OTTAWA — Early this week, the federal government announced that the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) for small businesses will be extended by a month to help those small businesses pay rent in September.
The government said this will be the last and final extension of the program as it explores other options to help support small businesses in need during the pandemic.
“As we work to safely reopen our economy, our government understands that things are still tough for our small business owners and that rent remains a major expense,” said the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade. “That’s why we are extending the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance by one month to include September. We will continue to be there for our small business owners as we rebuild.”
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the government says thousands of small businesses — including those in the retail sector — were forced to close or were hard hit and had access to CECRA to help cover their rent expenses. As of Septmeber 7, 2020, more than 106,000 small business tenants have been supported with a total of $1.32 billion in rent support.
“Across Canada, small businesses are working hard to grapple with this crisis so they can serve their communities and provide jobs. Our government recognizes that while small businesses’ needs are evolving, many still require support to face the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. That is why we are extending the rent relief provided through CECRA by an additional month, to ensure that Canadian businesses hit hardest by COVID-19 get support when they need it most,” added the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.