I think it could be quite effective. We are of course looking for a program like that. The design that the federal government has announced so far is that there would be loans to landlords, with a portion of the loan being forgivable, and then the benefit could be conferred upon the tenant.
My worry, though, is that if the program is an option for landlords to take out, it may not work. We need to make sure that the rent reduction is actually passed on to the end tenant and that everyone can gain access to it. If it depends on the landlord taking an action, I'm not sure that the program will be as successful as otherwise.
The NDP has proposed, I think, a good approach. The provincial NDP here in Ontario has also proposed a similar approach, which is to have the provincial government fund a program of up to $10,000 in relief.
We're hoping to see some design principles, but we need to make sure that it is a fairly universal subsidy for renters and that all renters that are in need are going to gain access to it. My fear is that the way the design is shaping up this might not be the case.