OGGO appearance on Government’s response to the COVID-19 Pandemic – June 9, 2020 – Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

Official title: Minister of Families, Children and Social Development OGGO Appearance on Government’s Response to the COVID-19 pandemic June 9, 2020

Table of contents

ESDC

  1. Opening remarks
  2. Supporting parents and child care during the COVID-19 crisis
  3. Food security
  4. Homelessness
  5. Support for charities
  6. Vulnerable population
  7. List of ESDC measures
  8. EI and CERB services
  9. Service Canada Centres re-opening
  10. COVID-19 integrity
  11. Questions and answers

CMHC

  1. Federal community housing initiative
  2. Financial stability and the housing market
  3. Indigenous housing
  4. Support to renters
  5. Evictions
  6. Commercial rent support
  7. Mortgage deferrals

1. Speaking notes

Official title: Speaking Notes for the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Appearance before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates (OGGO) COVID-19 Emergency Support Measures – Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), Canada Child Benefit (CCB), Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and Vulnerable Populations Ottawa, ON June 9, 2020

Check Against Delivery 2020 PA 000582

Opening

Mr. Chair, Committee members,

The Government of Canada continues the implementation of extraordinary measures to protect the health of Canadians and shelter them from financial hardships during this pandemic.

I am proud to present the Government’s COVID-19 related measures under my portfolio as Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and as the Minister responsible for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

Support for individuals and families

Let me take you back to March 2020.  With the pandemic just starting in Canada, it became clear that our normal social safety net would not be able to handle the volume of people that were losing their jobs as part of the quarantine. In truth, no government in the world had programs that could handle such a large number of citizens needing help so quickly. Our Government acted fast and created the Canada Emergency Response Benefit or CERB for short.

Through this benefit, the Government is providing a taxable benefit of $500 per week for up to 16 weeks to eligible workers who have stopped working due to COVID-19.

As of June 2, 15.32M CERB applications have been processed and more than 8 million people have received income support as a result.

Canada Child Benefit

But we knew it was not just families with parents who lost a job that were struggling during Covid. All parents are stretched thin and struggling to keep their families afloat.

To address this, we have modified the Canada Child Benefit program.

As part of its COVID-19 response plan, the Government of Canada gave 3.7 million families currently receiving the CCB a one-time $300 boost per child with their regular May 2020 payment.

Starting next month, on July 20, the CCB will be increased once again to keep up with the cost of living.

This additional tax-free support will help Canadian families pay for things such as healthy food, clothes and activities they can do together at home.

Committee Members, as the COVID-19 situation evolves, Canadians are becoming more and more concerned about their ability to pay their rents and mortgages.

These events remind us all how crucial it is to have the ability to rely on the safety of a home.

This is why we have put measures in place to help Canadians stay in their homes and find appropriate shelter to protect themselves and their families. 

Committee members, our first and foremost defense measure for all Canadians who are financially impacted by COVID-19, whether they are homeowners, landlords, or renters, is the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB).

This being said, it is important to note that housing providers have a most important role to play in safeguarding public health and protecting our economy.

We are all in this together, and we all have to pitch in. 

Here is how the Government can make a difference in helping Canadians shelter in place.

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) measures

But Mr. Chair and colleagues, it is not just income support that Canadians needed, these events remind us all how crucial it is to have the ability to rely on the safety of a home.

Here is how the Government has helped Canadians and their families shelter in place through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) measures.

Homeowners

For example, if a homeowner’s mortgage is insured through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), Genworth Canada or Canada Guaranty, the following options are in place:

And in the eventuality where mortgages would not be insured by the CMHC, Canada’s six major banks and mortgage lenders have announced measures to support all homeowners.

Landlords

Landlords who are also having financial difficulties have access to the same relief measures as homeowners, such as mortgage payment deferral.

These measures will allow landlords to show compassion and patience to their tenants in these extraordinary times.

The Government also introduced the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance which will lower rent by 75 per cent for small businesses that have been financially impacted by COVID-19.

Renters

Tenants who cannot pay their rent because of financial difficulties related to COVID-19 should contact their landlord.

Most provinces and territories, representing nearly all of Canada’s population have issued full or partial eviction bans.

The Government expects any housing provider to act compassionately and refrain from evicting their fellow Canadians, especially those who have received funding, support or mortgage loan insurance from CMHC.

Help for our most vulnerable populations

Sadly, people experiencing homelessness are at heightened risk of contracting COVID‑19 and suffering severe health consequences as a result.

This is why the Government announced an immediate investment of $157.5 million through the Reaching Home program to support the homeless-serving sector to prepare for, and manage the impacts of, this pandemic.

The Government has provided this funding to our existing community partners through the Reaching Home national delivery network. This approach enables communities to quickly invest funding in services that are most needed.

Support for charities and non-profit organizations

Colleagues, charities and non-profit organizations are on the frontlines of this pandemic, acting as lifelines for Canadian families, seniors and persons with disabilities.

They have a large weight on their shoulders despite fewer donations and fewer volunteers.

To help our charities and non-profit organizations continue their very important work of supporting vulnerable Canadians, the Government is investing $350 million through the Emergency Community Support Fund.

Organizations that require financial assistance to adapt their programs and services to respond to COVID-19 can now apply for funding directly through our three partners: the United Way Centraide Canada, the Canadian Red Cross and the Community Foundations of Canada.

Closing

Mr. Chair and colleagues, by addressing the financial needs of Canadian families, renters, homeowners and landlords and the additional needs of vulnerable Canadians, including those experiencing homelessness, as well as non-profits and charities, the Government is doing its part to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus and continue to protect Canadians’ health and financial security during the pandemic.

Thank you.

I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

-30-

2. Supporting parents and child care during COVID-19 Crisis

Issue

What is the Government doing to support parents and Early Learning and Child Care?

Key facts

Response

Background

Early Learning and Child Care

The Government of Canada committed $7.5 billion over 11 years to support and create more high-quality, affordable child care across the country. Since the first agreements were signed in 2017, a significant amount of work has been undertaken across the country. The target of 40,000 affordable child care spaces has been largely achieved. The Indigenous Early earning and Child Care Framework, co-developed with Indigenous partners and jointly released on September 17, 2018 complements the Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework.

Federal COVID-19 measures relevant to the ELCC sector

The federal government through the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) has increased direct aid to qualifying Canadians by providing $2,000 every four weeks (up to 16 weeks) to those affected by COVID-19.

The Canada Emergency Student Benefit. The Benefit would provide support to students and new graduates (including those who are parents) who are not eligible for the CERB. This benefit would provide $1,250 per month for eligible students or $2,000 per month for eligible students with dependents or disabilities.

The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy will support employers and prevent further lay-offs, including in ELCC Centres, by providing up to 75 per cent subsidies of salaries for 3 months.

The Canada Revenue Agency is allowing private businesses, including ELCC operators, to defer the payment of income tax amounts. No interest or penalties will accumulate on these amounts during the deferment period.

Extending Work Sharing through the temporary Work Sharing (WS) measure can reduce the likelihood of layoffs of affected child care workers.

The Government is investing $650 million to build upon the work already being done through the $305 million Indigenous Community Support Fund, and the additional $75 million provided for communities and organizations working with Indigenous peoples living in urban areas and off-reserve.

A new $350 million Emergency Community Support Fund was created to help community organizations adapt their frontline services for vulnerable Canadians to the challenges of COVID-19. The Fund will help community organizations adjust their services in the face of COVID-19, such as by training volunteers on health and safety so they can continue contributing to the pandemic response, replacing in-person one-on-one contact with contact through phone calls, and widening the reach of help lines that give information and link people to the services they need.

Canada Child Benefit

The Government introduced the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) to provide increased support for low- to middle-income families with children. Because it is tax-free and based on income, it provides more support to those who need help the most.

To ensure that all eligible families are able to access the CCB and other federal benefits, Budget 2018 provided $17.3 million over three years, starting in 2018–19, to expand outreach efforts to Indigenous communities, and to conduct pilot outreach activities for urban Indigenous communities.

The CCB has been increasing the incomes of families with children since its inception in 2016.  It has played a key role in reducing the number of children living in poverty, which has declined by 334,000 between 2015 and 2018.

To ensure that the CCB continues to help Canadian families over the long term, since July 2018, CCB benefits are indexed each year to keep pace with the cost of living. Indexing the CCB will provide an additional $5.6 billion in support to Canadian families over the 2018-19 to 2022-23 period.

Good and Services Tax Credit

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) credit is a tax-free quarterly payment that helps individuals and families with low and modest incomes offset all or part of the GST that they pay. It may also include payments from provincial and territorial programs.

Citations / Key quotes

Ministers quotes / Quotes by key stakeholders.

Prepared by/

Name: Charles Gorham

Title: Policy Analyst, Early Learning and Child Care

No phone number: 514-638-3159

Key contact/

Name: Elizabeth Casuga

Title: Director, Early Learning and Child Care Policy

Phone number: 819-654-3665

Approved by/

Name: Elizabeth Casuga

Title: Director, Early Learning and Child Care Policy

Phone number: 819-654-3665

Date

Date approved in SADMO / COO:

3. Food security

Issue

What is the Government doing to protect families and children from experiencing food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Key facts

Response

Background

Food insecurity measures the number of Canadian households that do not have enough money to purchase or access a sufficient amount and variety of food to live a healthy lifestyle.

According to most recently available data collected through Statistics Canada’s Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), 8.7% of Canadian households were moderately or severely food insecure in 2017-2018, similar to 2011-2012 (8.3%), but higher than 2007-2008 (7.7%).

Within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadians living in food insecure households could be at increased risk of experiencing more severe levels of food insecurity due to the economic consequences of the pandemic. There could be an increase in the number of food insecure households as individuals continue to experience income shocks from job losses.

