Shelter Allowance Program

The Shelter Allowance Program provides financial assistance for low-income households that spend an excessive portion of their budget on rent.

The Société d'habitation du Québec has entrusted the management of the Shelter Allowance Program to Revenu Québec.

Clientele
Any low-income household made up of:

• a person aged 50 or over living alone
• a couple, where one of the spouses is 50 or over
• a family (composed of workers, students or social-assistance beneficiaries, for example) with at least 1 dependent child (including a child who is 18 and a full-time student)

Allowance recipients may be:

• homeowners
• tenants
• boarders living in a rooming house
• people sharing a home with one or more occupants

Requirements
To qualify for the shelter allowance program, you and your spouse, if applicable, must:

• have filed an income tax return for the year prior to the application
• have resided in Québec on December 31 of the year prior to the application
• have lived in Canada for at least 1 year on December 31 of the year prior to the application
• spend over 30% of your total household income on rent

Restrictions
You are not eligible for the program if:

• you live in low-rental housing (HLM) or a government-funded health and social services centre
• you receive a rent supplement or other direct housing subsidy
• you (and your spouse, if applicable) own property or cash assets with a value of over $50,000, excluding the value of your home, land, furniture and car

Eligibility based on the number of people in the household, the type of household, the rent paid and the annual household income

Number of people in household	Type of household	Monthly rent is more than	Annual net household income is less than
1 or 2 adults	Person aged 50 or over, or couple where one spouse is aged 50 or over, living in a rooming house	$198	$16,682
1 adult and 1 or more children	Person with 1 or more dependent children living in a rooming house	$198	$16,682
2 adults and 1 or more children	Couple with 1  or more children living in a rooming house	$198	$16,682
1 adult	Person aged 50 or over living alone	$308	$16,682
2 adults	Couple without children, where at least one spouse is 50 or over	$398	$26,128
1 adult and 1 child	Single-parent family with 1 child	$398	$26,128
2 adults and 1 child	Couple with 1 child	$434	$26,128
1 adult and 2 children	Single-parent family with 2 children	$434	$26,128
2 adults and 2 children	Couple with 2 children	$460	$26,128
1 adult and 3 children	Single-parent family with 3 children	$460	$26,128
2 adults and 3 or more children	Couple with 3 or more children	$486	$26,128
1 adult and 4 or more children	Single-parent family with 4 or more children	$486	$26,128

Note
If you pay for your own electricity or heating, you may qualify for the Shelter Allowance Program even if your monthly rent is less than the amounts shown.

Your household income is the total of the amounts indicated in the income tax returns filed by you and your spouse, if applicable.

Benefits
The maximum shelter allowance is $80 per month. This amount is not taxable. It is calculated annually and paid by cheque or direct deposit on the first business day of each month.

You receive the allowance in equal monthly payments of not less than $10, up to the total amount granted.

Review of the Shelter Allowance Amount
The amount of the allowance may be reviewed during the year if:

• the beneficiary dies
• the couple separates (in which case an application for review must be submitted)
• the beneficiary moves on the recommendation of a healthcare professional

Death of the Beneficiary
If the beneficiary had a spouse or dependant, the shelter allowance will continue to be paid to the spouse or dependant until the end of the reference year (September 30).

If the beneficiary was single, was widowed or had no dependant, payment ends in the month following the death

The Shelter Allowance Program was launched in 1997.

• Shelter Allowance Program (PDF, 4.57 MB)

• An Act respecting the Société d'habitation du Québec, CQLR, chapter S-8