Attention Tenants: Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) Is NOT FOR PAYING RENT (legally you don’t have to use it to pay rent!)

Don’t Be Tricked! Don’t Be Bullied! The CRB Is For Helping You Survive! LTB Adjudicators Will Understand & Agree Not Using It To Pay Rent (and won’t evict you!)

The CRB programme was created to help workers who continue to need support for our families. This means these emergency funds given are to make sure you have enough to eat, the cloth your family in harsh winter conditions, to buy medicine, and for other daily necessities.

It is NOT for paying rent.

It was not designed to go to tenants and then transferred to landlords (who have their own programs to get rent) during these frightening times! If you do not pay rent you can explain to this to a judge or LTB adjudicator and you will not be evicted!

Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB)

While many Canadians have seen their jobs come back and have returned to work since the start of the pandemic, the Government of Canada recognizes that there remain other workers in sectors that have been particularly hit hard who continue to need support.

That is why, today, the Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Chrystia Freeland, and the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough, announced the introduction of Bill C-2, to create three new temporary Recovery Benefits to support Canadians who are unable to work for reasons related to COVID-19. These new Benefits are being proposed as part of the Government of Canada’s plan to support Canadians as we work to build back a stronger, more resilient economy. Since the introduction of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) in the early days of the pandemic, at a time when we asked Canadians to stay home, close to 9 million Canadians have received the Benefit to help to pay their bills and support their families.

The Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) gives income support to employed and self-employed individuals who are directly affected by COVID-19 and are not entitled to Employment Insurance (EI) benefits. The CRB is administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

If you are eligible for the CRB, you can receive $1,000 ($900 after taxes withheld) for a 2-week period.

If your situation continues past 2 weeks, you will need to apply again. You may apply up to a total of 13 eligibility periods (26 weeks) between September 27, 2020 and September 25, 2021.

https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/benefits/recovery-benefit.html

My Landlord Is A Bully! If She Tries To Evict Me What Can I Do?

“Pay now or I will evict you! I have payments for my BMWs to make!”

Many (not all) landlords are bullies who don’t even know the law.

Don’t worry at all.

1. The Process Will Take Over a Year To Get Hearing HAHAHAHA

First of all, it your landlord will have to serve you an N4 (pay rent) which is just a request for the money. Then if you ignore if they have to get a “hearing” date at the LTB which will take at least a year.

2. At The Hearing You Can Easily Explain Why You Didn’t Pay Rent

In Ontario housing is a “human right” and not just a business transaction. This is why the Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board is part of the Social Justice tribunal system. Most landlords don’t even know this!

At the Hearing you will get free legal aid to help you. Yes, all tenants no matter what your income.

Then you just explain why you needed CRB and what your struggles are. Make sure to be very dramatic and perhaps even cry and wear old clothes at your Hearing to make sure the message gets across to the Adjudicator.

If you do this YOU WILL NOT BE EVICTED!

At most you will be given a looooonnnnnggggg term payment plan, but you won’t be evicted! You might have to pay an extra $10/month once the pandemic is over LOL!

Yes, the Ford government is tenant-friendly! They don’t want the media to report on “mass evictions” so they put the burn on landlords which is rad!

Make sure you text or email your landlord about your problems and ask them to understand your situation. An email like this:

“Dear ____, During these difficult times I’m unable to pay rent due to. __ and ___ and ___. Please understand my situation as I want to pay but simply cannot due to this horrible pandemic. I am open to communication with and ask you to respect the extremely difficult times I face. I will pay you in full as soon as I can, but now I must protect my life and the lives of my family!”

***MAKE SURE YOU DOCUMENT EVERYTHING, EXPECIALLY YOUR EMAILS/TEXTS TO YOUR LANDLORD (WITH DATES!) AS EVIDENCE

Landlords want your money for their new cars and vacations!

3. What If My Landlord Offered Me A Payment Plan?

You can choose to agree, but it’s best to disagree. Just make sure you have a record of why you disagreed.

(For example “I need money for my baby!” or “I want to make a payment plan but am worried about being able to pay food and can’t find work, please understand my situation!”)

4. What If My Landlord Harasses Me Or Locks Me Out?

Call the police.

This is a landlord tenant matter and the landlord MUST LET YOU IN!

Tenants Are More Powerful Than We Think!

In Ontario there are strong laws to protect tenants. But most tenants are not aware of our legal rights and don’t fight our landlords!

Many tenants don’t even go to their Landlord and Tenant Board Hearing, which means the landlord wins “automatically” when if you just show up, get free legal aid, you will !