On April 1, 2020 the Government of Saskatchewan (Province) launched the Saskatchewan Housing Benefit (SHB) which provides monthly payments to low-income renter households to assist with their monthly shelter costs (rent and utilities). The SHB is co-funded between the Government of Canada and Government of Saskatchewan under the National Housing Strategy (NHS).
This report provides an overview of the SHB for the Mayor’s Housing Commission’s information.
Financial Impact
The SHB does not have an impact on the City’s Housing Incentives Policy.
Policy/Strategic Impact
The introduction of the SHB is aligned with the goals and objectives of the City’s Comprehensive Housing Strategy which calls on the Province to increase the amount it provides through social assistance and rental supplement programs.
Not applicable.
Administration consulted with the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation in the preparation of this report.
Background
One of the central commitments made by the Federal Government in its 2017 NHS was the creation of a new Canada Housing Benefit that would support at least 300,000 households across the country and cost approximately $4 billion over 10 years. The NHS called for this benefit to be co-developed and cost-matched by Provinces and Territories.
In 2019, Canadian Mortgage Housing Corporation (CMHC) and the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation entered into a bilateral agreement setting out the shared investments the Province and Federal Government will make towards meeting the goals and objectives of the NHS through 2027-28. This included a combined commitment of $6.8 million towards the SHB in the 2020-21 and $8.75 million in 2021-22. The projected investments into this program from 2023-28 are notional and subject to change.
Note that on July 1, 2018, the Province stopped accepting new applications under its Saskatchewan Rental Housing Supplement which provides low income households with children and low-moderate income households with disabilities with a monthly benefit to put towards their housing costs.
Saskatchewan Housing Benefit
The SHB was launched by the Province on April 1, 2020. The eligibility income threshold and monthly benefit is provided in the table below.
Household Size | Single/Couple | Single/Couple with 1 Dependent | Single/Couple with 2+ Dependents |
Annual House Income Limit | $28,000 | $35,000 | $42,000 |
Monthly Benefit | $150 | $200 | $250 |
The SHB is currently only available to households in community housing developments. SHC will be reviewing the current program criteria and may expand eligibility in the coming years.
The Province estimates that around 3,000 households can be served by the SHB in
2020-21 with an additional 878 households being served in 2021-22. It is projected that 12,425 unique households will be served by the SHB in Saskatchewan by 2027-28.
It is important to note that the SHB is not available for renters that are also currently receiving support through Saskatchewan income assistance or training programs or are sponsored newcomers to Canada. This includes those households still enrolled in the Saskatchewan Rental Housing Supplement program.
Administration will continue to monitor the implementation of new affordable housing programs and initiatives made under the National Housing Strategy.
There have been no previous decisions related to this report.
Respectfully submitted, Respectfully submitted,
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A/Director, Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services | Executive Director, City Planning & Community Development |
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