The rental support benefit B.C. families may not know about
Published 4:09 pm Thursday, June 18, 2026
Could your family be eligible for help with rent?
Thousands of low-income B.C. families receive rental assistance each month, but there are many others out there who may qualify and not even realize it.
Through BC Housing’s Rental Assistance Program, or RAP, eligible working families with dependent children can receive monthly financial support to help make renting more affordable. The program is designed to help families who are balancing the costs of raising children while paying rent in BC’s private rental market.
For families looking to make their monthly budget go further, RAP is worth exploring.
What is RAP?
The Rental Assistance Program provides monthly rental assistance to eligible families with dependent children who live in private-market rental housing.
The program is designed to support working families with lower incomes who spend a significant portion of their earnings on rent. Monthly assistance can help ease financial pressure and free up room in the family budget for other essentials.
Who may be eligible?
Families may qualify for RAP if they:
Have one or more dependent children
Have a household income of $60,000 or less per year
File annual income tax returns
Have lived in BC for at least 12 months
Spend more than 30 per cent of their household income on rent
Have less than $100,000 in assets
Do not receive disability assistance
Eligibility and assistance amounts vary depending on a family’s individual circumstances.
Why it’s worth checking out
A number of people assume housing assistance is reserved for those in crisis situations. In reality, programs like RAP are designed to support working families trying to keep up with the cost of living.
Some families may be surprised to learn they qualify, particularly if their circumstances have recently changed due to increased rent, changes in income or growing household expenses.
Even a modest monthly supplement can help offset housing costs and create greater financial flexibility.
Supporting family stability
When a large portion of household income goes toward rent, families often have less to put towards other priorities, like extracurricular activities and school expenses or savings and unexpected costs.
Rent assistance can help put families in a better position to weather financial setbacks and invest in their future.
Learn more
Families can visit BC Housing’s website to learn more about the Rental Assistance Program, review eligibility requirements and access application information.
Checking your eligibility could be a simple first step toward additional monthly support.