Are there provincial income supports or housing supplements for refugees and how are they applied?
Executive summary
Canada provides time-limited federal income supports for resettled refugees under the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) that are calibrated to provincial social assistance rates, and there are specific housing supplements and one‑time start‑up payments layered on top; privately sponsored refugees are instead supported by their sponsors while asylum claimants and recognized refugees inside Canada may rely on provincial social assistance rules rather than RAP [1] [2] [3] [4].
1. What the federal Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) covers and how rates are set
The federal RAP offers two core streams — start‑up assistance and monthly income support — intended to help government‑assisted refugees establish themselves during the initial settlement period, typically up to 12 months, and the monthly RAP allowances are explicitly “aimed to be in accordance with the prevailing provincial social assistance rates” in the province where the refugee lives [5] [1] [6].
2. Housing components: basic shelter rate plus a national supplement
RAP income support for housing is split into a basic shelter rate guided by provincial/territorial social assistance shelter levels and a national housing supplement intended to narrow the gap between shelter rates and actual rents; IRCC documents note a monthly housing supplement of up to $200 per case and per adult dependant in some circumstances, and service providers calculate monthly income support on a provincial basis [3] [5] [1].
3. Variations by province and the practical effect on refugees
Because RAP benchmarks to provincial social assistance schedules, the dollar amounts refugees receive vary across provinces and are calculated by household size and local rates; research and service providers have flagged that RAP income support often falls short of local market rents, leaving refugees reliant on supplementary private or charitable supports and on provincial benefits where eligible [1] [7].
4. Who gets RAP versus who gets other supports: GARs, PSRs, claimants
Government‑assisted refugees (GARs) arriving through resettlement are the primary RAP recipients and get federal monthly allowances plus start‑up help, whereas privately sponsored refugees (PSRs) normally receive no government income assistance during their sponsorship because sponsors are contractually responsible for financial support; refugee claimants and those recognized in Canada do not automatically receive RAP and may only access provincial social assistance if they meet the usual provincial criteria [8] [9] [4] [10].
5. Short‑term housing programs and federal cost‑sharing with provinces
For asylum claimants and to address interim pressures, the federal Interim Housing Assistance Program (IHAP) and recent IHAP top‑ups provide grant funding to provincial/municipal governments for interim housing and shelter services on a cost‑sharing basis, reflecting that housing responsibility is often administered by provinces/municipalities even as the federal government injects targeted funds [11] [12].
6. How supplements are applied in practice and exceptional cases
IRCC’s program terms permit national allowances (one‑time start‑up, maternity allowance, etc.) and allow for exceptional higher contributions where health or safety needs justify them; requests for supplementary RAP benefits require supporting documentation to be submitted to local IRCC offices and are not paid retroactively [1] [3].
7. Debate, shortfalls and misinformation to watch for
Advocates and settlement workers argue RAP levels are calibrated to “aid of last resort” social assistance and therefore may not match rents in overheated markets, prompting emergency private rental supplements during crises, while fact‑checkers warn against viral claims exaggerating monthly refugee payments; official sources show one‑time start‑up ranges and clarified monthly caps rather than the inflated figures circulating online [7] [13].
Conclusion: the answer in one line
Yes — federal RAP provides income support and housing supplements for resettled refugees, applied by aligning monthly payments with provincial social assistance shelter rates plus a national supplement and start‑up allowances for up to about 12 months, while privately sponsored refugees rely on sponsors and asylum claimants typically fall under provincial/municipal housing and social assistance schemes or targeted federal interim funding [1] [3] [9] [11].