An extension of the ACT Government Rent Relief Fund will provide targeted, short-term emergency support for private renters in low-income households in the ACT, the ACT Government states.
The extension of the fund by the Government brings to $2.51 million the total allocated grants under the Fund since it opened in April.
The Rent Relief Fund was established as a short-term measure to financially assist households in the ACT’s private rental sector who were experiencing either rental stress or severe financial hardship. The fund provided grants for up to four weeks rent capped at $2,500.
To be eligible for a grant, a household must be experiencing either rental stress or severe financial hardship. Applicants also need to meet income limits which vary depending on the number of people in the household.
“The Fund provides support to the most vulnerable households to prevent evictions, improve their wellbeing and connect them to services that may assist them to improve their financial position over the longer term,” a government spokesperson said.
“Many Canberrans continue to do it tough, and I’m pleased that through the opening of this third Rent Relief Fund, we’ll be able to continue to help those in the private rental market facing cost of living challenges,” Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury said.
“We’ve heard that support provided through the Fund has allowed people to redirect their earnings to purchase warm clothes for their children and pay their bills.
“It has given those studying the ability to focus on their study during exam time instead of stressing about working to pay rent and it has helped people to catch up on rent arrears due to illness or lack of work, or to get back on top of things since a change in circumstance.
“The ACT is a national leader in supporting the rights of tenants, including through reforms to ban no cause evictions. The extension of this Fund allows us to directly ease pressures for tenants.”
CARE Inc. will continue to administer the Fund on behalf of the ACT Government.
“CARE is pleased to be able to support members of our community through continuing its role administering the Rent Relief Fund,” CEO Carmel Franklin said.
“We know how valuable this assistance is to people experiencing rental stress.
“As part of administering the Rent Relief Fund, CARE will continue to provide wrap around support from our range of programs – financial counselling, financial capability, consumer law, community loans and community education, as well as referring people to other local support services as needed.”
The ACT Government will work with the Commonwealth Government through the National Housing Accord to improve housing affordability, Chief Minister and Treasurer Andrew Barr said.
