2021-03-26
Australian Greens Housing spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said that eviction moratoriums are ending today in NSW, and on Sunday in Victoria and WA, and that renters in numerous states are facing uncertainty, mounting debt and homelessness.
Senator Faruqi said:
“We must extend eviction bans until the government has a plan for rental debt relief. Without one, our government is condemning countless people to homelessness.
“It’s unrealistic to assume that people, facing a decrease in JobSeeker and still recovering from a pandemic, will be able to afford extra rent on top of their basic necessities.
“According to Equity Economics, there will be a nine per cent national rise in homelessness this year, and double that in New South Wales. The government must act now.
“Without a plan for rental debt relief, ending eviction moratoriums means one thing and one thing only – worsening the homelessness crisis.
“This is more proof that homelessness is not inevitable, but a deliberate choice by our neoliberal government.”