Canada’s “lifesaving” wage and rent subsidies are gone. Here’s why non-profits and charities are worried.

Author Brennan Doherty
The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) and Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) were replaced in October with programs that sector leaders say aren’t adequate.

Why It Matters

Non-profits and charities intent on supporting an equitable recovery don’t just need government handouts — they need financial stability.

var TRINITY_TTS_WP_CONFIG = {"cleanText":"Canada\u2019s \u201clifesaving\u201d wage and rent subsidies are gone. Here\u2019s why non-profits and charities are worried.. Caught between a pincer of low revenues and rising service demands, as many as half of Canada\u2019s social purpose organizations used the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) or the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) to ease the pressure.\u00a0 CEWS provided up to 50 percent of an employer\u2019s wage costs, while CERS, intended for commercial landlords and tenants, provided up to 25 percent of rent payments. The two programs gave billions of dollars of aid to the Canadian social impact sector, according to Imagine Canada. But in October 2021, the Canadian government announced it would replace CEWS and CERS with the Hardest-Hit Bus

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