Manitoba's unique rent guarantee program

In 2023, the Jubilee Fund launched a rent guarantee program (RGP) to help women in Manitoba experiencing housing insecurity by acting as their guarantor. This includes at-risk women as well as youth coming from an abusive home, and students from rural areas studying in town.

Three years later, the Fund has received 128 applications, representing 227 people, according to an email received by Future of Good. The Jubilee Fund has co-signed a dozen leases, representing $100,000 in guarantees. The average age of the applicant was 34, and 86 per cent were Indigenous.

The lack of affordable housing forces many of these women to turn to for-profit units. However, many of them face resistance from landlords due to a lack of rental history. The Jubilee Fund co-signs the lease for a year, providing an opportunity to establish a rental history and establish a positive credit score.

Many applicants did not need the secured loan guarantee; they secured housing based on the letter that the Jubilee Fund sent them. The letter explains that the individual was accepted into the RGP based on the Fund’s review of their references and finances, which deemed them capable of being a quality renter and able to pay the rental amount listed in the letter.

This program, like other Jubilee Fund initiatives, is funded through donations and from impact investing packaged as products similar to guarantee certificate investments.

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