Categories: COVID-19Focus

Feds unveil rent relief program

Feds unveil the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance Program

PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN Trudeau announced a new rent relief program today to help businesses forced to shut down due to COVID-19.

The plan will provide loans to cover up to 75 per cent of the rental cost through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.

A portion of the loan will be non-repayable.

Small- and medium-sized businesses, most of them shuttered since mid-March, have been clamouring for relief as the May 1 deadline for their next rent payment looms.

Trudeau, announcing the formalization of the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance Program, said a deal with all provinces and territories will see commercial rents lowered by 75 per cent for small businesses that have been badly impacted by COVID-19. The move will apply to April, May and June payments.

The government will cover 50 per cent of the reduction, Trudeau said, with the property owner covering the rest.

If your business pays less than $50,000 a month on rent and has been struggling due to the pandemic, you will be eligible, Trudeau said. The move also applies to non-profits and charities. Trudeau said the government will add more in the coming days about support on rent for bigger businesses.

Recent Posts

London Inc. Weekly

London Inc. Weekly: A summary of regional business news from the past week

1 week ago

Dispatch

Dispatch: A summary of recent business appointments and announcements, plus upcoming events for the week ahead

1 week ago

‘Hello?’ Gen Z’s silence on the phone baffles older workers

Gen Z is quietly redefining phone etiquette, leaving generational gaps at the dial tone

1 week ago

Home of the Week: 1797 Phillbrook Court

1797 Phillbrook Court: $899,900 for a two-storey yellow brick home in one the city’s most coveted family neighbourhoods

1 week ago

Commercial Activity: July 23, 2025

A summary of recent commercial real estate activity in London

1 week ago

The bottom line

For more than two years, the London real estate market – from new builds to resale – has been on…

1 week ago