 30% of the total household income on housing.
The maximum allowance is $80 per month, tax free.
The shelter allowance is calculated for one year. The beneficiary receives the allowance in equal monthly payments of not less than $10, up to the total amount granted.
On the first business day of each month, a cheque is sent to the beneficiary or the amount is deposited directly in the beneficiary’s account.
The allowance may be granted in the month following the date of the application to Revenu Québec, if the applicant’s eligibility is established during the month in which the application is received.
Eligibility based on the number of people in the household, the type of household, the housing cost and the annual household income
| 1 adult |
Person aged 54 or over living in a rooming house |
$ 198 |
$ 16,480 |
1 adult and 1
child |
Person with 1 dependent child living in a rooming house |
$ 198 |
$ 16,480 |
| 1 adult |
Person aged 54 or over living alone |
$ 308 |
$ 16,480 |
| 2 adults |
Couple without children, where one spouse is aged 54 or over |
$ 398 |
$ 22,749 |
1 adult and 1
child |
Single-parent family with 1 child |
$ 398 |
$ 22,749 |
2 adults and 1
child |
Couple with 1 child |
$ 434 |
$ 22,749 |
1 adult et 2
children |
Single-parent family with 2 children |
$ 434 |
$ 22,749 |
2 adults and 2
children |
Couple with 2 children |
$ 460 |
$ 22,749 |
1 adult and 3
children |
Single-parent family with 3 children |
$ 460 |
$22,749 |
2 adults and 3
children or more children |
Couple with 3 or more children |
$ 486 |
$ 22,749 |
1 adult and 4
children ou more children |
1 adult
and 4 or more children |
$ 486 |
$ 22,749 |
* Applicants who pay for their own electricity or heating may still be eligible even if their housing cost is below the amount indicated.
** Based on the income tax return filed by the applicant and the applicant’s spouse.
