New Bill to Give Businesses Direct Access to Rent Relief: Freeland

New lockdown support gives businesses an extra 25 percent to cover expenses

Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland takes part via video conference as an update is provided during the COVID pandemic in Ottawa on Nov. 3, 2020. Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press

The federal government introduced a bill on Nov. 2 to provide businesses affected by COVID-19 with direct access to emergency rent relief.

Introduced as the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS), the new relief program will allow businesses to apply directly for rent and mortgage interest support, and will replace the much-criticized Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistant program that requires buy-in from landlords.