Vinnies: State Government response to rental moratorium expiration can’t be business as usual

While Vinnies is welcoming Minister Kevin Anderson acknowledging the potential harm posed by the expiration of the rental moratorium, the State Government needs to do more.

“It’s good that Minister Kevin Anderson has spoken on this issue but, so far, his response does not go far enough to augment the protections that already exist for renters in law.

“We cannot treat this situation as if it’s business as usual in these highly unusual times.

“We need to provide renters experiencing financial hardship with better protections,” St Vincent de Paul Society NSW CEO, Jack de Groot, said.

“With the pandemic ongoing and both the JobSeeker COVID supplement and JobKeeper set to expire at the same time as the rental moratorium, people experiencing hardship need better and longer-term protection.

“We would like to see an extension of rent reduction provisions for people experiencing financial hardship and a framework to support families still struggling as a result of COVID-19.

“We need these to go well above and beyond what is already in the Residential Tenancies Act 2010.

"To do any less will increase the likelihood people will be facing homelessness as a direct result of the moratorium’s expiration.

“The economy may be improving but this recuperation is not evenly distributed.

“People with low incomes are always hit hardest by crises like the pandemic and this disadvantage often extends to the comparative length of time it takes them to recover.

“In light of this, the safety net needs to be improved or we are going to see significant harm done in the form of evictions and unmanageable levels of debt,” Mr de Groot said.

Media contact: Lachlan Jones | 0417 446 430