COVID-19 rent relief fund provides a lifeline for struggling tenants during coronavirus crisis

The State Government will foot the bill for hundreds of Tasmanian tenants struggling to pay rent because of the coronavirus crisis. Find out who is eligible >>

RESIDENTIAL tenants experiencing financial woes because of the coronavirus crisis will be given a much-needed boost to help pay their rent.

The State Government has established the COVID-19 Rent Relief Fund, which will foot the bill for those suffering extreme hardship.

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Attorney-General Elise Archer said those eligible would be able to access support to pay four weeks’ worth of rent, up to a maximum of $2000.

Initially, $1.5 million has been assigned to the fund, but it has been uncapped, meaning it could be extended depending on individual circumstances.

Attorney-General Elise Archer. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

Ms Archer said assistance would be available to those experiencing coronavirus-specific hardship who were paying more than 30 per cent of their income in rent and who had less than $5000 in savings.

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She said the scheme would be open for applications from next week, and would include migrants and visa holders, including those who were not eligible for JobKeeper or JobSeeker payments.

“Payments will be made to landlords of eligible tenants, and it will be a requirement they pass on this level of assistance to their tenant via rent reductions,’’ Ms Archer said.

Ben Bartl from the Tenants Union said the creation of the fund was a positive step towards helping those left vulnerable because of the pandemic.

“It will provide significant relief to hundreds if not thousands of tenants across Tasmania who have slipped through the cracks and are unable to pay the rent due to financial hardship,’’ he said.

One family set to benefit from the fund is Vietnamese national Jacky Pham, his wife Dung Truong and their children Sophia, 9, and Henry, 13.

Vietnamese national Jacky Pham, wife Dung Truong and children Sophia, 9 and Henry Pham, 13, of Sandy Bay, will benefit from the rent relief fund. Picture: Zak Simmonds

They have been renting a unit in Sandy Bay for almost two years, at a cost of $350 per week. Both parents were working at a nail salon but lost their jobs due to COVID-19, and are not eligible for JobSeeker or JobKeeper payments.

Mr Pham said he was grateful for the assistance and said it would make a significant difference to the family’s situation.

Mr Bartl said the family was often going without a meal a day so they could make their dwindling savings last.

Labor housing spokeswoman Alison Standen said the announcement would go a long way to supporting tenants experiencing hardship, providing a lifeline for the most vulnerable: “But we must remember that the effects of this pandemic will not magically disappear when the emergency period is over,’’ she said.