Rental payments and Back Home grants now open
Residents impacted by the June-July floods can now apply for rental support payments to help meet the cost of temporary accommodation, and Back Home grants to help with household repair costs.
Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Victor Dominello said the support payments can be accessed by residents in 17 local government areas (LGAs) across Greater Sydney, the Central Coast, the Hunter and the Illawarra.
“For some residents this is the fourth flood in 18 months and as a Government we have moved quickly to put these additional financial assistance programs in place,” Mr Dominello said.
“From today, impacted residents can apply on the Service NSW website or via the app, over the phone on 13 77 88 or in-person at a Recovery Centre.”
The Rental Support Scheme provides flood-impacted households with payments which cover up to 16 weeks’ rent.
The Back Home grants provide one-off payments of up to $20,000 for owner-occupiers, $15,000 for landlords and $5,000 for renters towards the cost of replacing appliances, reconnecting utilities, fixing roofs, connecting electricity and making other necessary repairs.
Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke said the support will help people get back to their homes as quickly as possible.
“It’s vital people have a roof over their head as they recover from this devastating flooding,” Ms Cooke said.
“The June-July flood event caused damage to more than 10,700 homes across the State, with more than 1,500 assessed as uninhabitable.”
Rental support payments and Back Home grants are available in the 17 severely flood-impacted LGAs of Blacktown, Camden, Canterbury-Bankstown, Central Coast, Cessnock, Fairfield, Hawkesbury, Hornsby, Liverpool, Maitland, Mid Coast, Penrith, Port Stephens, Singleton, Sutherland, The Hills and Wollongong.
The Rental Support Scheme and Back Home grants are in addition to a series of clean-up and funding programs underway, jointly funded by the NSW and Commonwealth governments.
For eligibility information and to apply, visit: www.service.nsw.gov.au/floods/financial-assistance.
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