Ontario is assisting low-income families who have missed a rent payment avoid eviction in Ottawa.

Under the provincial Rent Bank program, a tenant who is facing eviction for non-payment of rent can apply to the local rent bank to receive financial assistance.  If a tenant's application is approved, the outstanding rent is paid directly to the landlord on behalf of the tenant.

 This year, the province is providing $5 million to rent banks across the province, with $368,402 being allocated to Ottawa.

 As part of the Poverty Reduction Strategy, the province announced stabilized funding for the Rent Bank program with a dedicated commitment of $5 million per year.  The Poverty Reduction strategy sets a hard target of reducing the number of children living in poverty by 25 per cent over 5 years - that's 90,000 kids.