Prior to the Covid-19 Pandemic, a priority for the Government of Canada was ensuring food security:

Also as part of the Government’s Food Policy for Canada, Budget 2019 announced its intention to work with provinces and territories towards the creation of a national school food program. To that end, the government has consulted with the provinces and territories and not-for-profit sector on the current landscape of existing school food programs. This helped identify the programs and investments that are currently taking place across the country.

ESDC officials have been working closely with Agriculture and Agri-food Canada to identify programs that could help address stakeholder interest in school food programs. For example, under the Local Food Infrastructure Fund, community organizations that support school food programs can apply for funding.

Recognizing the unprecedented nature of the pandemic and its potential impacts on food security, the Government is making up to $100 million available to food banks and local food organizations to meet the urgent and increased food needs of people facing food insecurity, including Indigenous Peoples and northern populations.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will work with key national and regional food serving agencies that have an established network and distribution system for food aid and hunger relief.

Of the funding, Food Banks Canada will receive a total of $50 million. Four other major networks are sharing an additional $20 million including Second Harvest, Community Food Centres Canada, the Breakfast Club and the Salvation Army. Of note, the Breakfast Club deals specifically in the area of school food programs.

The Government of Canada will allocate up to another $30 million under AAFC's Local Food Infrastructure Fund Emergency Funding Stream to address service gaps and to partner with organizations who support people experiencing food insecurity. This remaining $30 million of funding will not be delivered to local-level organizations by AAFC but by the five organizations who are already receiving and delivering funding to local-level organizations.

This funding could be used for a variety of activities, such as the purchase of food or equipment, to assist in the costs of local transportation, or to access new distribution centres to help address new realities caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

These organizations understand the issues many communities are facing and are best positioned to work with local partners to meet the urgent and increased food needs.

Recognizing the increased costs of food items in Canada’s North, the Government is providing an additional $25 million to Nutrition North Canada to increase subsidies so families can afford much-needed personal hygiene products and nutritious food.

In addition, the Government will provide up to $17.3 million to the governments of Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut to support northern air carriers. This funding, in partnership with investments by the territorial governments, will ensure the continued supply of food, medical supplies, and other essential goods and services to remote and fly-in communities.

On April 21, 2020, the Government announced a $350 million Emergency Community Support Fund to help community organizations adapt frontline services for vulnerable Canadians – such as seniors, people with disabilities, veterans, newcomers, women, children and youth, LGBTQ2 communities, Indigenous people and racialized people – to the challenges of COVID-19. In addition to expanding home deliveries of groceries or medication, funds may also be used to:

The Government will disburse funds through national partners, such as the United Way Centraide Canada, the Canadian Red Cross and Community Foundations of Canada, that will leverage existing community-based networks to ensure a rapid and effective flow of funds in line with local community needs.

Citations / Key quotes

“The Government of Canada strives to support the most vulnerable in our communities. This pandemic means that some of our fellow Canadians need help now, more than ever. That is why we are working with partners to increase the support to ensure organizations on the front lines of COVID-19 can continue to serve those Canadians who need it most.”

“Food banks and local food organizations are on the front lines making sure people get essential food support in their time of need. I encourage all my fellow Members of Parliament to contact the food security organizations in their region to ensure that the entire country is covered. If necessary, other networks will be added to the list of partners.”

Prepared by

Name: Lisa Bacon

Title: Senior Analyst

Phone number: 613.793.8432

Key contact

Name: Elizabeth Allen

Title: Director, Families and Care Policy Division

Phone number: 873.396.1183

Approved by

Name: Karen Hall

Title: Director General, Social Policy Directorate

Phone number:

Date 

Date approved in SADMO / COO:

4. Homelessness and COVID-19

Issue

What is the Government of Canada doing to address COVID-19 for homeless Canadians or those at-risk of homelessness?

Key facts

Response

Background

Reaching Home is a community-based program that provides funding directly to specific communities through the Designated Communities, Indigenous Homelessness and Territorial Homelessness streams. Financial support is provided to 64 Designated Communities (urban centres), the three territorial capitals, 30 Indigenous communities and rural and remote communities across Canada to support their efforts in addressing homelessness.

Outside of Quebec, Reaching Home funding is delivered under a Community Entity model, under which one organization (a municipality or non-profit) is responsible for identifying and managing projects based on locally-identified needs and priorities.

In Quebec, the Designated Communities stream and the Rural and Remote Homelessness stream are governed by a Canada-Quebec Agreement that reflects the jurisdictions and priorities of both governments. The Indigenous Homelessness stream in the province is administered by Service Canada throughout the province. This stream is not under a Canada-Quebec Agreement.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, ESDC has been in regular communication with its national partners and key stakeholders from the homeless-serving sector, by means of email communications and teleconference calls.

On March 23, the Public Health Agency of Canada released additional guidance for health authorities and the homelessness-serving sector to better protect people experiencing homelessness during the crisis. 

Beyond communications efforts, the Minister approved reallocating $15 million in departmental lapsing Grants and Contributions funding to seven communities late in the 2019-20 fiscal year: Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa, Edmonton, and Peel Region.

The Department secured an additional $157.5 million for Reaching Home to address the needs of those experiencing homelessness in the face of the COVID-19 crisis.

The approach provides $133.8 million in additional funding beginning April 1, 2020 to 58 Designated Communities (including the seven in Quebec), 30 communities receiving funding directly under the Indigenous Homelessness stream, and the three territorial capitals; and recipients of the Rural and Remote Homelessness stream and for Indigenous Homelessness stream investments not allocated to specific communities. All of this funding has already been provided to communities. 

Over $21.4 million of this funding has been allocated to Quebec under the Designated Communities and Rural and Remote Homelessness funding streams. This funding is administered under the Canada-Quebec Agreement to support the homelessness sector's response to COVID-19 under Reaching Home, which was announced by the Governments of Canada and Quebec on April 29, 2020.

The remaining funds were reserved to invest as needs emerge ($22.8M) and to support Departmental operating expenses ($0.9M). A process to allocate the $22.8 million in reserved funding was recently launched and gave all current recipients the opportunity to request additional funding. Over 50 requests for additional funding have been received and are currently being assessed by officials.

In addition, using resources already set aside for this purpose ($1.9M in 2020-21) the Minister announced the expansion of the Designated Communities stream to six new communities beginning April 1, 2020. These communities are Abbotsford (BC), Cowichan Valley (BC), Chilliwack (BC), Cochrane District (Timmins, ON), Lambton County (Sarnia, ON), Kenora (ON).

The overall approach has been designed to focus investments on urban centres where the risk of viral spread is highest, while also providing funding to support rural and remote communities. It also provides the flexibility to offer additional support to communities dealing with more significant outbreaks over time.

Moreover, the Department adjusted its Directives to provide communities with more flexibility for the duration of the crisis. The guiding principle will be that anything that can improve the capacity of communities and homelessness service providers to respond to the risks that COVID-19 pose to homeless individuals and families is eligible.

In particular, the Directives remove the restriction on using Reaching Home funds to provide general health and medical services, mental health or addiction support services that are already provided by provinces and territories. With this restriction lifted, communities will be able to directly hire health care professionals (e.g., nurses and doctors) to provide services directly to clients.

ESDC continues to monitor the situation closely and is exploring ways to further support communities, including: working with other departments in a whole-of-government approach; and, in ensuring complementarity with ongoing provincial, territorial and municipal efforts.

Prepared by/

Name: Francis Shin

Title: Policy Analyst

Key contact/

Name: Janet Gwilliam

Title: Director,

Phone number: 819-654-7138

Approved by/

Name: Kris Johnson 

Title: Director General, Homelessness Policy Directorate

Phone number: 819-654-8798

Date

Date approved in SADMO / COO:

5. Support for charities during the COVID-19 pandemic

Issue

Charities in Canada are requesting supports to withstand the pandemic’s economic disruptions and to pivot their services to support vulnerable groups through COVID-19.

Key facts

Response

Background

Over the last number of months, the Government of Canada has heard from a large number of stakeholders who have requested support to address impacts of the COVID-19 crisis.

On March 20, 2020, Community Foundations of Canada wrote to the Prime Minister to propose a

$1 billion federal contribution to a $1.5 billion fund to keep charities and non-profits in operation. Community Foundations of Canada’s network of 191 community foundations would contribute the other $500 million.

On March 25, 2020, Employment and Social Development Canada received a proposal from United Way for a $150 million Community Response Fund, which included an endorsement for the economic modeling done by Imagine Canada, which demonstrated the need for an $8 billion emergency sector stabilization fund. Additionally, United Way offered its support for the measures suggested by Community Foundations of Canada.

On March 25, 2020, the Emergency Coalition of Canadian Charities, a group of 120 charity leaders, wrote to Prime Minister Trudeau to outline COVID-19’s threat to charities and to call for help. The Coalition proposed an emergency stabilization fund of at least $10 billion to allow charities to stay afloat, pay staff and continue essential services during the pandemic.

Most recently on May 18, 2020, Employment and Social Development Canada received a revised proposal from Imagine Canada (an umbrella group for the charitable and non-profit sector) for a $3.75 billion grant program for charities and non-profits that would complement recent investments and help guarantee the survival of critical social infrastructure across Canada.

Charities and non-profits are facing significant financial hardship as a result of COVID-19, even as many face rising demand for services. Like businesses, charities and non-profits are losing revenues from the sale of goods and services due to the economic shutdown. These organizations will also see disruptions in donations and other fundraising for months to come. Individual Canadian donors are experiencing their own hardships and major fundraising events are cancelled due to social distancing.

Charities and non-profit organizations are Canada’s summer camps, soccer clubs, museums, mental health services, women's shelters, immigrant services, community health centres, food banks, local places of worship, nature conservancies and affordable housing organizations. Beyond employment and economic contribution, the organizations in this sector are of critical importance to Canada’s social and environmental welfare: delivering key services, supporting creative expression and contributing to Canada’s social fabric.The organizations in this sector are critical to the kind of recovery Canadians want.

