Recently, BC Housing’s SAFER Grant has been in the news. SAFER stands for “Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters.” It is a grant available for eligible seniors who are renters in the province of BC. If you live in Pavilion, Terrace West, Primrose Gardens, or Terrace East (private pay assisted living only), you may qualify. This grant is not available for residents in Long-Term Care (Menno Home, Menno Hospital) as they already receive government subsidy.

All information can be found at BC Housing’s SAFER website (Click here)

If you are over the age of 60, have lived in BC for at least 12 months, and spend more than 30% of your monthly income on rent, you should consider applying. Please note that your income must be below the maximum threshold (which was just announced as increasing to approximately $3,000/month). An estimate calculator and application forms are available online.

NOTE: When using the calculator enter your MONTHLY income, not your annual income.

The SAFER Grant is completely independent of Menno Place. All applications must be directly submitted by the tenant, and there is no obligation to inform Menno Place of whether you are receiving this grant. If you are unsure of any specific information about your rental, please contact a member of the Life Enrichment Team.

If you feel you may be eligible, we encourage you to apply.

The BC government also recently announced a one-time additional payment for all current recipients of the SAFER Grant. This was followed up with a reminder that BC Housing will never invite recipients to claim this benefit via a text message. Remember to be careful with your personal information.