We know that the COVID-19 pandemic has been a cause of financial hardship for many residents in the Brightside community, and we are doing everything we can to ensure you feel your housing is secure. Rent relief options may take different forms depending on which building you live in.
Brightside is able to adjust rents directly for residents living in buildings owned and operated by Brightside Community Homes Foundation. If you live in one of the following buildings, we recommend you refer to the FAQ below to best understand how Brightside’s Rent Relief Plan applies to you.
| BUILDING | ADDRESS | BUILDING | ADDRESS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alice Saunders | 2924 Venables St. | Londonderry | 5550 Yew St. |
| Arbutus Court | 2085 W. 5th Ave. | Loyal Orange | 1425 E. 12th Ave. |
| Burrard Manor | 2330 Balsam St | MacLeod Manor | 8725 French St. |
| Edward Byers | 1451 E. 12th Ave | Magnolo Manor | 2675 Alder St. |
| Florence Manor | 1325 Burnaby St | Moreland Kennedy | 2495 W. 3rd Ave. |
| Gordon Fahrni | 1630 Barclay St. | Mount Pleasant | 325 E. 6th Ave |
| Harwood Manor | 1222 Harwood St | Soroptomist Lions | 1444 E. 13th Ave. |
| Kings Daughters | 1400 E. 11th Ave. | Wallace Wilson | 1620 E. 6th Ave. |
| Lions View III | 2975 Horley St. | Glynn Manor | 520 W. 7th Ave. |
The following buildings are under operating agreements with BC Housing; as such, rent calculation and support options are administered directly through BC Housing and the FAQ below will not apply to you.
| BUILDING | ADDRESS | BUILDING | ADDRESS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeview Place | 238 Davie St. | Lions View I | 2950 Euclid Ave. |
| Coleopy Park | 5748/88 Rupert St. | Lions View II | 2980 Euclid Ave. |
| Collingwood Tower | 5657 Harold St. | Wilson Heights Manor | 1602 E. 41st Ave |
| First Lutheran Court | 5709 Wales St | Muir Manor | 2588 Nanaimo St. |
If you have questions about how Brightside’s Rent Relief Plan applies to you, please contact Brightside by email at info@brightsidehomes.ca or by leaving a voicemail at 604-684-3515. Note that call volumes are exceptionally high at the moment, and we are responding to residents’ inquiries as soon as possible in the order that they are received.
FAQ – Brightside Rent Relief Plan
There will be no further income reviews for the rest of 2020. You are not required to submit any [further] income review documents at this time. All income reviews previously submitted and completed in 2020 that resulted in rent increases are now void.
All residents who received a rent increase (or rent re-calculation) in 2020 will revert back to their 2019 rent rates. For those that received a rent re-calculation effective later this year (Aug or Dec 2020), those rates have been cancelled and those residents will also revert back to their 2019 rent rates.
Residents that have been charged the increased rent rate in 2020 and paid their rent on time/in full, will receive a one-time credit in the differential amount. This will appear as a credit on their account, and not a refund payment.
All 2020 income reviews that resulted in reduced rents will remain in place. Your rent rate will remain at the lower rate going forward for 2020; we will not raise your rent at this time.
If you can provide a Record of Employment (ROE) to verify your circumstances, Brightside will issue a [flat] rent rate of $550 per month; this reflects approximately 30% of the EI/CERB benefit. This flat rate will be effective from May 1 – Nov 1, 2020 (inclusive). Please send your Record of Employment to incomereview@brightsidehomes.ca.
Brightside will support residents whose employment has been reduced to 15 hours per week or less. If you can provide a work letter (or paystub) verifying your circumstances, Brightside may be able to extend the [flat] rent rate of $550 per month for you. This flat rate will be effective from May 1 – Nov 1, 2020 (inclusive). Please send your work letter or paystub to incomereview@brightsidehomes.ca.
No. Any resident who receives the flat rent rate of $550 will remain on that rate until Nov 30, 2020 and will revert back to their “pre-COVID-19” rate effective Dec 1, 2020.
Brightside is monitoring this evolving situation daily. We will be providing ongoing updates over the coming months and will address this matter when/if November is drawing near, with our plan for the way forward.
This depends on the ratio of the distribution of your income. If you receive most of your income from government sources, and only a little from employment, you will likely remain at your current rate.
Please email incomereview@brightsidehomes.ca to see if you qualify for a reduction.
Your rent rate will remain at your 2019 rate for the entirety of 2020, until your next income review (anticipated for Apr/Aug/Dec 2021).
Your rent rate will remain at your 2019 rate until your next income review in 2021. Residents on SAFER will be charged a rent rate of $803 for a bachelor / $865 for one-bedroom/ OR their current rate, whichever is lower. If you already received an increase notice, you may disregard that notice, and report that information to SAFER in order to keep your subsidy.
In order to apply for Brightside subsidy and rent relief programs, you must have a lease agreement with Brightside. If you would like to sign a new lease, including the provision of all pertinent income documents, we can figure out how we might be able to best help you. Please note: once you sign a lease with Brightside, income documents will be required annually for as long as you remain in one of our buildings and are subject to all our policy requirements and decisions. Please email incomereview@brightsidehomes.ca for more information.
All residents looking to relocate and are currently residing in one of our buildings slated for relocation must still provide all documents before a new lease can be signed. The Relocation Team is more than happy to assist in your relocation and can inform you of the required documents. Please contact your relocation liaison directly for more help in this matter.