Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program – Rooming House

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Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program – Rooming House

What is the Rooming House Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program (Rooming House RRAP)?

The Rooming House RRAP offers owners of rooming houses (who offer affordable rents to low-income individuals) financial assistance by providing a forgivable loan to pay for eligible house repairs. Eligible repairs are those required to bring properties up to minimum levels of health and safety, and prolong the life of the rooming house.

Who is eligible?

Owners/landlords of rooming houses with more than three bed-units, used as permanent residence for the occupants, may be eligible for assistance under this program. Successful applicants must meet ALL of the following conditions:

• Rental rates for the bed-units are at, or below, the established levels for the market area.
• The property lacks basic facilities or requires major repairs in at least one of five key areas — structural, electrical, plumbing, heating, fire safety.
• Tenants are not family relatives of the property owner.

What types of repairs are eligible?

Eligible repairs are limited to mandatory repairs, listed in the RRAP Standards, which are required to bring rooming houses up to minimum levels of health and safety. Once repaired, the property should have a further useful life of 15 years.

Please note: Work carried out before you receive approval of the Rooming House RRAP loan in writing is NOT eligible for funding under this program.

What financial assistance is available?

Assistance is in the form of a fully forgivable loan — it does not have to be repaid if certain conditions are met. The maximum loan is between $16,000 and $19,000 per bed-unit, depending on the geographic location of the property. The loan covers up to 100 per cent of the cost for mandatory repairs. This is the actual cost of repairs that are eligible to receive funding. (Only repairs defined in the RRAP Standards as ‘mandatory' will be considered for funding, and all mandatory repairs must be completed.)

To be eligible under this program, owners of rooming houses must:

• Agree to place a limit on rents charged after the repairs are completed
• Limit rent increases during the term of the agreement
• Agree to limit new occupancy to tenants with incomes at, or below, the income limit
• Cover the cost of mandatory repairs that are higher than the loan amount

For your information

If you meet the eligibility criteria and wish to receive an application package, or if you require additional information on this program, contact the Manitoba Housing and Renewal Corporation – Affordable Housing.

Other programs are available to help with major repairs to substandard, single family housing; modifications to make homes more accessible to persons with disabilities; and minor adjustments to homes to meet the needs of seniors with age-related difficulties.

For more information on these programs or to find out how to apply for financial assistance, contact:

Manitoba Housing and Renewal Corporation — Affordable Housing
113 – 114 Garry Street
Winnipeg, MB R3C 4V4
Phone: 945-5566 (in Winnipeg)
Toll-free: 1-866-689-5566

The Rooming House Residential Rehabilitation Assistance (RRAP) Program is cost shared by the federal and provincial governments.