The Manitoba government is providing more than $13 million in additional funding to index Rent Assist benefits for eligible low-income Manitobans, and is also indexing basic needs benefits for the first time for persons enrolled in the new Manitoba Supports for Persons with Disabilities income assistance program.
“The annual indexation of Rent Assist and basic needs benefits demonstrates our government’s commitment to improving affordability for low-income individuals,” said Families Minister Rochelle Squires. “We will continue to support vulnerable Manitobans who might otherwise become trapped in a cycle of poverty.”
Under Manitoba’s Rent Assist program, eligible households receiving Employment and Income Assistance or benefits through Manitoba Supports for Persons with Disabilities are provided shelter benefits as part of their monthly assistance. Low-income renters not receiving income assistance can also apply to receive benefits.
Effective now, Rent Assist benefits for families receiving income assistance will be indexed to ensure that maximum rates reflect 77 per cent of the median market rent. Rent Assist benefits for families not in receipt of income assistance will be indexed to 80 per cent of the median market rent.
Rent Assist rates are adjusted annually, as required by legislation, to align with Winnipeg’s median market rental rate, which is established independently by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
The Manitoba government is also increasing the basic needs benefits for eligible adult participants of Manitoba Supports for Persons with Disabilities, a new income assistance program for individuals living with disabilities launched in April. Persons enrolled in the new program receive monthly benefits that include basic needs and shelter components, as well as other financial supports tailored to the needs of persons with severe and prolonged disabilities.
The minister noted that in addition to increased basic needs, amendments to the Disability Support Regulation now also include a formula for indexing these benefits to inflation on an annual basis, a commitment made when the program was first announced and the first of its kind in Manitoba.
Additionally, as part of the ongoing development of Manitoba Supports for Persons with Disabilities, the Department of Families is seeking, through an expression of interest, an agency or agencies to deliver community-based assistance to Manitobans across the province as part of a one-year Manitoba Supports Community Helper pilot project.
Community helpers will identify and assist potentially vulnerable persons enrolled or seeking enrolment in Manitoba Supports for Persons with Disabilities to access services and programming offered by the Manitoba government and in the community. This service is intended to help them meet their financial needs, build support networks within their community, and achieve greater access and social inclusion, the minister added.
“This pilot project will allow us to test and evaluate an important new service and ensure that we are effective in the help we provide,” Squires noted. “It responds to the feedback we received from Manitobans who participated in public engagement sessions over the past three years, which revealed significant support for community-based navigation services and a more tailored approach in supporting the unique needs of Manitobans living with disabilities.”
