Turkish government cuts rent aid for earthquake survivors
Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) announced that the rent aid paid to tenants whose houses were destroyed or damaged in the Feb. 6 earthquakes would be discontinued at the end of June.
Duvar English
Turkish government has sent an text message to Feb. 6 earthquakes survivors who have been receiving rent aid to inform them that the program would end after June.
Since April 2023, the government-run Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) had been providing rent assistance to tenants whose houses were found to be damaged in the earthquakes.
AFAD stated in its message that the program was planned to last for 12 months but will end with the 15th month payments.
The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) lawmaker CHP Veli Ağbaba reacted against the decision by sharing AFAD’s message and said, “Rent assistance to (previous) landlords will continue, assistance to tenants will be cut.”
Ağbaba stated that the treatment of tenants whose houses were destroyed or who were evicted from their houses by their landlords is unacceptable.
CHP deputy underscored, “How will tenants pay the rents, which have already increased at least five times after the earthquake, without rent assistance? The state should not discriminate among earthquake victims and this wrong practice should be abandoned immediately."
AFAD have been paying 5,000 Turkish liras per month to tenants whose houses are damaged and 7,500 liras to homeowners.