Government to subsidise up to 80% of rent of COVID-19 laid-off workers

Workers laid off or on unpaid leave, self-employed persons whose income has dropped drastically and domestic violence victims to benefit up to 80% rent subsidy to alleviate COVID-19 burden

16 April 2020, 5:21pm
by Massimo Costa

1 min read

The government is covering 80% of rent costs for various groups of people adversely impacted by COVID-19

Workers who have been laid off due to COVID-19's economic impact are being offered an 80% government subsidy on their rent costs.

The measure also applies to employees who have been suspended from work and self-employed people whose income has decreased drastically, as well as to victims of domestic violence.

Applications for the subsidy have already started being submitted to the Housing Authority, with 60% of those applying being persons who had already been receiving some form of rent benefits, and 40% being individuals who had previously not received any rent subsidy, Social Accommodation Minister Roderick Galdes said on Thursday.

The vast majority of the applicants, 72%, are or were employees, while 28% are self-employed.

Galdes said that his ministry had widened the scope of existing rent benefits to ensure everyone had a roof over their head in the current coronavirus situation.

Housing Authority CEO Leonid McKay said the rent benefit was a "direct injection" into the rental market, and would not only be helping tenants, but also landlords.

Massimo Costa joined MaltaToday as a journalist in 2017.