DABC Community Update: MSDPR Reinstates Minimum Shelter Allowance
June 2022
The Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction recently announced that they have reinstated the “minimum shelter allowance.”
Recipients of income assistance, disability assistance, and hardship assistance are eligible for a minimum shelter allowance based on family unit size [see Rate Table below].
The Ministry has clarified[1] that “policy and procedures have also been updated to reflect that a “place of residence” is not limited to living arrangements in places such as houses or apartments for the purposes of determining actual shelter costs.”
In some cases, actual shelter costs may be below the minimum shelter allowance. For example, a single individual who has actual shelter costs of $40 (fuel for heating) is entitled to the minimum shelter allowance for a single person ($75). If actual shelter costs are below the minimum shelter allowance, documentation of shelter arrangements and costs is not required.
The minimum shelter allowance is not provided to individuals residing in special care facilities as their shelter costs are paid for by the Ministry through facility user charges.
Shelter Allowance Rate Table
| Size of Family Unit | Minimum Shelter Allowance | Maximum Shelter Allowance |
| 1 person | *$75 | $375 |
| 2 persons | *$150 | $570 |
| 3 persons | *$200 | $665 |
| 4 persons | *$225 | $715 |
| 5 persons | *$250 | $765 |
| 6 persons | *$275 | $815 |
| 7 persons | *$300 | $865 |
[1] https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/policies-for-government/bcea-policy-and-procedure-manual
Download a copy of this Community Update here.
