2023-09-04
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 extension of the fund by the Government brings to $2.51 million the total allocated grants under the Fund since it opened in April 2023.
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.
If offers grants for up to four weeks rent capped at $2,500 to help tenants and occupants maintain safe, secure and stable accommodation.
CARE Inc. will continue to administer the Fund on behalf of the ACT Government.
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.
Further information is available on the Justice and Community Safety website.
More information about the ACT Government’s cost-of-living support is available here.
Quotes attributable to Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury:
“We know that many Canberrans continue to do it tough, and I’m pleased that through the opening of the this third Rent Relief Fund, we’ll be able to continue to help those in the private rental market facing cost of living challenges.
“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.”