The Government of Canada is taking measures to help support charities to ensure that vulnerable Canadians can get the supports they need during the COVID-19 crisis. The Government has made investments to support charities and non-profits including:

Furthermore, new flexibilities under the community stream of the New Horizons for Seniors Program will allow organizations across the country to use previously approved project funding, approximately $50 million, for essential services to seniors affected by COVID-19. Organizations that were approved for funding for the 2019-20 call for proposals can now use their funding for activities such as helping seniors stay connected to their community and family, and supporting the delivery of food and medication to seniors at home.

The New Horizons for Seniors Program is the single largest funder of programming to combat social isolation among seniors in Canada with an annual budget of $70 million. While it is well-known for its small grants that support social participation, the Program also funds volunteer services that are essential to seniors’ quality of life and ability to live independently, such as Meals on Wheels and supports for seniors who are caregivers.

Charities and non-profits can also apply for economic supports offered as part of wider COVID-19 response measures including: the Emergency Support Fund for Cultural, Heritage, and Sport Organizations; the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance; the Canada Emergency Business Account; Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy; the Temporary 10% Wage Subsidy; and the Work Sharing Program if they meet the eligibility requirements.

Workers in the charitable and non-profit sector who meet the requirements are also eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.

Charities and non-profit corporations that are eligible for the Canada Emergency Business Account can apply for interest-free loans of up to $40,000, a portion of which can be forgiven if the loan is repaid on or before December 31, 2022. Some charities and non-profits (large organizations who, in normal times, can count on a predictable income) might be able to manage the burden of a loan; many (small organizations of unpredictable income) will not.

Citations / Key quotes

“While COVID-19 is affecting all Canadians, some people are more at risk to the impacts of the pandemic. Recent announcements will further help our most vulnerable Canadians and ensure organizations have what they need to help. Canadians need to look out for one another in these difficult times. We will get through this together.”

—The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

“The Government of Canada strives to support the most vulnerable in our communities. This pandemic means that some of our fellow Canadians need help now, more than ever. That is why we are working with partners to increase the support to ensure organizations on the front lines of COVID-19 can continue to serve those Canadians who need it most.”

—The Hon. Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

Prepared by/

Name: Jessica Slade

Title: Policy Analyst

Key contact/

Name: Susan MacPhee

Title: Director, Social Programs Division

Phone number: 613-567-3607

Approved by/

Name: Monika Bertrand 

Title: Director General, Social Innovation and Community Development Directorate

Phone number: 613-315-4598

Date: June 6, 2020

Date approved in SADMO / COO:

6. Vulnerable populations and COVID-19

Issue

What is the Government of Canada doing to address COVID-19’s impact on vulnerable Canadians?

Key facts

Response

Support for seniors in community

On May 12th, the Government announced an additional investment of $20 million to the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) to support organizations that offer community-based projects that reduce isolation, improve the quality of life of seniors, and help them maintain a social support network.

As well, on March 29th, the Prime Minister announced $9M in funding through the NHSP to the United Way Centraide Canada to work with communities in each province and territory to support isolated, vulnerable seniors cope with the health, social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. These investments will help provide essential services to seniors such as the delivery of groceries and medications, meal preparation, transportation to necessary medical appointments or personal outreach to assess individuals’ needs and connect them to community supports.

In addition to this increased funding, the Government is providing flexibility to organizations who received funding through the 2019-2020 New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) community-based stream Call for Proposals to use this funding to provide immediate and essential services to seniors impacted by COVID-19, rather than being limited to their original objectives. The approximately 2,800 community organizations, representing close to $50 million in funding, that were approved through this Call can now use their funding to deliver services to seniors in the community such as food and medication, or provide tablet computers to help seniors stay connected to their loved ones through video-conferencing.

The Government of Canada is also investing $350 million through the Emergency Community Support Fund to support vulnerable Canadians through charities and non-profit organizations that deliver essential services to those in need. The Fund, launched on May 19th is working with three national intermediaries: the United Way Centraide Canada, the Canadian Red Cross and Community Foundations of Canada, to deliver this funding. These intermediaries are channeling funds through their regional and local partners to local community organizations who support a wide range of vulnerable populations.

Community organizations receiving funding will, for example:

The intermediary model is focusing investments on community-identified immediate needs through local organizations with an intimate knowledge of local priorities. It also provides the flexibility to offer additional support and address the different needs of communities as the pandemic evolves.

Seniors' financial and economic security

Homelessness

Background

Community organizations are on the frontlines, serving critical community needs both in times of stability and crisis. Many vulnerable Canadians, such as seniors, children and youth at risk, people with disabilities, women, racialized communities such as Black Canadians, people experiencing homelessness, and members of the LGBTQ2 community rely on these organizations, and that reliance often rises in times of hardship. They provide meals to isolated seniors, services to children and youth at risk, shelter for the homeless, support for those fleeing domestic abuse, addiction counselling, settlement services for recent immigrants, and countless other contributions.

To-date, the Government of Canada has announced a number of initiatives that support charitable and non-profit organizations in addressing COVID-19-related issues. Examples include: $100M for Food Banks and Local Food Organizations, $9M to United Way Canada through the New Horizons for Seniors Program to support isolated seniors in all regions across Canada, $157.5M in additional funding to the Reaching Home-funded communities to support people experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness during the COVID-19 outbreak, $50 million to women’s shelters and sexual assault centres to help with their capacity to manage or prevent an outbreak in their facilities, and $350 million for the Emergency Community Support fund to support vulnerable Canadians through charities and non-profit organizations that deliver essential services to those in need.

The New Horizons for Seniors Program is the single largest funder of programming to combat social isolation among seniors in Canada with an annual budget of $70 million. While it is well-known for its small grants that support social participation and inclusion, the Program also funds volunteer services that are essential to seniors’ quality of life and ability to live independently, such as Meals on Wheels and supports for seniors who are caregivers.         

The Government response to the COVID-19 pandemic recognizes that older persons are particularly affected by the crisis and is increasing supports to seniors in various ways. The Government of Canada is providing support to voluntary and service organizations who are working to provide necessary services to seniors, and has introduced several new measures to protect seniors’ financial security.

New flexibilities under the community-based stream of the New Horizons for Seniors Program will allow organizations across the country to use previously approved project funding, approximately $50 million, for essential services to seniors affected by COVID-19. Organizations that were approved for funding for the 2019-20 call for proposals can now use their funding for activities such as helping seniors stay connected to their community and family, and supporting the delivery of food and medication to seniors at home. The additional investment of $20 million to the New Horizons for Seniors Program, will support organizations that offer community-based projects that reduce isolation, improve the quality of life of seniors, and help them maintain a social support network.

As well, the NHSP provided $9 million in funding to the United Way Centraide Canada to work with communities in each province and territory to support isolated, vulnerable seniors cope with the health, social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The $350 million Emergency Community Support Fund will complement these investments and support community organizations serving vulnerable populations to adapt and reorient their services in the face of the COVID-19 crisis.

The Emergency Community Support Fund will be delivered through the Social Development Partnerships Program (SDPP) of ESDC. SDPP is a flexible and responsive program focused on supporting children and families, including seniors, persons with disabilities and Black Canadians.  ESDC has pioneered innovations in federal funding to charities and non-profits, and has found the intermediary model to be an efficient mechanism that can rapidly distribute funds in a manner that is responsive to community needs.

To support a wide range of community organizations serving vulnerable populations, the Emergency Community Support Fund will rely on three main intermediaries, the United Way Centraide Canada, the Canadian Red Cross and the Community Foundations of Canada.

Those three intermediaries will:

As of May 19, 2020, community-based organizations from across the country can apply for funding through the Emergency Community Support Fund to support a variety of activities that address a pressing social inclusion or well-being need caused by COVID-19.

In addition, ESDC will work with the Canadian Red Cross to train and equip the volunteers and staff of community organizations to safely provide services; and the United Way to enhance the social services helpline 211.

To address the needs of those experiencing homelessness in the face of the COVID-19 crisis, the Department secured an additional $157.5 million for Reaching Home. The approach provides $133.8 million in additional funding beginning April 1, 2020 to 58 Designated Communities (including in Quebec), 30 communities receiving funding directly under the Indigenous Homelessness stream, and the 3 territorial capitals; and recipients of the Rural and Remote Homelessness stream and for Indigenous Homelessness stream investments not allocated to specific communities. All of this funding has already been provided to communities. 

The remaining funds were reserved to invest as needs emerge ($22.8M) and to support Departmental operating expenses ($0.9M). A process to allocate the $22.8 million in reserved funding was recently launched and gave all current recipients the opportunity to request additional funding. Over 50 requests for additional funding have been received and are currently being assessed by officials.

Prepared by/

Name: Jessica Slade

Title: Policy Analyst

Key contact/

Name: Susan MacPhee

Title: Director, Social Programs Division

Phone number: 613-567-3607

Approved by/

Name: Monika Bertrand 

Title: Director General, Social Innovation and Community Development Directorate

Phone number: 613-315-4598

Date: June 5, 2020

Date approved in SADMO / COO:

7. ESDC COVID response measures (announced)

Measure

Waive the one - week waiting period for EI sickness: for individuals in imposed quarantine and are EI eligible.

For those who are sick, quarantined or forced to stay home to care for children, the Government is waiving the one-week waiting period for those individuals in imposed quarantine that claim Employment Insurance (EI) sickness benefits. This temporary measure is in effect as of March 15, 2020.

Target population

EI-eligible individuals who become ill with Covid 19.

Measure

Working-Sharing Program: extending eligibility from 38 weeks to 76 weeks for employers affected by COVID-19.

This measure will provide income support to employees eligible for Employment Insurance who agree to reduce their normal working hours because of developments beyond the control of their employers.

