You may be eligible for the shelter allowance program if the bulk of your budget goes to housing and at least one of the following situations applies to you:

• You live alone and are 50 or older.
• You have a spouse and one of you is 50 or older.
• You are part of a low-income household (composed of workers, students or income-security recipients, for example) with at least one dependent child.

The shelter allowance program applies to:

• homeowners
• tenants
• rooming house occupants
• any individual who shares a dwelling with one or more other occupants

The shelter allowance program takes into account the number of people in your household, the type of household you live in, your income and your monthly rent.

You may receive a monthly allowance of up to $80 by cheque or direct deposit. You will usually begin receiving the allowance one month after you file your duly completed application. We review the amount of the allowance once a year. You can check the status of your application, see your monthly payments and view the notices of determination that may be sent to you by using the online service in My Account for individuals to view a shelter allowance file.

Check to see whether you qualify for the shelter allowance program

2020-2021 Program Year

Number of people in your household	Type of household	Your household's monthly rent* is more than or equal to**	Your household's annual income is less than or equal to***
One adult One adult and one child	Person 50 years or older living in a rooming house Person with one child or more living in the rooming house	$198	$18,133
One adult	Individual aged 50 or over	$308	$18,133
Two adults One adult and one child	Childless couple in which at least one of the partners is aged 50 or over Single-parent family with one child	$398	$27,620
Two adults and one child One adult and two children	Couple with one child Single-parent family with two children	$434	$27,620
Two adults and two children One adult and three children	Couple with two children Single-parent family with three children	$460	$27,620
Two adults and three or more children One adult and four or more children	Couple with three or more children Single-parent family with four or more children	$486	$27,620
* The shelter allowance program can also help you pay a mortgage.
** If you pay your own electricity or heating, you may qualify for the shelter allowance program even if your rent is less than the amount shown.
*** Your income for the 2019 taxation year, excluding monthly support payments received (for a maximum of $350 per child).

You are not eligible for the shelter allowance program in the following cases:

• You live in a low rental housing unit (HLM) or a government-funded health and social services centre.
• You receive a rent supplement or another housing subsidy.
• You or your spouse, where applicable, have belongings or cash amounts that exceed $50,000 in value (excluding the value of your residence, land, furniture and car).

If you think you qualify for the shelter allowance program, contact us for a Shelter Allowance Application (form LEX-165-V). The form is not available online.

For more information, see brochure IN-165-V, Shelter Allowance Program, or go to the Société d'habitation du Québec website.