The Allan Labor Government is enhancing its support for community organisations that aid renters facing challenges, as part of its comprehensive Housing Statement. Beginning this week, these organisations can apply for a portion of the $2 million Rental Stress Support Package, marking a substantial boost in funding aimed at addressing rental difficulties in Victoria.
Gabrielle Williams, the Minister for Consumer Affairs, revealed 14 November that organisations providing support to renters in the private market can express their interest in this new initiative from 17 November. These organisations are crucial in offering information, advice, advocacy, and legal assistance to Victorian households, particularly those facing rental challenges.
The Rental Stress Support Package is a response to the growing need for rental support services, with an estimated 5 per cent of Victorian households experiencing severe rental stress. This initiative aims to support families in maintaining their homes and preventing homelessness, marking it as a significant effort among various measures designed to aid renters and enhance protections, as outlined in the Housing Statement.
This funding boost builds upon the over $25 million invested annually in the Private Rental Assistance Program. This program plays a pivotal role in enabling community agencies to execute their vital work in assisting renters.
The Labor Government’s support extends beyond this package, with its Tenancy Assistance and Advocacy Program helping private renters who face financial hardships or family violence. Last financial year, this program, backed by a $3.2 million investment, assisted more than 8,400 Victorians, providing information, negotiation support, and assistance in VCAT hearings.
In a parallel effort to increase housing accessibility, the Government’s Affordable Housing Rental Scheme is making 2,400 public homes available to low and moderate-income earners. This scheme forms part of the ambitious $5.3 billion Big Housing Build, which is set to deliver 12,000 affordable and social homes.
The Housing Statement, released in September, aims to improve housing affordability by significantly expanding housing supply. The plan includes building 800,000 new homes over the next decade, targeting 80,000 homes per year.
Over recent years, the Labor Government has introduced more than 130 initiatives to strengthen the rights of Victorian renters, culminating in Australia’s most robust renter protections. Alongside the $2 million Rental Stress Support Package, the Housing Statement encompasses further reforms, including preventing landlords from evicting first-term renters to secure higher rents, extending notice periods for rent increases and evictions to 90 days, introducing a portable rental bond scheme, eradicating all forms of rental bidding, and establishing Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria to provide a comprehensive solution for resolving tenancy disputes.
In her statement, Minister Williams highlighted the importance of community agencies in providing essential support to people facing rental stress, expressing the government’s commitment to support these organisations, including through this special assistance. She emphasised the government’s dedication to backing renters by not only increasing housing supply but also by expanding nation-leading protection measures already in place.
For more details on the Rental Stress Support Package, interested parties click here.
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