Concerns ACT government's changes to Residential Relief Fund will impact housing and homelessness

ABC NEWS (Australia)

There are fears the end of the ACT’s Residential Rent Relief fund will see more people turning to housing and homelessness support services which are already struggling to meet demand. The government says other assistance programs and legislative changes are easing the strain on low-income households.

Transcript

00:00For most COVID-19 restrictions are now just a memory but for some the resulting financial

00:09strain is anything but. For people on the lowest incomes including those on income support we have

00:14some of the highest rates of rental stress in Australia. Set up in 2023 to help tenants facing

00:21severe financial stress the CARE financial administered rent relief fund provides grants

00:26of up to four weeks of rent or $2,500. The program ends on June 30 with the government insisting

00:34legislative changes and other assistance measures will bridge the gap. Those include a now permanent

00:39$50 increase to the low income electricity gas and water rebate to $800. Ultimately there are options

00:48available for people in the community to get in touch with their landlord to negotiate a payment plan

00:55and all of those things should be taken into account. What we need is a system of rebates that enables

01:04people to live reasonable lives. This certainly was an essential part of that arsenal of rebates.

01:12It needs to continue. Some organisations themselves aren't sure if they'll receive further territory

01:17funding just weeks out from the new financial year. We may need to close our office and close layoff staff

01:25and potentially not continue. If it is refunded it's going to have to sort of get going again. Whereas if it had

01:33known three months ago it could have just been doing smooth business as usual. The government says the timing

01:38of the federal election delayed some budget decisions. Much of that has now been communicated and I know that my

01:44colleagues across the ministry have been having conversations. Some of those are more private ones.

01:50There'll be a more public declaration of government funding intentions when the budget is handed down next week.

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