Home Owner Grant to help people with property taxes in 2023

The basic grant amounts remain the same as last year. The basic grant amount for homeowners in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley and Capital Regional districts is as much as $570 and as much as $845 for homeowners 65 or older and veterans, as well as for people who have a disability or live with a relative who has a disability.

For homeowners in northern or rural areas (outside Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley and Capital Regional districts), the basic grant amount is as much as $770 or as much as $1,045 for homeowners 65 or older, veterans and for people who have a disability or live with a relative who has a disability.

In 2022, the Home Owner Grant program provided additional relief to almost half a million seniors throughout the province and approximately 13,000 persons with a disability. More than one million applications to the program were approved.

The best time to apply for the Home Owner Grant is in May after people have received both their BC Assessment notice and their municipal or rural property tax notice. Assessment roll and jurisdiction numbers are needed to apply.

People are encouraged to check online for their application status, particularly as the deadline to pay property taxes nears, to ensure that they are not billed for any late-payment fees or penalties.

B.C. homeowners may also be eligible for B.C.’s Property Tax Deferment program. It is a low-interest program for homeowners who meet criteria, including:

• supporting a dependent child (Families with Children Program);
• 55 or older during the current year;
• a surviving spouse of any age; and
• a person with disabilities.

Homeowners can apply for the Home Owner Grant and Property Tax Deferment securely online.

Learn More:

To apply for the B.C. Home Owner Grant online: www.gov.bc.ca/homeownergrant

Homeowners can also confidentially apply for the Home Owner Grant using B.C.’s interactive voice recognition by calling (toll-free): 1 888 355-2700

Homeowners with more complex situations can get help at a ServiceBC Centre or over the phone (toll-free): 1 800 663-7867

To find out about Property Tax Deferment, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/propertytaxdeferment