Rent Relief hits $20m milestone
This month, the WA Rent Relief Program has hit a milestone, with $20 million in payments delivered to more than 4500 West Australians who are struggling with the ongoing rental crisis and rising cost-of-living pressures.
Delivered in partnership with Anglicare WA, Vinnies WA and the WA Government, the program provides one-off payments of up to $5000 to eligible tenants to help ensure people can stay housed and rebuild a path towards financial stability.
In May, the WA Government announced that the program would be extended until June 30, 2027.
Since its inception in December 2023, the program has:
- Received a total of 11,000 expressions of interest and referrals
- Processed Rent Relief payments for 4557 applicants totalling $20 million
- Each household received an average payment of $4397
Of the Rent Relief recipients:
- 58 per cent were female, with 35 per cent being single parents with children
- Those aged between 36 and 45 were the largest cohort to receive payments, followed by the 26 to 35 and 56 to 55 age groups consecutively
- Close to 75 per cent of the applications were from the Perth Metro region
- More than 3500 children in the 4500 households received payments.
Vinnies WA CEO Ann Curran said this milestone is a powerful testament to what can be achieved through a unified response.
"The collaboration between the WA Government, Vinnies WA and Anglicare WA has created a highly effective safety net that combines rapid financial intervention with ongoing support to keep people safely in their homes," she said.
"Every day our teams work with people who are overwhelmed by the crushing combination of high living costs and low rental vacancies. By stepping in to clear arrears, this program removes the terrifying threat of eviction and provides the essential financial breathing room people desperately need to stabilize their lives."
Anglicare WA CEO Mark Glasson said Rent Relief has proven to be a vital program to support WA renters who are struggling to keep up with rising costs.
“The WA Rent Relief Program shows that when the community sector and the government come together, great things can be done," Mr Glasson said.
“We hear the personal stories and testimonials of people saying it has absolutely changed their lives. The whole idea is to give people some free air, so they can think about their situation without that continual burden of the threat of losing their home."