About the Fund
Overview
The Manitoba Rent Relief Fund, administered by Manitoba Non-Profit Housing Association and funded by the Province of Manitoba, provides interest-free loans to eligible tenants who are behind in their rent, utilities, or need to move into more suitable housing. The Rent Relief Fund is a tool that will help stabilize housing across Manitoba.
What Is It?
A rent bank or rent relief fund is a homelessness prevention and housing stability tool for low to moderate income renters facing financial barriers for a variety of reasons. Rent funds provide loans to help maintain housing, pay for damage deposits or utilities, and ultimately to avoid eviction due to arrears.
Rent loan programs (rent banks) are a leading practice in stabilizing housing for those in need and have proven effective in helping to prevent homelessness.
Which Organizations are Involved in the Rent Relief Fund?
The Rent Relief Fund initiative is funded by the Province of Manitoba through a grant. The Manitoba Non-Profit Housing Association (MNPHA) delivers the initiative. MNPHA is a community-based non-profit organization, created and governed by non-profit housing organizations across Manitoba. You can learn more about MNPHA here.
MNPHA has partnered with the Community Financial Helpline to triage applications, provide eligibility, screening, and referrals so that applicants have information and access to the range of services provided by Helpline partners: SEED Winnipeg, The Community Unemployed Help Centre, Community Financial Counselling Services, and Immigration and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba. You can learn more about the Helpline here.
Our Goal is to keep families and individuals housed despite unforeseen financial difficulty, and to help people experiencing homelessness enter a successful, stable tenancy.
The Benefits
The obvious and most important benefit is helping people facing financial difficulty avoid the distress of losing their housing due to unforeseen events. Beyond assisting renters, this fund will mitigate the financial loss of vacant suites due to eviction and the cost associated with turning over a unit, thereby also helping housing providers and landlords.
FAQs
Apply Today
You can apply online using the Financial Support Application. You can also print or fill in the pdf application and e-mail it to us. Your application will be processed as soon as possible. If you are at the point of eviction, or have been served with an Order for Possession, please let us know so we can work with your housing provider to see if we can keep you housed during the application process. If you require assistance filling out the application form or have any questions, email communityfinancialhelpline@seedwinnipeg.ca or call 431-813-4357 (toll free 1-855-955-4234)