How to Apply for the BC Rental Assistance Program
BC Housing's Rental Assistance Program pays a monthly supplement to low-income families with dependent children who rent in the private market.
How to Apply for the Quebec Shelter Allowance Program
Quebec's shelter allowance pays up to 170 dollars a month to low-income households spending at least 30 percent of income on housing.
Applies in: Quebec
The short answer
Quebec's shelter allowance is a monthly payment of up to $170 for low-income households that spend at least 30% of their income on housing, and there is one application: Revenu Québec form LEX-165-V, or the online service in My Account for individuals. The program's French name is Allocation-logement. For the period from October 1, 2026, to September 30, 2027, the program provides up to $170 in financial assistance per month, and it is open to homeowners, tenants, and boarders. Funding is shared between the Société d'habitation du Québec and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, and the Société d'habitation du Québec has entrusted Revenu Québec to manage the program.
How much it pays
The unreduced amount depends on the share of your family income you spend on housing:
| Share of income spent on housing | Amount per year | Amount per month |
|---|---|---|
| 30% to 49% | $1,200 | $100 |
| 50% to 79% | $1,800 | $150 |
| 80% or more | $2,040 | $170 |
Those figures come from Revenu Québec's shelter allowance payments page. If your income is above the maximum for the unreduced amount, you may still qualify for a reduced amount: for every dollar by which your 2025 family income exceeds the unreduced maximum, a dollar is subtracted from your amount for the year. The allowance is paid by cheque or direct deposit, and the payment frequency depends on the amount. Revenu Québec makes no payments of less than $2.
Who can receive it
You may be eligible for the period from October 1, 2026, to September 30, 2027, if you meet all of these conditions, as listed on Revenu Québec's eligibility page:
- You live in Québec.
- You were not exempt from income tax for 2025.
- When you apply (or on October 1, 2026, if you apply before that date), you own the dwelling you live in, you rent an eligible dwelling such as a room, apartment, or house, or you live with a person you pay rent to.
- You or your spouse has at least one dependent child, or will be 50 or over by September 30, 2027.
- If you were living in Québec on December 31, 2025, you and your spouse filed a Québec income tax return for 2025. If not, you must complete one and attach it to your application.
- On December 31, 2025, the total value of your (and your spouse's, if you have one) bank accounts, tax-free savings accounts, and investments did not exceed $50,000. First home savings accounts and registered plans such as RRSPs, RDSPs, LIRAs, and RRIFs are not included in the $50,000.
- You spent at least 30% of your family income for 2025 on housing.
- Your 2025 family income is less than the maximum for your family situation.
The maximum 2025 family income for the unreduced amount is:
| Family situation | Maximum family income |
|---|---|
| Individual 50 or over living alone | $23,600 |
| Couple with no dependent children, at least one person 50 or over | $33,100 |
| Couple with one dependent child | $40,600 |
| Single-parent family with one or two dependent children | $40,600 |
| Couple with two or more dependent children | $46,800 |
| Single-parent family with three or more dependent children | $46,800 |
Higher maximums apply for a reduced amount. For a household spending 80% or more of its income on housing, the reduced-amount ceiling is $25,640 for a single person 50 or over living alone, $35,140 for a couple with no dependent children, $42,640 for a couple with one dependent child or a single-parent family with one or two dependent children, and $48,840 for larger families. If your family income is equal to or more than the maximum in the 80%-or-more column, you are not eligible.
This guide gives no advice on whether you qualify. Revenu Québec decides that from your application and documents.
How to apply
There is one application, and two ways to send it. The deadline is September 30, 2027.
- Apply online. Use the online service in My Account for individuals on the Revenu Québec site. You can apply and send the required documents online, and you do not have to mail anything.
- Or apply on paper. Complete the Shelter Allowance Application, form LEX-165-V (2026-06 version), sign it, and mail it with the required documents to: Revenu Québec, C. P. 6800, succursale Place-Desjardins, Montréal (Québec) H5B 1J5. Revenu Québec returns an application that is not signed.
