Help great families find a place to call home

If you’re a landlord in the ACT, NSW or WA, Red Cross is asking you to consider leasing your property to one of the refugee families we support.

Our clients are reliable and stable tenants. They have been accepted into Australia under the Humanitarian Program and we give them ongoing support as they settle into the community.

Stable housing is the key to effective settlement. But newly-arrived refugees can find it very hard to get a home in the private rental market, as their initial income is provided by Centrelink and they have no previous rental history in Australia.

We’re asking you to give these families a fair go to find a stable home.

You can do this by offering your property to be tenanted under a head lease agreement. Red Cross will support newly-arrived refugees to be your tenants.

What makes refugee families good tenants?

Our clients are capable, resilient people who are eager to establish stable, productive lives for themselves and their children.

• They receive a rental allowance that is paid directly to the agent or landlord, ensuring that rent is paid on time.
• Red Cross prepares our clients to be reliable and self-sufficient tenants. Our education program covers the importance of paying rent on time, caring for the property, rights and responsibilities and much more.
• We help clients to complete applications, furnish their homes and connect utilities.
• We visit clients regularly to see how they are going.

About our clients

Most of our clients are young families of 3-5 people but like our broader community come in all shapes and sizes, including individuals, couples as well as larger and multi-generational families. Adults are often in their late 20s-30s, with children under 12 years old.

They come from many different countries including El Salvador, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Myanmar and Afghanistan. They have all been accepted into Australia as future citizens and passed rigorous background checks to do so.

In general, almost 70% of refugees in Australia have completed high school and a third have university or other tertiary qualifications. They are keen to work and actively seek employment as soon as possible.

How to help

If you’re a landlord or real estate agent in the following locations, we’d love to hear from you. 

Western Australia
Perth

New South Wales
Wollongong, Wagga Wagga, Albury, Queanbeyan

Australian Capital Territory
Canberra

Get in touch

Contact us at settlement@redcross.org.au to find out more about our clients and a head lease agreement.