Low- to moderate-income renters in South Okanagan now have access to rent bank services through an extended partnership between BC Rent Bank and the Kamloops and District Elizabeth Fry Society.
“Rent banks are temporary solutions for some people in housing crisis. While they are not the ultimate solution to affordable housing generally, the services rent banks offer are vital to prevent homelessness and must be available to all British Columbians. I’m very proud these essential services are now offered in every part of the province,” said David Eby, Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing.
The new funding applies to every community in South Okanagan, spanning from Peachland and Summerland, Penticton, Oliver and Osoyoos. Rent banks provide interest-free loans for tenants in urgent circumstances so they do not lose their housing.
BC Rent Bank, a project of the Vancity Community Foundation, is partnering with the Kamloops and District Elizabeth Fry Society on an interim basis to centralize rent bank services throughout the province. This means people in communities that did not previously have access to rent bank loans and services, including on Vancouver Island, in the South Okanagan and in northern B.C., can now access help to stay in stable housing wherever they are in the province.
BC Rent Bank is supported by a $10-million investment from the provincial government.
The interest-free loans can be applied to tenants’ rent or essential utilities, or toward the deposit or first month’s rent for tenants who have secured housing but are unable to pay these requirements.
To apply go to bcrentbank.ca.
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