Rent’s still due during lockdown: RAHU delivers petition with over 1300 signatures to State Government in response to lack of COVID housing support
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 08/06/2021
At 9:00am on 8 June 2021, RAHU delivered the COVID19 Open Letter of Joint Demands petition signed by over 1,300 individuals – and signed onto by 18 unions and organisations in open letter form – calling on the Victorian Government to immediately reinstate the COVID19 Rental Protections, and the Federal Government to reinstate their COVID19 financial support.
While COVIDsafe measures are integral to curtailing community transmission and maintaining public health, renters in unstable work, those who are already in rental stress, and those ineligible for the Federal Government’s emergency relief payment are at growing risk of being unable to pay rent.
Food aid will make sure people don’t go hungry, but if they can’t pay rent how will they keep a roof over their head?
RAHU urgently demands the Victorian State Government:
- Immediately reinstate the COVID19 Rental Moratorium
- Immediately enact an amnesty on rental payments for renters affected for any reason by COVID19 for the length of Stage 4 Restrictions
- Provide a $500 stimulus support payment for every rental household in Victoria
RAHU demands the Federal Government immediately:
- Reinstate JobKeeper payments
- Reinstate the JobSeeker COVID19 Supplement
- Double Commonwealth Rent Assistance payments and fast track applications
- All rental debts accrued due to the impacts of the pandemic are to be forgiven with no fault or penalty
What petition signatories have to say:
I will have to go without pay for over 2 weeks. How can I be expected to pay rent and cover living costs? – Rob L
The government has failed those who are most effected by the lockdown’s economic impact – Kirra L
Everyone deserves to be safely housed and fed during a global pandemic, no one should have to worry about their day-to-day lives being uprooted on top of anxiety of exposure to a deadly and contagious virus. Australia, help your people out! – Lily S
J.R. Hewitt
Media and Communications Officer
Contact: [email protected]
The Renters And Housing Union (RAHU) is Australia’s largest member-run Union of renters and people in precarious housing. We collectively organise for the right to safe and secure housing through self-advocacy, education, and frontline eviction defence.
Find out more and join RAHU https://rahu.org.au/