Target population

Business.

Measure

Waive the requirement to provide a medical certificate to access EI sickness: those who are applying for Employment Insurance (EI) regular or sickness benefits, a medical certificate is no longer required for EI claims beginning March 15, 2020 or later.

Target population

EI-eligible individuals.

Measure

Changes to EI for self-employed fish harvesters and sharespersons: we are considering potential measures or changes to Employment Insurance (EI) that would allow self-employed fish harvesters and sharespersons to access EI benefits on the basis of insurable earnings from previous seasons (winter and summer claims). More details will be available soon.

Target population

EI-eligible individuals.

Measure

Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB): provide income support for workers aged 15 and older residing in Canada who have stopped working for reasons related to COVID-19 and who do not have more than $1000 in employment or self-employment income for for 14 consecutive days within their first four week period and for the entire 4 weeks of their subsequent benefit periods.Individuals eligible for Employment Insurance regular or sickness benefits as of March 15th or who have exhausted their Employment insurance regular or fishing benefits as of December 29th are also eligible.The Government will provide a taxable benefit of $2,000 every 4 weeks for up to 16 weeks to eligible workers who have lost their income due to COVID-19.

Target population

All Canadians.

Measure

Temporary Foreign Worker Program

Key actions taken:

Target population

Current TFW eligible businesses.

Measure

Six-month interest-free moratorium on repayment of Canada Student Loans: a pause on all Canada Student Loan repayments and interest accrual from March 30, 2020 to September 30, 2020, which applies to all Canada Student Loan and Canada Apprentice Loan borrowers.

Target population

Students.

Measure

Canada Emergency Student Benefit will provide support to students and new graduates who are not eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit. This benefit would provide financial support for eligible students, with an additional support for eligible students with dependants or disabilities. The benefit would be available from May to August 2020.

Target population

Students.

Measure

Double the Canada Student Grants for all eligible full-time students to up to $6,000 and up to $3,600 for part-time students in 2020-21.The Canada Student Grants for Students with Permanent Disabilities and Students with Dependants would also be doubled.

Broaden eligibility for student financial assistance by removing the expected student’s and spouse’s contributions in 2020-21, in recognition that many students and families will struggle to save for school this year.

Enhance the Canada Student Loans Program by raising the maximum weekly amount that can be provided to a student in 2020-21 from $210 to $350.

Target population

Students.

Measure

Supporting Students through Expanded Student and Youth Programming

Target population

Students.

Measure

Delivering Essential Services to those in need: investment of $350 million to support vulnerable Canadians through charities and non-profit organizations that deliver essential services to those in need. The investment will flow through national organizations that have the ability to get funds quickly to local organizations that serve vulnerable populations. It will support a variety of activities.

Target population

Vulnerable Canadians.

Measure

Increasing the Canada Child Benefit: up to $300 per child through the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) for 2019-20. This will mean approximately $550 more for the average family.

This benefit will be delivered as part of the scheduled CCB payment in May.

Those who already receive the CCB do not need to re-apply.

Target population

Families.

Measure

Mortgage Support: homeowners facing financial hardship may be eligible for a mortgage payment deferral of up to six months. CMHC’s COVID19 Mortgage Deferral Program will be ongoing. Homeowners can apply any time during the outbreak. Homeowners must contact their lenders.

The deferral is an agreement between owner and the lender. Typically, the agreement indicates that home-owner and lender have agreed to pause or suspend mortgage payments for a certain amount of time. After the agreement ends, the mortgage payments return to normal and the deferred payments — including principal and accumulated interest – are added to the outstanding principal balance.

Target population

All Canadians.

Measure

Supporting people experiencing homelessness: support to people experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 outbreak by providing $157.5 million to the Reaching Home initiative.

The funding could be used for a range of needs such as purchasing beds and physical barriers for social distancing and securing accommodation to reduce overcrowding in shelters.

Reaching Home provides communities with significant flexibility in how funding can be used to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19. For example, communities can use Reaching Home funding to place individuals in temporary, transitional, or permanent housing accommodations for the purposes of self-isolation; purchase supplies and materials to reduce the risk of transmission, such as personal protective equipment; and, hire additional staff to support the response.

Target population

Vulnerable Canadians.

Measure

Canada Student Service Grant: the new Canada Student Service Grant (CSSG), which will help students gain valuable work experience and skills while they help their communities during the COVID 19 pandemic. For students who choose to do national service and serve their communities, the new Canada Student Service Grant will provide up to $5,000 for their education in the fall.

Additional support for the Canada Service Corps to expand support for meaningful youth service projects that have positive impacts in communities across Canada, including increasing the number of microgrants from 1,800 to 15,000, and providing stipends to participants.

The launch of the "I Want to Help" Platform.

Target population

Students.

Measure

Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA): agreement in principle with all provinces and territories to implement the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) for small businesses. This program will lower rent by 75 per cent for small businesses that have been affected by COVID-19.

The program will provide forgivable loans to qualifying commercial property owners to cover 50% of three monthly rent payments that are payable by eligible small business tenants who are experiencing financial hardship during April, May, and June.

The loans will be forgiven if the mortgaged property owner agrees to reduce the small business tenants’ rent by at least 75% under a rent forgiveness agreement, which will include a term not to evict the tenant while the agreement is in place. The small business tenant would cover the remainder, up to 25% of the rent.

Impacted small business tenants are businesses paying less than $50,000 per month in rent and who have temporarily ceased operations or have experienced at least a 70% drop in pre-COVID revenues. This support will also be available to non-profit and charitable organizations.

It is expected that CECRA will be operational by mid-May, and further details will be announced soon.

Target population

Business.

Measure

Supporting organizations that provide essential services to seniors: $9 million agreement with United Way Centraide Canada to support local organizations that provide essential services to seniors.

These services could include the delivery of groceries and medications, meal preparation, grocery shopping, transportation to necessary medical appointments or personal outreach to assess individuals’ needs and connect them to community supports.

Target population

Seniors.

Measure

New flexibilities under the New Horizons for Seniors Program: the new flexibilities under the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) community stream allow organizations across the country to use previously approved project funding, approximately $50 million, for essential services to seniors affected by COVID-19.

Organizations that were approved for funding for 2019-20 can now use their funding for activities such as helping seniors stay connected to their community and family, and supporting the delivery of food and medication to self-isolated seniors at home.

Expanding the New Horizons for Seniors Program with an additional investment of $20 million to support organizations that offer community-based projects that reduce isolation, improve the quality of life of seniors, and help them maintain a social support network.

Target population

Seniors.

Measure

One-time tax-free payment for Seniors: providing additional financial support of $2.5 billion for a one-time tax-free payment of $300 for seniors eligible for the Old Age Security pension, with an additional $200 for seniors eligible for the Guaranteed Income Supplement for a total of $500. Allowance recipients will also receive $500.This measure will help seniors cover increased costs caused by COVID-19. The payment will be issued the week of July 6.

Target population

Seniors.

Measure

Extending GIS and Allowance payments: temporarily extending GIS and Allowance payments if seniors’ 2019 income information has not been received. This will ensure that the most vulnerable seniors continue to receive their benefits when they need them the most. Seniors are encouraged to submit their 2019 income information as soon as possible and no later than by October 1, 2020.

8. Employment Insurance and Canada Emergency Response Benefit services

Context

Please refer to the following article from the Toronto Star: https://www.thestar.com/business/2020/04/21/frustration-mounts-as-cerb-payments-come-quickly-for-some-while-others-have-yet-to-see-a-cent.html

Questions

Current status of payments and processing update

Since March 16, 2020, approximately 8M Canadians have submitted an application to either Service Canada or the Canada Revenue Agency for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), and virtually 100% of these applications have been processed. Over $43B in CERB and EI benefits have been paid during this time period.

These applications are continuing to be processed as they are received with the objective of paying Canadians their benefits as quickly as possible.

To respond to the unprecedented demand from Canadians, Service Canada has redeployed almost 3,000 additional staff from other less critical activities to focus on supporting the delivery of EI and the new CERB, including approximately 1,500 staff who have been deployed into a new CERB Virtual Call Centre, which was established on April 6th. New processing capacities, both for the online service as well as for reporting by telephone, have been added to the system in order to respond to these growing needs.

Claimants who applied for the CERB through Service Canada and the Employment Insurance program, must complete bi-weekly reports to prove their eligibility and continue receiving benefits.

In order to complete these bi-weekly reports, claimants will require an access code, which can be found on the EI benefit statement that is mailed to them shortly after they submit their EI application. Once they receive their access code, the bi-weekly reports can be competed online or by telephone.

There had been issues identified when clients were trying to complete their reports, then getting blocked and advised to contact the Call Centre to provide further information to proceed. As of April 9th, an automated solution was put into place to address the majority of trip down issues to address this issue for most claimants, and reach out has been completed with any impacted claimants to address any outstanding issues.

To better help clients understand the process, the Department initiated an active campaign to educate clients, by way of email, updated web content and social media, of their obligation to report on a bi-weekly basis to continue to confirm entitlement. These changes were made as of April 24th, and efforts have resulted in an increase of reports completed and clients paid. Further, in regular circumstances, clients must complete their reports no later than three weeks after each due date of their next bi-weekly report; however, to allow clients more time to action these reports, this deadline has been temporarily extended to 8 weeks.

Duplicate CERB payments

The CERB is being jointly administered by Service Canada and the CRA to ensure that Canadians receive the money they are entitled to as quickly as possible.

As two organizations are administering the CERB independently, there may be situations where clients mistakenly applied for the benefit through both streams, which would result in a double payment. For example, millions of workers who applied for EI benefits were processed for the CERB and received a payment through Service Canada. If they were not aware that the payment was coming, they may have applied through CRA in error and thereby received a double payment – one from each organization.

There have been 221,000 duplicate payments to clients.

