Housing Options

Community (Social) Housing

Community Housing provides subsidized housing to people with lower incomes.

  • You pay rent based on a percentage of your income. Rent is either 30 per cent of your adjusted gross monthly household income, or the core shelter rates if you are receiving Income Support from Alberta Works.

  • You live in a Civida home.

  • There is high demand for Community Housing. Applicants are placed on a priority list using a point scoring system. It is not first come, first served.

  • There are strict income limits, asset limits, and citizenship requirements for Community Housing.

  • The size of unit you can apply for is based on how many people are in your household, and any special needs you may have.

Our Community Housing program is governed by Alberta legislation, including the Social Housing Accommodation Regulation, Housing Accommodation Tenancies Regulation, and Residential Tenancies Act. This means some of our rules are set by the Alberta government.

Near Market Housing

Near Market Housing provides subsidized housing to people with moderate incomes.

  • You pay rent that is 10-20 per cent below current market rental rates.

  • You live in a Civida home.

  • There is no priority list or point scoring for Near Market Housing like there is for Community Housing.

  • There are higher income limits, no asset limits, and no citizenship requirements for Near Market Housing.

  • The size of unit you can apply for is not based on how many people are in your household. You can rent a larger unit based on availability.

Our Near Market Housing program is governed by the Residential Tenancies Act and its regulations and operating agreements between Civida and grant providers.

Mixed Income Housing

Mixed Income Housing is a new model of affordable housing offered by Civida. Mixed Income Housing is designed to have a diverse group of tenants with different income levels, all living in the same building.

  • You pay rent based on a percentage of your income. The amount of rent you pay depends on your gross monthly household income.

  • You live in a Civida home.

  • For most of our Mixed Income homes, you must meet the same eligibility criteria as our Community Housing or Near Market Programs, including income and asset limits. However, once you move into a Mixed Income building, you do not have to stay under these income or asset limits.

Londonderry

Our brand new Londonderry complex is different than our other Mixed Income homes:

  • You pay rent based on your income.

  • You live in a Civida home.

Rent Assistance Benefit (RAB)

Rent Assistance Benefit (RAB) is the new name of the program formerly known as the Direct Rent Supplement (DRS) program. It is designed for households in core housing need who have low incomes and ongoing need.

All RAB recipients must sign an agreement with Civida before receiving the benefit.

The Rent Assistance Benefit program is governed by the Rent Supplement Regulation and the Social Housing Accommodation Regulation. This means some of our rules are set by the Alberta government.

Temporary Rent Assistance Benefit (TRAB)

Temporary Rent Assistance Benefit (TRAB) is a new rent assistance program. It is for households living in the Edmonton city limits.

TRAB is a two-year benefit program for working households or for those in between jobs. It is designed for households who may have trouble receiving priority for regular Rental Assistance Benefit (RAB) or community housing but still need help making their housing affordable.

Civida is administering the TRAB on behalf of the government of Alberta in Edmonton. The Temporary Rent Assistance Benefit program is governed by the Rent Supplement Regulation and the Social Housing Accommodation Regulation. This means some of our rules are set by the Alberta government.