April 1 is the first time many people are paying rent since COVID-19 became a pandemic, raising anxieties about how to survive until government assistance kicks in.
It’s been more than two weeks since Karla Mounsteven got her last paycheque, and in one day it’ll all be gone.
The single mother living in Georgetown, Ont., worked on contract as an administrator at a local dance school, but it closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving her without a job and an income to support her three-year-old son.
“I have the money in the bank right now to make my April 1st rent. But that’s it,” said Mounsteven.
“So what about feeding my son and paying my bills? I don’t know how long this is going to go on for, and that scares me.”
She reached out to her building’s landlord but is still waiting to hear back about a possible rent deferral.
April 1 is the first time people are paying rent since COVID-19 became a pandemic, prompting the closure of thousands of businesses and forcing hundreds of thousands out of a job.
While the federal government’s emergency benefit will help, and provinces are offering different forms of assistance, some people say the help will come too late for April — and there is anxiety over what will be left once their rent cheques are cashed.
Some landlords — who rely on the income of renters — say they, too, are worried about how they’ll make ends meet if rent isn’t paid for a prolonged period.
What help is available
The federal government has introduced a number of measures intended to help people like Mounsteven.
The Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) offers income support for up to 16 weeks to those who lose pay because of the pandemic.
The problem, however, is that most can’t apply until April 1, and the money won’t flow until after that.
British Columbia has introduced a $500 a month rental supplement — to be paid directly to landlords — for those struggling with