Rent Subsidies

Rent subsidies

ICCS administers rent subsidies through multiple programs that it provides.

These programs include the:

• Canada British Columbia Housing Benefit ‘regular’ rent subsidies (CBCHB)
• Supported Rent Supplement Program ‘supported’ rent subsidies (SRSP)
• Mary’s Place and Housing Outreach Program (HOP)
• Housing and Outreach Support Team (HOST) Outreach Program in the Oceanside community.

Our ICCS Outreach team also assists people to maintain their housing and find new housing and services. In Nanaimo, our Outreach team is based out of Samaritan Place and Newcastle Place. In the Oceanside area, our Outreach team is based out of Orca Place. For clients within these programs, an ICCS Outreach Worker visits regularly to provide support such as coaching, connection to services, accompaniment to appointments, in addition to referrals to the Rent Subsidy Outreach Worker that can assist with BC Housing applications if the individual chooses to move on to independent living options in a regular market rental. This program also provides monthly check-ins by the ICCS rent subsidy Outreach Worker.

CBCHB rent subsidies

The CBCHB ‘regular’ rent subsidies are primarily intended to support vulnerable individuals and households in Housing Need. These allocated rent subsidies are made available by BC Housing to help those households access appropriate, affordable, safe, and inclusive housing in their community and to provide targeted assistance to reduce housing need for selected vulnerable low-income British Columbians.

In Nanaimo:

Referral packages can be requested by emailing our Rent Subsidy Outreach Worker at: chp1@iccare.ca

In Parksville:

Referral packages can be requested by emailing our Rent Subsidy Outreach Worker at: oceansideoutreach@iccare.ca

SRSP rent subsidies

Finding affordable housing in the current rental market can be challenging at the best of times, not to mention especially challenging for those who face additional barriers in their day to day lives. The SRSP ‘supported’ rent subsidies provide support services to identified CBCHB recipients to strengthen their personal wellbeing and enable them to transition to, and remain in, stable market housing.

These supports include:

• Indigenous cultural supports
• Housing supports
• Social, emotional and community supports
• Personal living supports
• Food security supports

In Nanaimo:

Referral packages can be requested by emailing our Rent Subsidy Outreach Worker at: chp1@iccare.ca

In Parksville:

Referral packages can be requested by emailing our Rent Subsidy Outreach Worker at: oceansideoutreach@iccare.ca

Mary’s Place and Housing Outreach Program (HOP)

Mary’s Place provides support to women who are seeking an environment that supports sobriety while they transition from homelessness to independent living. Living together in a communal house, with shared cooking and living spaces, up to six women at any one time can live at Mary’s Place, each with their own private room but sharing in learning, growth and community life.

The integrated housing model of Mary’s Place and the rent subsidies program both demonstrate that stability is possible for many women when they have a basic level of regular support from an Outreach Worker along with their choice of housing options.

Referral packages can be requested by emailing our Rent Subsidy Outreach Worker at: chp1@iccare.ca

HOST

We also have our HOST Outreach Worker who helps those individuals who are housed, but still need a little bit of extra support throughout the week.

In Parksville, as an integral part of the Oceanside HOST (Homelessness Outreach Support Team), ICCS provides support to clients who may have been previously housed in ICCS programs, but now are in subsidized rental housing. These are clients who do not need the 24-hour supports of supportive housing but need a weekly check-in and supports to maintain their housing.

ICCS also holds the lease on some units so that we are able to house people who are unable to find landlords who will rent to them because they don’t have references. In addition, when possible, the team provides direct outreach to people actually living/sleeping rough – again in conjunction with the HOST team. Clients can then have an occupancy agreement with ICCS and build a record of successful tenancy. Using housing first principles, we have successfully housed many clients who had been chronically homeless for many years.

More information can be requested by emailing our HOST Outreach Worker at: oceansideoutreach@iccare.ca