FederalRent supplement Canada-wide (Federal)Verified June 2026

Canada Housing Benefit (federal-provincial/territorial, including the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit)

This is a rent help program paid right to you each month to make private rent more affordable if you have a low income. Each province and territory runs its own version (in Ontario it is the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit). In Ontario it usually pays the gap between about 30% of your income and the average local rent. The exact amount depends on where you live, so check with your local Service Manager.

What you get

Monthly money toward your rent

Who it's for

Each province or territory sets its own rules.

Start your application

This takes you to the official website

What to have ready

Documents they may ask for

Government ID for everyone in your household, if available
A copy of your lease or rent agreement
Recent rent receipt, ledger, or proof of what you owe
Recent pay stubs, benefit statement, or income proof
ODSP, Ontario Works, CPP, OAS, or other benefit statement if you have one
Recent bank statement, if the program asks for it

What to say when you call

“Hi, I found your housing support program and I want to check if I can apply. Can you tell me the current rules, documents needed, and the next step?”

Use the official page first, then call 211 if you are not sure where to start.

Can I get this?

You have a good chance if this sounds like you:

Each province or territory sets its own rules
In general, you qualify if you have a low income, you rent in the private market, and you are not already getting other rent help
Ontario sends it to you by referral through your local Service Manager

What to do next

Check off each step as you go — we'll remember where you are.

Find your province or territory's version of the Canada Housing Benefit. In Ontario it is the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit (COHB).
In Ontario, contact your local Service Manager or Housing Access Centre and ask to be placed on the centralized waiting list for rent-geared-to-income housing.
Wait to be contacted. Ontario delivery is referral-based: the Service Manager identifies and invites eligible households to apply.
Complete the application when invited. In Ontario it is reviewed by the Housing Access Centre and approved by the Ministry of Finance, which issues monthly payments to you.
Renew when required. In Ontario, renewals are issued each May and are due by September 1.

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The fine print

More details about the money

Federal envelope: $4.8 billion total, cost-matched by provinces and territories, over eight years to 2027-2028 under the National Housing Strategy. Individual benefit amounts are set provincially and vary by region. In Ontario (COHB), the benefit generally pays the difference between roughly 30% of household income and the average market rent for the area; for social assistance recipients it generally pays the difference between the shelter allowance and actual rent and utilities. Confirm the current amount and formula with your local Service Manager.

Amounts and eligibility change. Confirm the current figure with the program administrator through the official link before you rely on it.

The full eligibility rules

Set by each province or territory. Generally, low-income households in housing need who rent in the private market and are not already receiving other rental assistance (such as rent-geared-to-income housing). In Ontario (COHB): you must live in Ontario, be on or eligible for the centralized waiting list for rent-geared-to-income housing, and not already receive another housing benefit. Ontario delivery is referral-based through your local Service Manager / Housing Access Centre.

Good to know

Federal framing (FPT cost-matched, portable, bilateral agreements, funding to 2027-28) is confirmed on the CMHC FPT agreements page, which lists the Canada-Ontario action plans and extension through 2025-26 to 2027-28. The $4.8B total cost-matched envelope over eight years is corroborated by Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (the NHS administrator), not by the CMHC FPT page itself. Individual eligibility rules and benefit formulas are set provincially and vary by region; the Ontario (COHB) details are confirmed via municipal Service Manager pages (Toronto, Hamilton, Peel), which are official delivery agents. Amounts and rules change; always confirm with the local Service Manager.

Official sources we checked

Official program page

This is a summary to get you started — the official page always has the final say. Spot something wrong? Tell us.

This guide is published by Mithulan Perinpanayagam, CPA, CA, who also co-founds Foundation Capital, a private real-estate firm that operates rental housing. Foundation Capital does not set its rents based on anything on this site. This guide is information only — not financial, legal, tax, or benefits advice, and using it does not create a professional relationship. Always confirm current details with the program administrator through the official link before you rely on them.