Stop residential evictions and protect renters from COVID-19 in WA
- Make Renting Fair Alliance WA
- Target:
- The McGowan Government, Western Australian
- Region:
- Australia
UPDATE (17 April 2020)
GREAT NEWS! The Residential Tenancies (COVID-19 Response) Bill passed the Legislative Council yesterday afternoon with amendments.
It has been made retrospective, so it offers renters protection from 30 March onwards. So, if you received an eviction notice in the last two and a half weeks - you will have recourse based on the new law.
Members of the Make Renting Fair Alliance will be meeting with Consumer Protection early next week to make sure the guidelines and regulations will address the issues tenants have been raising with us.
Thanks to all those that supported this campaign and helped us to succeed!
UPDATE (15 April 2020): The Premier has announced a Bill will go to the WA Parliament to enable the moratorium on evictions during COVID-19. Continue to show your support for this legislative reform. We will keep you updated through this petition as more details of the Bill become available.
The unfolding COVID-19 health crisis poses great threat to renters in WA.
Tenancy WA provides legal assistance to tenants across the state and in the last month have seen a spike in tenancies being threatened due to a loss of income as a direct result of the COVID health precautions, making their housing situation extremely precarious.
These are hard working Western Australians, many of whom have never missed a rent payment in their life. In addition to being without a job for the first time, many people are facing the threat of homelessness due to eviction.
Decisive and urgent action is needed on this issue to keep people housed and avoid further aggravating what is already an unprecedented public health crisis.
To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly, and the Legislative Council, of the Parliament of Western Australia in Parliament assembled.
We, the undersigned, say that you immediately legislate a moratorium on residential evictions, inline with the Federal Government announcement.
We ask that the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council legislate protections for the residential housing sector, specifically the most vulnerable tenants including social housing, boarders and lodgers that includes measures to:
• Moratorium on evictions to prevent the spread of COVID,
• Deter unlawful threats of evictions, and provide support to negotiate,
• Implement health and safety measures for renters in shared accommodation, including boarders and lodgers,
• Avoid putting renters at risk by suspending all physical property inspections
• Consider how an unmanageable debt crisis can be prevented
We thank you for all your efforts at this difficult time and look forward to your leadership on this critical issue.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Stop residential evictions and protect renters from COVID-19 in WA petition to The McGowan Government, Western Australian was written by Make Renting Fair Alliance WA and is in the category Human Rights at GoPetition.