If you live in a co-op you may be eligible for the Additional Home Owners Grant. According to the Ministry of Small Business and Revenue, “The purpose of the home owner grant is to help reduce the amount of residential property tax British Columbians pay”. The grant has some eligibility requirements but is fairly easy to apply for if you live in a co-op.

As usual, there are forms to fill out but they are fairly straight forward. If you receive Person with Disability (PWD) income from the province of BC then your worker can fill in the official's part of the form. If you are receiving Canada Pension Plan Disability, you may be eligible for PWD benefits and therefore eligible for the additional HOG (MDA Newsletter Jan/Feb 08).

While the grant is meant to reduce the income tax home owners pay, in the case of co-op residents, an additional grant is available that goes directly to the co-op member. The grant amount for co-op members is anywhere between $0 and $275 annually. The Additional Home Owners Grant must be applied for every year preferably before the date your co-op's property taxes are due. You may also apply retroactively for last year's grant but not for any years prior to the last one. For more information about the grant talk to your co-op coordinator or go directly to www.rev.bc.ca/hog where you can get information and download forms.