While there will not be any penalty for Canadians if they have received a payment in error, they will have to repay the CERB benefits for which they are not entitled and will proactively receive a letter from the CRA providing them with further information about the repayment process.

Efforts have been made to mitigate against double payments including:

Update on EI and CERB Call Centres and wait times

From March 12, 2020 to June 2, 2020, the average speed of answer for the EI Call Centre was 1 hour 31 minutes and a total of 1,011,876 calls were answered. The hiring and training of additional EI Call Centre agents is ongoing. These efforts are reducing wait times, increasing the accessibility of the Call Centre and reducing the number of clients who need to make more than one attempt to speak to an agent.

The key message for clients is to call the number which is most appropriate to respond to their needs, and if in doubt, they should start with the CERB automated telephone service at 1-833-966-2099.

If they have already applied to CERB through Employment Insurance and want to ask additional questions, they can reach a Canada Emergency Response Benefit agent at 1-833-699-0299.

For information on EI Maternity, Parental, Fishing, Family Caregiving and Compassionate care benefits, as well as all other claims established prior to March 15th, or if they have completed your bi-weekly reporting and need to speak to an agent, they can contact the EI call centre at 1-800-206-7218.

9. Service Canada Centre re-openings

Issue

On March 27th, Service Canada redirected in person services to an eService channel to continue to support Canadians in accessing critical services. All Service Canada Centres (SCC) were temporarily closed to the public. As jurisdictions across the country resume operations, clients expect SCCs to reopen. A reactivation plan is being developed for the gradual resumption of public access to SCCs across the country.

Our priority continues to be the health and safety of all Canadians, while maintaining service to the public.

Key facts

Response

Background

Citations / Key quotes 

Not Applicable

Prepared by/

Name: Sarah Cox

Title: Executive Director (acting)

Regional Engagement and Liaison

Citizen Services Branch

Key contact/

Name: Evelyne Power

Title: Director General, In Person Operations and Strategies

Citizen Services Branch (CSB)

Phone number: 819 654-8133

Approved by/

Name: Peter Simeoni

Title: ADM, Citizen Service Branch

Phone number: 819 654-5079

10. EI ERB Emergency Response Benefit - Integrity

Issue

Several media articles have raised concern about potential or alleged fraud of CERB payments. The Government’s actions to address this issue of fraud is questioned.

Key facts

Response

Background

The impacts of COVID-19 on all aspects of the Canadian economy, translated into an immediate and dramatic surge in the number of citizens applying for EI benefits. For example, from mid-March through mid-April 2020, more than three million EI applications were received compared to approximately 225,000 during the same time-period in previous years.  It was obvious that existing measures to adjudicate claims could not sustain these volumes. Payments to applicants would take months to process, leaving millions of citizens without income during the pandemic.

In order to deal with the high volumes of EI application, a number of temporary measures were implemented to simplify policy and processes while maintaining the integrity of the EI program through largely post-payment verification. Simplification measures included moving to a flat rate, and the use of attestations over the requirement for documentation.

For example, claimants who are applying for EI ERB benefits are no longer required to obtain a medical certificate. This was also applied to sickness benefits, compassionate care benefits and family caregiver benefits.  This simplification measure was meant to lessen the strain on the medical system, and removes the requirement of persons to access medical facilities to obtain medical certificates.  However, it means that verifying such claims will be almost impossible, as sick notes will not be available after the fact.

The Government of Canada’s approach to delivering the EI ERB follows the best practices promoted by the International Public Sector Fraud Forum and their five principles of Fraud Control in Emergency Management.

The simplification measures were developed with a clear view of the integrity trade-offs.  An integrity framework focused primarily on post payment measures was designed. These integrity measures will serve to address many areas of risk, however due to the nature of some of the simplification measures, some will remain unaddressed.

Citations / Key quotes 

Not Applicable.

Prepared by/

Name: Donna Blois

Title: Executive Director, National Enforcement and Intelligence Division

Key contact/

Name: Kathleen Walford

Title: Director General, Integrity Operations

Approved by/

Name: Jeremy Sales

Title: A/ADM, Integrity Services Branch

11. Questions and Answers

Official Title: COVID-19 Economic response plan: support for Canadians and businesses

Seniors

1. GIS renewal

a. What was announced on May 12?

The Government of Canada announced that the deferred tax filing deadline would not have an impact on Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) and Allowance benefits. This means that low-income seniors will continue to receive their payments without interruption if their 2019 income information is not available to reassess their entitlement. This new measure will ensure that GIS and Allowance recipients continue to receive their benefits during this difficult time.

b. What does this new measure change for GIS and Allowance recipients?

GIS and Allowance recipients normally need to file their income taxes or declare their income to Service Canada before the end of June in order to avoid interruptions in payments. GIS benefits are renewed annually in July and are calculated based the income information from the previous year. This new measure will now allow beneficiaries to receive the same amount of GIS/Allowance in July that they received in June, if their 2019 income is not yet available.

Benefits will be adjusted retroactively to July 2020 once Service Canada has received the 2019 income information from the Canada Revenue Agency, or directly from the recipients.

Seniors are encouraged to file their tax return as soon as possible, and no later than October 1, 2020, as it is the best way to ensure that they receive all the benefits to which they are entitled.

c. Why is the Government of Canada taking this new measure?

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the delivery of crucial services to low-income seniors across Canada, including free tax clinics. As per the eligibility requirements of the program, GIS and Allowance recipients need to file their income taxes every year, or provide their income information directly to Service Canada, in order to avoid interruptions in payments.

To ensure that this vulnerable group continues to receive payments during this difficult time, the Government of Canada will authorize that their GIS/Allowance payments continue uninterrupted if their 2019 income information is not available to reassess their benefits.

d. How long will this interim measure last? Will clients be cut off at any point?

This measure is a temporary one to address the potential impact the pandemic crisis may have on the ability of beneficiaries to report their income or file their income tax return.  GIS beneficiaries will still need to provide their 2019 income to Service Canada or file their income tax return. To avoid an interruption in payment in January 2021, seniors are encouraged to file their tax return as soon as possible, and no later than October 1, 2020.

e. How and when will the GIS benefits be adjusted?

GIS benefits will be adjusted retroactively to July 2020 once Service Canada has received the 2019 income information from the Canada Revenue Agency, or directly from the recipient.

f. Were seniors at risk of not receiving their GIS benefits before this measure was introduced?

As a result of the pandemic, the Government of Canada deferred the 2019 tax filing deadline from May 1, 2020 to June 1, 2020.

The service standard to process tax returns at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is two weeks for electronic tax returns and eight weeks for paper tax returns.  Many seniors use paper tax-filing when filing their tax returns. In addition, self-isolation or illness among seniors, and the lack of availability of free tax filing services on which many low-income seniors rely, could affect their ability to file their tax returns.

In light of these factors, some clients’ income information may not be available to reassess the GIS entitlement for July. GIS recipients who don’t provide their income information to Service Canada by that date would have typically seen their benefits suspended.

By ensuring that GIS benefits continue to be paid without interruption, the Government of Canada is taking a proactive approach to ensure the financial security of low-income seniors during these difficult times.

2. Interaction with CERB and GIS

a. Will income from the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) be used in the calculation of GIS benefits?

The Canada Emergency Response Benefit provides temporary income support to workers who have stopped working related to COVID-19.  The Benefit is taxable, and will be included in the calculation of net income under the Income Tax Act. This means that it must be considered when determining entitlement to the GIS and the Allowances.

This being said, the CERB will not affect GIS and Allowance payments for about a year. Income received from the CERB in 2020 will only be considered for GIS purposes beginning in July 2021, as those benefits will be based on 2020 income.

To provide support during the pandemic, the Government of Canada is providing additional financial support of $2.5 billion for a one-time tax-free payment of $300 for seniors eligible for the Old Age Security (OAS) pension, with an additional $200 for seniors eligible for the GIS. This measure will give a total of $500 to individuals who are eligible to receive both the OAS and the GIS, and will help them cover increased costs caused by COVID-19.

The Government has also provided more than 4 million low and modest-income seniors an average of $375 for singles and $510 for couples through a one-time special payment of the Goods and Services Tax Credit.

3. New horizons for seniors program (NHSP) – Additional funding

a. How do you intend to spend the $20 million incremental investment in NHSP?

The NHSP supports the social participation and inclusion of seniors by funding activities that make a difference in the lives of seniors and their communities. At this time when COVID-19 is affecting our communities, seniors need our support to overcome the impact of the pandemic. $20 million in new funding will go towards projects that assist seniors impacted by COVID-19 as well as broader recovery efforts to safely reduce social isolation and promote social participation of seniors in their communities. Priorities will include a focus on seniors’ mental health, supporting virtual connections and other activities. The funding will be invested to help ensure seniors from communities across the country are well-supported during the COVID pandemic. The investment approach will focus on timely delivery of supports, leveraging the very successful 2019-20 Call for Proposals of the program, including unfunded eligible projects that can support seniors during the pandemic.

Other questions related to ESDC

1. Service delivery

a. How is the Government of Canada supporting Canadians affected by COVID-19?

The Government established the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), a taxable benefit that provides $500 per week for up to sixteen weeks to workers who stop working as result of the COVID-19 pandemic and do not have more than $1000 in employment and self-employment income for a period of at least 14 consecutive days in their first benefit period and for the entire 4-weeks of any subsequent benefit period. Individuals eligible for Employment Insurance regular or sickness benefits as of March 15th as well as those who have exhausted their Employment insurance regular or fishing benefits between December 29, 2019 and October 3, 2020 are also eligible.

The Government of Canada’s priority is to ensure that Canadians receive the money they are entitled to as quickly as possible. That is why the CERB is being jointly administered by Service Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency.

Eligible workers apply through a simple portal. There is no waiting period and direct deposit payments will be delivered into accounts within three business days of applicants being eligible to receive it, and cheques within 10 days.

b. What are you doing to address wait times?

