The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced that the federal government has reached an agreement in principle with all provinces and territories to implement the
Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) for small businesses.
This program will lower rent by 75 per cent for small businesses that have been affected by COVID-19.
Who qualifies?
- Businesses paying less than $50,000 per month in rent and who have temporarily ceased operations
or
- Businesses that have experienced at least a 70 per cent drop in pre-COVID-19 revenues.
This support will also be available to non-profit and charitable organizations
An announcement of support for larger businesses is expected in the coming days.
How does it work?
- The program will provide forgivable loans to qualifying commercial property owners to cover 50 per cent of three monthly rent payments that are payable by eligible small business tenants who are experiencing financial hardship during April, May, and June.
- The loans will be forgiven if the mortgaged property owner agrees to reduce the eligible small business tenants’ rent by at least 75 per cent for the three corresponding months under a rent forgiveness agreement, which will include a term not to evict the tenant while the agreement is in place. The small business tenant would cover the remainder, up to 25 per cent of the rent.
What is the timeline?
- It is expected that CECRA will be operational by mid-May, with commercial property owners lowering the rents of their small business tenants payable for the months of April and May, retroactively, and for June.