- If you cannot apply online or print the forms, Revenu Québec can mail the forms to you. Phone 514-940-1481 in the Montréal area, 418-266-1016 in the Québec City area, or 1-855-291-6467 elsewhere in Canada and the United States, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Only one person per couple can apply for the allowance. The amount is the same regardless of which one of you applies.
Documents to send
Which documents you need depends on your situation:
- Tenant with a lease or renewal notice: form LEZ-14-V, Statement of Rent for the Shelter Allowance (complete parts 1 and 2), plus a copy of your lease, including all schedules, or any notice of lease renewal you received.
- Tenant without a lease or renewal notice: form LEZ-14-V, parts 1 and 2, with part 3 signed by the landlord or the person you pay rent to.
- Owner of the dwelling you live in: a copy of your municipal and school tax bills for 2025, plus a document showing the interest paid in 2025 on a mortgage loan or any other loan for your dwelling. Owners of a new building provide documents confirming the estimated taxes and interest to be paid in 2026 instead.
- Owner of a mobile home on rented land: form LEZ-14-V, parts 1 and 2, plus the 2025 municipal and school tax bills, the mortgage interest proof, and a copy of the lease or renewal notice for the land (or part 3 of LEZ-14-V signed by the landowner).
- Child 18 or over living with you: also enclose proof the child is enrolled as a full-time student, or form TP-752.0.14-V, Certificate Respecting an Impairment, or federal form T2201, Disability Tax Credit Certificate, confirming the child has a severe and prolonged impairment.
To receive payments by direct deposit, sign up in My Account for individuals or file form LM-3-V, Request for Direct Deposit.
After you apply
Revenu Québec usually processes a complete application within 45 days of receiving it. If you qualify, you will be paid the amounts owing to you since October 1 retroactively, so your first payment includes the amounts due since October 2026 if you apply after that date. You can check the status of your application, the date and amount of your last payment, and your notices of determination in My Account for individuals.
If you already receive the shelter allowance, you must reapply every year to continue receiving it. Revenu Québec sends a reminder when the time comes. Tell Revenu Québec right away if your situation changes during the year, since a change can affect the amount you are entitled to.
What the opened pages do not state
The Revenu Québec pages opened for this guide publish the payment tiers, the income maximums, the form numbers, and the mailing address, but they do not publish a rent ceiling or a maximum rent figure for the program, so this guide states none. They also do not reproduce the housing-cost calculation worksheet in full, so this guide does not walk that calculation: use Revenu Québec's page on calculating the percentage of your income you spend on housing before you apply.
Related guides:
- How to Apply for the Quebec Family Allowance — Quebec's monthly benefit for families with a child under 18.
- How to Apply for Social Assistance in Quebec — Quebec's last-resort financial assistance for adults with little or no income.
- How to Apply for the Canada Child Benefit — the federal monthly payment for families with children under 18.
- How to Apply for the Guaranteed Income Supplement — the federal top-up for low-income seniors receiving Old Age Security.
- How to Get a RAMQ Health Insurance Card in Quebec — Quebec's public health insurance card, a separate application through the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec.
- How to Apply for Manitoba Rent Assist — Manitoba's rent supplement for low-income households renting in the private market.
Reduced amount ceilings at the lower housing shares
The reduced amount table above gives the ceilings for a household spending 80% or more of its income on housing. The ceilings are lower at the other housing shares. For the period from October 1, 2026, to September 30, 2027, the maximum 2025 family income for a reduced amount is:
| Family situation | 30% to 49% of income spent on housing | 50% to 79% of income spent on housing |
|---|---|---|
| Individual 50 or over living alone | $24,800 | $25,400 |
| Couple with no dependent children, at least one person 50 or over | $34,300 | $34,900 |
| Couple with one dependent child | $41,800 | $42,400 |
| Single-parent family with one or two dependent children | $41,800 | $42,400 |
| Couple with two or more dependent children | $48,000 | $48,600 |
| Single-parent family with three or more dependent children | $48,000 | $48,600 |
Your family income must be less than the ceiling for your family situation and housing share to qualify for a reduced amount at that share. If it is equal to or more than the ceiling in the 80% or more column, you are not eligible.
