Rent Assistance Benefits are subsidies paid directly to Civida subsidy recipients to help make their rent with a private landlord more affordable.
Recipient households live in private rental homes and receive a monthly benefit amount to help make their rent more affordable. Civida is not the landlord in this program.
This program is administered within Edmonton and surrounding communities. The Rent Assistance Benefit (RAB) 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.
Changes to RAB administration
The Government of Alberta has made changes to the Rent Assistance Benefit (RAB) program, so that local housing management bodies can better serve residents in their community. Civida will be working with Heartland Housing Foundation and Meridian Housing Foundation to transfer applicants who are affected by this change.
As of April 1, 2023, residents of Strathcona County, Fort Saskatchewan, Stony Plain, Spruce Grove and Parkland County will be contacted by their new designated housing management body with more details about the transition.
If you have any questions about the transition or no longer wish to be considered for the RAB program, please contact Civida by April 30, 2023, at [email protected] or by calling 780-420-6161.
Civida continues to administer RAB to the communities listed here.
Additional forms and documents
- Information Sheet: Receiving a Rent Assistance Benefit (RAB) – find out more about receiving a Rent Assistance Benefit.
- Information Sheet: Continued Eligibility for RAB – if you receive a Rent Assistance Benefit, review your responsibilities and continued eligibility requirements.
- Rent Assistance Benefit Direct Deposit Form – if you are a new or existing Rent Assistance Benefit recipient, you can sign-up to receive your monthly subsidy by direct deposit. Please complete the form and provide your banking information as requested. If you already receive your subsidy by direct deposit and your banking information has changed, please fill out the same form.