As of June 1, 2020, CRA and Service Canada have received 15.26[15.69]  M applications, and processed more than 15.25M of them.

The Department is putting in place strategies to ensure the timely delivery of benefits.

  1. Service Canada has recently redeployed almost 3,000 additional staff from other less critical activities to focus on supporting the delivery of EI and the new CERB. We are continuing to work on accelerating and increasing our hiring plans for the remainder of the year and are on track to increase the network to a total of 2,500 call centre agents by March 2021. This will represent a 250% increase
  2. We are focused on processing new claims and leaving adjustments aside
  3. We are deploying strategies to further increase automation and increase self-service opportunities for clients

Taken together these measures will ensure we get Canadians the benefits they need when they need them most. 

We have been able to get payments out to the overwhelming majority of applicants ahead of our EI service standard of 28 days.

c. The Service Canada Centres are closed, how can I access services?

As an alternative to in-person service, Service Canada programs and services are available online at Canada.ca/service-canada-home or by telephone at: 1 800 O-Canada (1-800-622-6232) - TTY: 1-800-926-9105.

You are encouraged to apply online for benefits and/or to mail your applications or supporting document to us. Service Canada services and mailing instructions are available online at Canada.ca/service-canada-home.

Additionally, you can contact our specialized call centres for program specific support:

Employment Insurance:  Toll-Free: 1-800-206-7218, TTY: 1-800-529-3742.

Canada Pension and Old Age Security:  Toll-Free:  1-800-277-9914, TTY: 1-800-255-4786.

If you are applying for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) and you require additional support, you can reach an agent at 1-833-699-0299.

Hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. local time, Monday to Friday.

Please Note: Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, we are experiencing higher than normal call volumes.  We encourage you to use self-serve options to access our programs and services online, and to avoid calling Service Canada if your request is not urgent.

We ask Canadians for their patience at this time so that we can focus our efforts on the most vulnerable Canadian population.

d. How are we reaching Indigenous communities; how can they apply if they don’t have internet access or access to a Service Canada Office?

Service Canada delivers critical services to Canadians and continues to work hard to ensure that Canadians have access to these services during the COVID-19 situation.

Even though our doors are closed, our services to Canadians continue.

Service Canada launched the e-Service Canada channel at the end of March 2020. It is designed to protect the health and safety of our staff while ensuring continued access to service by Canadians. These activities mirror the service provided by clients who come into Service Canada Centres for application support.

Clients with internet access who require assistance in applying for benefits are able to reach in person staff through an online service request form at canada.ca/service-canada-e-service or they can scan the QR code provided on posters outside of Service Canada Centres. Once clients fill out the service request form, a Service Canada Centre employee will call clients within two (2) business days. Service Canada employees will provide personalized service support for EI and pension applications for clients with internet access.

In addition, Outreach staff have contacted communities and trusted partners across the country to make them aware of eServiceCanada, and to encourage them to share the contact information with their members and clients.

To supplement the new eServiceCanada approach, Service Canada launched a new Outreach Support Centre on April 14. This is a toll-free service for Indigenous communities and other vulnerable clients facing barriers to accessing ESDC’s critical programs and benefits. As of June 2, 2020 8.898 calls have been received.

As of June 2, 2020, 6,979 contacts have been made to Service Delivery Partners and Indigenous, Northern and remote communities.

2. Employment Insurance

a. Will foreign students and persons with work permits be able to apply for CERB?

Foreign students and persons with work permits may qualify for CERB if they meet the eligibility requirements, which includes, for instance, stopping work for reasons related to COVID-19, residing in Canada and providing a valid Social Insurance Number upon application.

b. Will we adjust EI so persons with fewer hours be able to obtain EI?

The Canada Emergency Response Benefit was designed to address the needs of most workers affected by COVID-19 as quickly as possible while having a system in place that would hold up to an unprecedented high volume of individuals applying for financial support. It was therefore essential, at the onset, to have simple eligibility rules in place.

Further the Prime Minister’s announcement (April 15, 2020), to help more Canadians benefit from the CERB, the government changed the eligibility rules to:

We are aware that due to COVID-19, some workers may not have accumulated sufficient hours to qualify for EI benefits after receiving the CERB. The Government is continuing to explore ways for Canadians to get the support they need in these challenging and unprecedented times.

c. Will we eliminate the one-week waiting period on regular EI?

For anyone who became eligible for EI regular or sickness benefits on March 15, 2020 or later, the Employment Insurance claim will be automatically processed through the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, which has no waiting period.

d. Will parents receiving maternity/parental benefit, or parents that are expecting a child, be able to obtain the Canada Emergency Response Benefit?

Employment Insurance maternity and parental benefits are key supports for Canadians welcoming new children into their families.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has created challenges for Canadians, including new parents, maternity and parental benefits remain there to provide support to new parents.

Parents who share benefits can receive up to 40 weeks of parental benefits over 12 months while parents selecting the extended duration option can receive up to 69 weeks of parental benefits over 18 months but at a lower rate.

Parents who cannot return to work after their maternity or parental leave because their employer has closed or they have to stay home with their child because of COVID-19 may be eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit which provides workers $500 per week for up to 16 weeks and can be paid until October 3, 2020.

e. Can employers keep their employees on payroll and top up their CERB without the employees being penalized?

In order to meet the CERB requirements, employees do not need to be laid off, the employer-employee relationship can be maintained. Employers may provide support to their employees provided that it does not exceed the $1000 income threshold.

f. Will we extend EI Regular benefits for those who are currently on them and are soon going to run out? I.e. Seasonal Workers

The government has extended the CERB to workers, including seasonal workers, who exhaust their EI regular or fishing benefits between December 29, 2019 and October 3, 2020 and are unable to return to work as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

g. Is there a way for employees to receive financial support without having to be laid off first? 

Workers do not need to be laid off to qualify. The employer-employee relationship can be maintained. In addition, to help more Canadians benefit from the CERB, the government has changed the eligibility rules to allow people to earn up to $1,000 in employment/self-employment income within the benefit period.

3. Work sharing

a. Are we able to streamline the work-sharing program?

b. What other changes have been made to the work-sharing program?

4. Emergency benefits

a. What is the eligibility criteria for these new benefits?

The Canada Emergency Response Benefit is available to individuals residing in Canada who are age 15 and over and who are employees or self-employed. To be eligible, individuals must:

When submitting the first claim, an individual cannot have earned more than $1,000 in employment and/or self-employment income for 14 or more consecutive days within the four-week benefit period of the claim.

When submitting subsequent claims, the applicant cannot have earned more than $1,000 in employment and/or self-employment income for the entire four-week benefit period of the new claim.

b. Will self-employed, contractors, gig economy workers, seasonal workers, etc. be eligible?

Yes, the benefit is available to workers, regardless of the nature of their employment, provided that they meet the eligibility criteria.

c. If someone who is Canadian earned income abroad, is he/she eligible?  Are international students eligible? Can they earn the income outside of Canada or does it have to be income earned on Canadian soil?

The intent is to support workers in the Canadian labour force who stopped working as a result of COVID-19.

A Canadian who earned income abroad and who is now residing here is eligible as long as the other conditions are met (if they ceased working due to COVID-19 and meet all other eligibility criteria).

An international student with a SIN and currently residing in Canada is eligible if other conditions are met (if they ceased working due to COVID-19 and meet all other eligibility criteria).

A Canadian currently residing abroad is not eligible (even if he/she worked in Canada last year).

d. Is someone self-isolating and not in quarantine eligible for the emergency benefits?

The Canada Emergency Response Benefit is available to those who stop working for reasons related to COVID-19 but do not voluntarily quit their job.

An applicant who chooses to stop working would not be eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit. 

However, an applicant who is placed in quarantine or directed to self-isolate by a public health official, a medical doctor, or a nurse as a result of COVID-19 would not be considered to have stopped working voluntarily and therefore, would be eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.

e. Does someone have to have been without work for 14 days (is there a waiting period) before they can apply for the Benefit?

Applicants will be asked to certify that they have stopped or will stop working for reasons related to COVID-19, have not quit their job and will be earning no more than $1,000 as employment/self-employment income for at least 14 consecutive days within the initial  four-week claim period and for the entire four weeks in subsequent benefit periods.

f. Does someone have to be laid off to access the new Benefit?

No.

Workers do not need to be laid off to qualify. The employer-employee relationship can be maintained.

g. How much will people receive?

The Canada Emergency Response Benefit provides a flat $500 weekly amount for up to 16 weeks.

h. How will the new benefits be administered?

Applicants are able to receive the Canada Emergency Response Benefit for up to 16 weeks. The design of the measure has been kept as simple as possible to make the measure accessible and ensure that payments are issued quickly. The measure is being delivered through both Service Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency.

5. Service Canada

a. What are we doing to address wait times?

Since March 16, 2020, the Department has received 3.93 [4.36] million applications for EI (including Canada Emergency Response Benefits (CERB) for EI eligible applicants) and 3.93M of those applications have already been processed.

The Department is putting in place strategies to ensure the timely delivery of benefits.

Taken together these measures will ensure we get Canadians the benefits they need when they need them most. 

We have been able to get payments out to the overwhelming majority of applicants ahead of our service standard of 28 days.

b. Will there be higher IT capacity?

The Department has been working with Shared Services Canada to increase its IT network and system capacity to address the significant increase in EI applications. Measures taken to-date include enhancing the IT infrastructure to enable more staff to telework, ensuring stakeholders are able to access online services and improving processing capacity.

System usage is being monitored very closely and the Department is prepared to take additional measures to augment capacity as required.

6. Temporary Foreign Workers

a. What flexibilities has the Government introduced to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program to ensure employers have access to workers?

Recognizing the continued importance of foreign workers to ensuring Canada’s food security, on a temporary basis, we have streamlined requirements for employers hiring workers in occupations related to agriculture and food processing, and are prioritizing those applications.