Applying for the Quebec shelter allowance, in five steps
- Check the two gateway testsYou spent at least 30 percent of your 2025 family income on housing, and your income is below the maximum for your family situation.
- Gather your rent or ownership proofTenants need form LEZ-14-V and a lease copy. Owners need 2025 municipal and school tax bills and mortgage interest proof.
- Apply online or on form LEX-165-VApply in My Account for individuals, or mail the paper form to Revenu Quebec by September 30, 2027.
- Wait for processingRevenu Quebec usually processes a complete application within 45 days, and payments are retroactive to October 1, 2026.
- Reapply every yearYou must apply again each year to keep receiving the allowance. Revenu Quebec sends a reminder when the time comes.
Questions people ask
What is the Quebec Shelter Allowance Program?
It is a monthly allowance from Revenu Quebec for low-income individuals and families who spend too much of their budget on housing. Its French name is Allocation-logement. It is open to homeowners, tenants, and boarders, and for the period from October 1, 2026, to September 30, 2027, it pays up to 170 dollars a month.
How much is the shelter allowance?
The unreduced amount depends on the share of your family income you spend on housing: 100 dollars a month if you spend 30 to 49 percent, 150 dollars a month at 50 to 79 percent, and 170 dollars a month at 80 percent or more. If your income is above the unreduced maximum, the amount is reduced dollar for dollar.
What is the income limit for the shelter allowance?
The limit depends on your family situation and is based on your 2025 family income. For the unreduced amount, a single person 50 or over living alone must have income of no more than 23,600 dollars, and a couple with no dependent children in which at least one person is 50 or over must have income of no more than 33,100 dollars. Higher limits apply to families with dependent children and to reduced amounts.
How do I apply for the shelter allowance?
Apply online in My Account for individuals on the Revenu Quebec site, or complete the Shelter Allowance Application, form LEX-165-V, and mail it with the required documents to Revenu Quebec, C. P. 6800, succursale Place-Desjardins, Montreal, Quebec H5B 1J5, no later than September 30, 2027.
What documents do I need to send with the application?
Tenants send form LEZ-14-V, Statement of Rent for the Shelter Allowance, with a copy of the lease or a lease renewal notice. Owners send copies of their 2025 municipal and school tax bills and proof of the mortgage interest paid in 2025. If a child 18 or over lives with you, add proof of full-time student enrolment or a disability certificate.
Do I have to reapply for the shelter allowance every year?
Yes. If you already receive the shelter allowance, you must reapply every year to keep receiving it. Revenu Quebec sends a reminder when the time comes, and you can then apply online or mail the forms again. Only one person per couple can apply.
Sources
- Revenu Québec, Shelter Allowance Program — the up-to-$170 monthly amount for October 1, 2026, to September 30, 2027, the online application in My Account, and the program funding.
- Revenu Québec, Eligibility — Shelter Allowance Program — the eligibility conditions, the $50,000 asset limit, and the unreduced and reduced maximum income tables.
- Revenu Québec, How to Apply for the Shelter Allowance — the September 30, 2027 deadline, the online and form routes, the mailing address, the required documents, the 45-day processing time, and the annual renewal rule.
- Revenu Québec, Shelter Allowance Payments — the $100, $150, and $170 monthly tiers, the reduced amounts, retroactive payment, and direct deposit.
- Revenu Québec, Shelter Allowance Application LEX-165-V — the 2026-06 form version for the October 1, 2026, to September 30, 2027 period.