The current COVID-19 pandemic has caused havoc across numerous Australian industries, causing many businesses to lay off or temporarily stand down staff in order to survive. This has led to a huge surge in unemployment rates, the knock-on effects of which are leaving thousands without a reliable source of income. In an effort to ease concerns about rental payments, Queensland’s state treasurer Jackie Trad has announced a new rental-assistance grant of up to $500 a week for up to four weeks, provided to Queensland residents now struggling to fulfil cost-of-living obligations.

The grants system will apply to those in the private rental market, and is intended to keep Queenslanders afloat until income support is attained, either via Centrelink’s Jobseeker or the recently announced JobKeeper wage subsidy. The payments can be accessed by visiting the Residential Tenancies Authority website and lodging an online application form. Additionally, the state treasurer also announced that the state government would be writing the eviction moratorium into law, backdated to the day it was announced by the prime minister on Sunday March 29. The moratorium would apply to those that have lost their job or had their hours cut, with the new grant system helping make up the shortfall of payments until income support is obtained.