Given the persistent need for foreign workers in full-time/full-year positions under the low-wage stream of the program, which include occupations related to meat, fish and seafood processing, we have introduced a pilot to increase the maximum duration of a Labour Market Impact Assessment from one to two years.  This initiative is expected to reduce processing times and costs for employers and the Government.

We have also implemented additional administrative flexibilities to enable employers to adapt to the COVID-19 situation, such as expediting the process for employers wishing the change the name of an already identified foreign worker, and eliminating the requirement for an employer to advise us of minor administrative changes.

b. With so many Canadians unemployed, why can’t we require employers to hire them rather than foreign workers?

I share this concern, and acknowledge that there may be cases where a temporary foreign worker fills a position that could have been filled by a Canadian. That being said, these are extraordinary circumstances, the situation is evolving rapidly, and it is critical that we ensure continued trade, commerce and food security.

With respect to agriculture, temporary foreign workers have been integral to Canada’s food production since the 1960s.  Last year, approximately 60,000 temporary foreign workers came to Canada to work in agriculture and food processing jobs.

The agriculture and agri-food sectors have traditionally had difficulty in recruiting and hiring Canadians, despite the requirement that they advertise to Canadians first. The jobs are seasonal, often located outside of major urban centers, and based on recruitment efforts to date, do not appear to be attractive to many Canadians.

In the current context, especially where many farms have already started planting for the season, pivoting quickly to an all-Canadian agriculture workforce would pose significant challenges. At the same time, it is likely that fewer temporary foreign workers will come to Canada this year, putting additional pressure on the sector.

We continue to encourage employers to hire Canadians, and jobs are posted – and continue to be available – for Canadians who are interested.  In addition, we are exploring additional ways to shore up our domestic labour supply.

c. Given the rapid rise in unemployment due to COVID-19, how is ESDC assessing employer applications for temporary foreign workers?

Applications to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program involve an extensive assessment of a number of factors, including labour market need, with a view to ensuring that Canadians and Permanent Residents are considered first for available jobs. This includes an assessment of labour market information.

While the rapidly evolving situation has reduced the usefulness of current labour market information to make objective assessments of labour shortages, the Program’s assessment of employer requests includes a number of criteria that take into account the state of the labour market. 

For example, most employers must prove that they have made credible efforts to hire Canadians or Permanent residents, and will have their Employment Insurance history reviewed to ensure that they have not recently laid off Canadians.

In response to COVID-19, the Government has strengthened its assessment criteria for all new and existing applications under review:

We are also exploring other potential adjustments to enable the program to adapt to the evolving context more quickly.

d. What is the role of employers of temporary foreign workers in safeguarding public health during this pandemic?

Like all travellers to Canada, temporary foreign workers are responsible for complying with orders made under the Quarantine Act, including the current requirement for mandatory quarantine or isolation.  Contravening these requirements could lead to fines or imprisonment, and under proposed regulations, foreign workers could be deemed inadmissible to Canada and face removal.

Employers have an important role to play in helping to prevent the introduction and spread of COVID-19.  Like all Canadians, employers are expected to follow the latest public health and safety requirements and guidance from the Government of Canada and their provincial/territorial and local authorities.

Amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, which entered into force on April 20, 2020, compel employers of temporary foreign workers to meet additional requirements, including:

Employers who do not comply with the requirements could be subject to penalties of up to $1 million and a ban from hiring foreign workers, depending on the seriousness of the situation and number of workers affected.

e. How will you enforce employer compliance with the new requirements?

Communication has been the cornerstone of our approach to ensuring employers understand and comply with the new requirements related to COVID-19.

The Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion and the Minister of Health outlined the Government’s expectations of employers regarding COVID-19 in a letter shared with all employers of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and posted online on April 3.

Additional guidance to employers, informed by the expertise of public health officials, as well as extensive stakeholder engagement at the officials’ level, have also taken place.

Amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations now enable enforcement of the new requirements through inspections and the application of penalties for non-compliance under the existing administrative monetary penalties framework.

Given the critical importance of protecting public health, these amendments include the ability for enforcement officers to conduct inspections regarding COVID-19 early, quickly, and make final determinations faster.  Inspections are being initiated proactively, but also reactively, such as through tips, or reports of confirmed cases of COVID-19 at a worksite. To date, over 600 inspections have been initiated.

The Government will continue to work with provinces/territories, partner countries, employer associations, worker support organizations, and other stakeholders to address issues and questions, and make adjustments as the situation evolves.

f. Why doesn’t the Government take responsibility for quarantining workers?

Together, we all have an important role to play in protecting public health throughout this pandemic, and we share a key objective – to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The Government of Canada has implemented a number of measures to screen travellers, including temporary foreign workers, before they leave for Canada, and upon arrival. In addition, I understand that some provinces are imposing additional requirements for foreign workers upon arrival.

Under current program rules, many employers of temporary foreign workers, especially those in agriculture, provide housing to workers.  We have been engaging with employer groups, and communicating with employers directly, to ensure that this housing enables workers to meet the requirements of quarantine. New regulatory amendments enable enforcement of these requirements.

We are also offering compensation to employers in key sectors to defray some of the additional costs they may incur as a result of the new requirements.

Importantly, this approach will help to ensure the health of the public, including foreign workers, is protected not just for their first two weeks in Canada, but throughout their entire period of employment.

g. What is the Government of Canada doing to address COVID-19 outbreaks amongst Temporary Foreign Workers?

The Government of Canada takes the health of all Canadians and foreign workers very seriously. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government has worked closely with provincial/territorial governments, employers, community service organizations, and representatives of the source countries of many workers on actions to protect the health of the public and of workers and will continue to do so including with regard to current outbreak locations.

Like all travellers to Canada, TFWs must follow orders made under the Quarantine Act, including the current requirement to quarantine upon arrival into Canada.

The Government has also implemented new regulations, which compel employers to meet new requirements to limit the spread of COVID-19. This includes not preventing a worker from meeting their requirements under orders made under the Quarantine Act, as well as provincial/territorial public health laws related to COVID-19.  Employers who provide accommodations to workers as part of the requirements of the TFW Program must also meet new requirements to limit the potential spread of COVID-19.

Employers who do not comply could be subject to penalties of up to $1 million and a ban from hiring foreign workers, depending on the seriousness of the situation and number of workers affected.

Service Canada is conducting inspections to verify employer compliance. To date, over 600 inspections have been initiated.

In addition, the Government is communicating directly with employers and workers, producing multilingual guidance, and continues to engage with stakeholders and partners to facilitate understanding of these requirements.

Provinces/territories are responsible for establishing and enforcing health and safety rules for most workplaces.  When an outbreak of COVID-19 occurs at a workplace, the Government of Canada will work with the appropriate provincial/territorial body, as well as other partners, to safeguard the health and safety of workers and mitigate the risk to public health.

7. Canada Summer Jobs program

a. How is CSJ changing for summer 2020 to respond to COVID-19?

CSJ continues to serve youth aged 15-30 and the Department is working with employers which have already submitted applications to roll out CSJ 2020.

To encourage job creation through additional flexibilities and supports, CSJ 2020 has:

MPs were also invited to identify local organizations that support the delivery of essential services but have not applied for funding and could provide youth a job placement.

Interested job seekers are now about to search and apply for CSJ jobs in their community.

There are currently over 53,000 CSJ job postings up on the Government of Canada’s Job Bank website for young people looking for work this summer. This site is the leading source for obtaining jobs and labour market information. Job Bank offers users occupational and career information on job opportunities, educational requirements, wage rates and salaries, as well as current employment trends and outlooks. More information may be found at: www.jobbank.gc.ca.

b. What program adjustments have been put in place to better support the delivery of essential services?

All employers approved for funding are provided with the flexibility to amend project and job activities to support the delivery of critical services.

MPs were also invited to work with the Department to identify local organizations that provide critical services that have not applied for CSJ funding but could be solicited to submit an application to offer job placements.

Interested job seekers are now able to search and apply for CSJ jobs in their community.

c. How much funding is being provided to the CSJ Program in 2020?

The Government of Canada is investing $263 million in funding for the Canada Summer Jobs program in 2020 to support the creation of 70,000 youth jobs with an average duration of 8 weeks, 35 hours.

8. Youth Employment and Skills Strategy

a. What changes are being introduced under the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) program in response to COVID-19?

Additional investments in the YESS program will increase employment opportunities and supports for youth across the country who are impacted by the pandemic by:

b. How many jobs for youth will be created in emergency sectors through additional investments?

With approximately $153.7 million in funding, the Government will support the creation of at least 6,000 jobs and supports for youth in high demand sectors such as agriculture, technology, health and essential services. 

c. What youth will benefit? Will these changes support youth facing barriers?

YESS programming is available to all youth aged 15 to 30.

Additional supports, such as mentorship, access to computers, access to mental health supports, are aimed at ensuring youth facing barriers to the labour market can benefit from these new opportunities.  

These enhancements to YESS complement other measures introduced to support youth and students impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, including the enhancements to Canada Summer Jobs Program.  

d. Which critical sectors will these additional job placements help?  What type of jobs are being created?

These youth jobs will begin quickly to support high-demand sectors including, but not restricted to: agriculture and agri-food; biosciences and research; transport; environment; and, community services.

These placements in high-demand sectors will protect the health and safety of youth. Examples of jobs include: telephone and online health and social support services, research and administrative roles, supporting roles for services to vulnerable populations, etc.

9. Student Work Placement Program

a. What changes are being made to the Student Work Placement Program in response to COVID-19?

An additional investment of $80M will be made in 2020-21 to help post-secondary students access paid work integrated learning opportunities in their fields of study through the creation of up to 20,000 student work placements, including in critical sectors such as health-care and other front line sectors.

