QLD QLD Govt. provides rent relief

$500/week apparently - excerpt below is a tenant mailout from one my PMs in QLD, bolded highlights are mine.

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"Good afternoon (tenants)


The Queensland Govt have today announced a rental grant available to tenants who may have difficulty paying rent until their Centrelink payments come into effect later this month.


Jackie Trad – “We have in fact set up a grants system for those people in the private rental market, so where you’ve lost your job, you’re not going to get any income support from Centrelink until at least the 27th of April.


The Queensland government has an assistance program where we will provide you $500 a week to help you with your rent payment and it’s a really simple process.


There will be an absolute moratorium, prohibition, written into law around evicting renters because they can’t pay their rent and that will be backdated to the day the Prime Minister announced that out of the national cabinet,” she said.


However, she said the eviction moratorium is for people who have been “genuinely impacted” by a coronavirus.


For tenants that do the things that would ordinarily see them evicted - if they significantly damage the property or the owners themselves move in because of financial distress - then that will still occur, this isn’t a blanket prohibition,” Ms Trad said. “But where you have lost your job, your hours have been cut, and where you genuinely can not make your rent, you will not be evicted and we will guarantee that by law and we will also help you make up the shortfall in terms of your rent payments until you start getting some income support, or hopefully get another job.”


We encourage tenants who fall into this category to jump online and apply now for the grant https://blarga.hpw.qld.gov.au/OnlineApplication/RentalGrant


Other options that may be available to you:


Have you had a discussion with your Employer as to whether your job is likely to be re- instated once the health crisis subsides – they may be able to apply for the JOB KEEPER payment to keep you employed?


Are you covered via an insurance policy for Income Protection Insurance?


Have you engaged with Centrelink with respect to an allowance which will likely also include rental assistance?


More information can be found here: https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/subjects/affected-coronavirus-covid-19


Have you checked with your Superannuation Fund as to whether you can access your super early? More information can be found here: https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-03/Fact_sheet-Early_Access_to_Super.pdf


If you have any mortgages or personal loans, have you checked with your financier as to whether you can freeze payments due to hardship?


We look forward to working with all our tenants to keep you in your property.


“We are all in this together”"

 

Thanks for sharing .