Need Emergency Rent Assistance? Here’s How to Get Help

| 7 min read Financial Assistance

For many people, needing rental assistance is something they will experience at some point in their lives. With the rising cost of living, high gas prices and food inflation driving household expenditure up, it’s not surprising that people are struggling month to month. But there are solutions if you’re having difficulty affording your rent.

More than fifty percent of households have difficulty affording rent or mortgage payments

According to a survey carried out by Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization that advocates for affordable housing, 58% of Canadians are worried that they’ll have to sacrifice basic necessities like food and clothing in order to afford rent or mortgage payments. The survey also found that 61% of Canadians between the ages of 18 and 34 are worried about their ability to pay their rent or mortgage for the next year.

It’s for reasons like these that people are turning to crowdfunding to seek financial support. Fundraising helped Bonnie Gembey cover a rent deposit and other living expenses after facing health issues and difficulties paying rent.

“I have been struggling with many personal issues for the last four years, including physical and mental health issues that have left me unable to work,” Bonnie said. “I have now been informed that I have to leave my residence due to late payment of rent.

“I have been working with health care professionals to deal with my health care issues, and things are going well but too slowly for me to make a full recovery in time to deal with the situation I am raising funds for.”

This is just one example of how, when living costs are so high, an unexpected change in circumstances can cause or exacerbate financial difficulties. Fortunately, Bonnie’s fundraiser surpassed its initial goal, raising over $6,000.

Start a GoFundMe

Why people need help with rent

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), households that spend more than 40% of their income on housing costs are “cost burdened”. This means they may have trouble affording other necessities. 

The 2021 Census of Population revealed that over 20% of Canadian households lived in unaffordable housing, and 7.7% were spending more than half their income on housing costs and utilities. This can put families at increased risk of forced eviction and makes it more difficult for young adults to save for the future.

“That’s hard in a lot of rental markets for people,” says Laura Scherler, senior director of economic mobility and corporate solutions at United Way. She adds that there are people who spend more than 40% or 50% of their income on rent. “It leaves them vulnerable if their car breaks down or if their kids get sick. Anything unexpected will throw them off. It doesn’t give them any wiggle room to manage those crises”.

Financial challenges are widespread

The pressure on renters can make it more difficult to absorb unexpected costs. The 2022 Social Survey on Quality of Life and Cost of Living showed that 1 in 4 Canadians would be unable to cover an unexpected cost of $500.

The same report found that:

  • 44% of respondents were very concerned with their ability to afford housing costs
  • Nearly half of people between the ages of 35 and 44 had difficulty meeting financial costs in the previous year
  • 35% of people of the same age group would have difficulty covering an unexpected cost of $500

How to get help with your rent

There are ways that you can manage your money and make the process of renting easier.

Read your tenancy agreement

Tenancy agreements set out the rights and responsibilities of you and your landlord. Ensure that you find out what your rights are as a tenant, such as what happens if you make a late payment or miss a month, and when eviction proceedings can begin.

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) provides guidance for renters, but legislation differs by province and territory, so ensure you check rental rights in your location.

Talk to your landlord

If you are a good tenant and have a good relationship with your landlord, they may be willing to work with you. Ask if they will accept a late payment or if you can pay your rent in instalments.

Contact charities

Nonprofit organizations can step in to help when the government can’t. The following nonprofit services provide support to people facing housing problems:

  • The Canadian Centre for Housing Rights (CCHR) provides free support and advice to tenants and housing providers, helps renters negotiate with landlords, and provides legal advice for renters in Toronto.
  • The Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness (CAEH) provides a directory of provincial agencies that can support people at risk of eviction.
  • Anyone struggling with housing costs can call 211 for social services advice and assistance. The free, confidential helpline is available 24/7 in over 150 languages.

Seek Government Assistance

If you’re struggling with the cost of rent, you may be able to get help from federal and provincial authorities, including:

Contact your provincial government for more information about the programs available and your eligibility for housing support.

Explore other income sources

Ask your friends and family members for a loan or see if you can get an advance on your wages from your employer. Some companies may also have a hardship fund for employees.

Consider crowdfunding

Crowdfunding can be a valuable resource in times of financial need. It allows you to share your situation with friends, family, and the wider community, and at the same time gives you a way to ask for support.

It doesn’t cost anything to set up a crowdfunder on GoFundMe and it costs just a few minutes to get your fundraiser live. One of the biggest benefits is that you can crowdfund for almost any cause, including covering rent and other household expenses.

If you find the thought of asking strangers for financial help daunting, our article on how to ask for donations will provide some guidance on how to approach it. 

Rent payment help for veterans

Veterans who are at risk of homelessness or facing unexpected financial difficulties can get support from Veterans Affairs Canada, including:

Nonprofit organizations like the Royal Canadian Legion, Veterans’ House Canada, and VETS Canada also work to help Canadian veterans who need financial assistance or who are at risk of homelessness.

A rent crisis can be a sign of a bigger problem

By taking a look at the bigger picture when faced with a one-off, emergency expense, people can avoid years of financial struggle.

There are a number of resources available to you if you ever find yourself in this situation and many programmes continue to provide help after the crisis has passed.

Follow this advice if you need help with paying your rent:

  • Take an active role in formulating an action plan to end your crisis with short-term and long-term solutions.
  • Try not to ignore the problem until the last minute.
  • Don’t panic or make hasty decisions, as there are community resources and support in place to help you through this situation.
  • Consider taking free household budgeting classes to determine how to pay your rent or if you need to find a cheaper place to live.

There’s no shame in asking for help

Whether you ask for help through a non-profit organisation, friends, family or crowdfunding: don’t feel embarrassed.

If you’re struggling and need to raise money to pay your rent, take a deep breath. Contact your landlord, a charity or non-profit organisation, your friends and family or start a crowdfunding fundraiser. Above all, remember that you are not alone. Sometimes we all need a helping hand.

Start a fundraiser

Written by Ved Khan