10. Financial support for students

a. How is the Government of Canada supporting students facing financial challenges as a result of COVID-19?

The Government of Canada has introduced a new Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB), which will provide financial relief to students and recent graduates who are unable to find work because of COVID-19. The benefit will provide financial support for up to four months, with an additional support for students with disabilities, as well as those with dependants.

The Government has also increased the value of Canada Student Grants and Loans and relaxed their eligibility criteria to support new and returning students for the 2020-2021 academic year. The value of Canada Student Grants will be doubled, the expected contributions from students and spouses will be exempted from the calculation of a student’s financial need, and the cap on Canada Student Loans will be increased from $210 to $350 per week of study.

These measures are in addition to the recent pause on repayment and interest for student loans for the period of March 30 to September 30.

b. Who is eligible to receive the CESB?

The CESB is available to post-secondary students and recent graduates who ended their studies in December 2019 or later. It is also available to high school students graduating in 2020 and who have applied for enrolment in a PSE program that will start before February 1, 2021.

It is available to Canadian citizens, permanent residents, registered Indians and protected persons, including Canadians studying abroad. In order to receive CESB, a student must attest that:

c. Do students need to do anything to receive this benefit?

Students must apply for each monthly period through their myCRA account and meet the eligibility criteria. They must attest that the information they are providing is accurate.

d. Why is the government increasing the student loan burden for students?

The Government has increased the Canada Student Grants amount from $2,000 in 2015 to $6,000 and expanded their eligibility. To ensure that students are not left with ‘unmet need’ in light of increasing educational cost, the Government will increase the cap on student loans, which has not changed since 2005. Any increase in student debt is expected to be mitigated by recent lowering of interest rate on Canada Student Loans and enhancements to the Repayment Assistance Plan such that no student has to repay their student loans until they are making at least $25,000.

11. Supports for Student Learning Program

a. What supports are being provided for vulnerable young learners in response to COVID-19?

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on children, youth, and their families, particularly as they adapt to school closures and disconnection from the social networks. These families now face challenges supporting their students in the transition to online learning. Traditionally, youth-serving organizations have been an anchor to help vulnerable children, youth and families through periods of transition. However, the current environment requires these organizations to accelerate access to digitized mentoring and tutoring supports so that no child in Canada is left further behind because of COVID-19.

This is why the Government will invest $15 million to help organizations working in the after-school space to reach approximately 14,700 vulnerable children and youth through the delivery of online wraparound supports and increase the connectivity for these young learners and their families.

b. How will these new supports for digitized services help students during this pandemic?

Many of ESDC’s existing partner organizations have established trusted relationships with vulnerable children and youth facing barriers to education, and who need critical supports such as tutoring and mentoring. To maintain continuity of the supports and services they provide, and to ensure that approximately 14,700 vulnerable children and youth do not become further marginalized as a result of COVID-19, this investment will help organizations to migrate their programming and supports to digital delivery platforms.

In addition, given that a significant digital divide exists in terms of connectivity and access to technology, particularly for low-income and rural and remote families, this investment will help organizations ensure that youth have access to internet and adequate technologies at home. By making sure that youth do not disengage from their academics and important social outlets, this will help to prevent a negative impact on high school graduation rates, post-secondary enrolment and persistence, and employment readiness for years to come.

c. Which organizations will deliver this new funding?

This investment will leverage existing relationships with youth-serving organizations that have established, trusted relationships with vulnerable children and youth facing barriers to education.

In addition to collaborating with these organizations, the department will also look to quickly establish new partnerships that could support additional vulnerable children and youth, including students with disabilities, and students in rural, Northern, and remote communities.

12. Homelessness

a. What is the Government of Canada doing to address COVID-19 for those experiencing homelessness or those at-risk of homelessness?

One of the most important roles of our Government during this global pandemic is to support vulnerable Canadians, including those who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness.

This is why as a Government we are monitoring the evolution of the COVID-19 outbreak very closely. The Public Health Agency of Canada continues to work in close collaboration with provincial, territorial and local public health authorities to ensure appropriate responses are in place across the country.

The Government has invested $157.5 million for Reaching Home: Canada's Homelessness Strategy, to address the needs of those experiencing homelessness in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. Reaching Home provides a community-based approach to deliver funding directly to municipalities and local service providers.

Beginning on April 1st, 2020, additional funding has been provided to the 58 Designated Communities (including the seven in Quebec), 30 communities receiving funding directly under the Indigenous Homelessness stream, and the three territorial capitals. Funding has also been made available to Rural and Remote communities across Canada.

In addition, $15 million of reallocated funding was provided to seven large communities at the end of the 2019-20 fiscal year.

Overall, the approach to incremental funding has been designed to focus investments on urban centres where the risk of viral spread is highest, while also providing funding to support rural and remote communities. It also provides the flexibility to offer additional support to communities dealing with more significant outbreaks over time.

12. Federal Community Housing Initiative

Issue

How is The Government implementing phase 2 of the Federal Community Housing Initiative (FCHI-2) in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic?

Key facts

Response

Background

N/A

Citations / Key quotes

N/A

Prepared by/ Key contact

Name: Etienne Caouette-Fraser

Title: Senior Officer, Parliamentary Affairs

No phone number: 613-748-2350

Approved by/

Name: Patrick Perron

Title: Manager, Parliamentary Affairs and Correspondence

No. phone number: 613-740-5869

13. Financial stability and the housing market

Issue

How is the Government ensuring Canada's financial stability as well as the stability of the housing market?

Key facts

Response

Background

N/A

Citations / Key quotes

N/A

Prepared by/ Key contact

Name: Etienne Caouette-Fraser

Title: Senior Officer, Parliamentary Affairs

No phone number: 613-748-2350

Approved by/

Name: Patrick Perron

Title: Manager, Parliamentary Affairs and Correspondence

No. phone number: 613-740-5869

14. Indigenous housing

Issue

How is the Government supporting Indigenous communities during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Key facts

Response

Background

N/A

Citations / Key quotes

N/A

Prepared by/ Key contact

Name: Etienne Caouette-Fraser

Title: Senior Officer, Parliamentary Affairs

No phone number: 613-748-2350

Approved by/

Name: Patrick Perron

Title: Manager, Parliamentary Affairs and Correspondence

No phone number: 613-740-5869

15. Support for renters

Issue

What is the government doing to help non-commercial renters affected by the COVID-19 crisis?

Key facts

Response

Background

BC and PEI are the only jurisdictions to provide a rent support. The initiative in BC provides up to $500 support monthly to qualified persons, while the PEI initiative provides a total of $1,000 over three months ($500 in the first month, and $250 each for the following 2 months).

NWT has reduced the requirements and streamlined the process for applying to its existing Transitional Rent Supplement Program to respond to residents who lost their jobs to COVID-19. This program provides a rent subsidy of to $500 per month to low- to moderate-income residents in private market rental housing.

Other PTs may have not announced the changes to its programs.

The Canada Housing Benefit is a $2 billion ($4 billion with cost matched funding from PTs) initiative to provide support to Canadians to improve their housing affordability. Co-developed and delivered by provinces and territories, the CHB will respond to their unique contexts and needs. It will align with NHS principles, mitigate inflationary effects, and be coordinated with local programs.

Citations / Key quotes

N/A

Prepared by/ Key contact

Name: Etienne Caouette-Fraser

Title: Senior Officer, Parliamentary Affairs

No phone number: 613-748-2350

Approved by/

Name: Patrick Perron

Title: Manager, Parliamentary Affairs and Correspondence

No phone number: 613-740-5869

16. Evictions

Issue

How is the Government mitigating tenant evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Key facts

Response

Background

As at April 20, 2020, 12 provinces and territories had announced some level of moratorium on evictions as a result of their response to COVID-19. The only jurisdiction without an eviction moratorium was Nunavut, which continues to have no reported cases of COVID-19. There is very little rental housing in Nunavut for which the Territory is not the landlord. The Territory rarely evict tenants, thus such a moratorium was not required. 

The scope of these moratoria ranged from community housing only (PE, NT), to those affected by COVID-19 (NL, NS, YK) to full moratoria (BC, AB, SK, MT, ON, QC, NB).

The end dates of moratoria on eviction vary and have been extended in some instances. 2 provinces - MT and NB - lifted their moratoria on June 1, 2020.  The remaining provinces and territories continue to have some form of anti-eviction measures in place.

Citations / Key quotes

N/A

Prepared by/ Key contact

Name: Etienne Caouette-Fraser

Title: Senior Officer, Parliamentary Affairs

No phone number: 613-748-2350

Approved by/

Name: Patrick Perron

Title: Manager, Parliamentary Affairs and Correspondence

No phone number: 613-740-5869

17. Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA)

Issue

How is the Government helping small businesses make rent payments during the COVID‑19 pandemic?

Key facts

Response

If pressed on commercial property landlord refusing to apply for CECRA:

If pressed on details of the CECRA:

If pressed on delays in applying to CECRA or reaching the technical help line:

If pressed on outsourcing a third party to manage CECRA:

Background

N/A

Citations / Key quotes

N/A

Prepared by/ Key contact

Name: Etienne Caouette-Fraser

Title: Senior Officer, Parliamentary Affairs

No phone number: 613-748-2350

Approved by/

Name: Patrick Perron

Title: Manager, Parliamentary Affairs and Correspondence

No. phone number: 613-740-5869

18. Mortgage deferrals

Issue

What is the Government doing to help homeowners affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and are having issues paying their mortgages?

Key facts

Response

Background

N/A

Citations / Key quotes

N/A

Prepared by/ Key contact

Name: Etienne Caouette-Fraser

Title: Senior Officer, Parliamentary Affairs

No phone number: 613-748-2350

Approved by/

Name: Patrick Perron

Title: Manager, Parliamentary Affairs and Correspondence

No. phone number: 613-740-5869

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