Earthquake victims' rent subsidies to be cut

The Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) has announced that rent subsidies paid to tenants whose houses were destroyed, moderately damaged, or severely damaged in the February 6 earthquakes will be cut off at the end of June. AFAD notified the beneficiaries via a text message.

According to Evrensel's Dilan Temiz, AFAD said in a text message: “Considering the magnitude and impact of the February 6 earthquakes, we broke new ground by starting rent support payments to our tenant brothers and sisters who were disaster victims, which were not made to tenants in any previous earthquake disaster. We started rent support payments to our tenant families residing in houses determined to be moderately or severely damaged in April 2023. We will complete the 15th and last of the support payments to tenants, which are planned to be paid for 12 months, in June.”

AFAD concluded the message by saying “May God protect our nation and state from all kinds of disasters”.

Veli Ağbaba: How will they pay the 5-fold increase in rents?

CHP Malatya MP Veli Ağbaba reacted to AFAD’s decision.

Stating that they themselves will continue to provide rent subsidies to homeowners, Ağbaba called on AFAD to reverse the decision.

Ağbaba said, “Earthquake victim tenants are once again treated unfairly. The rental subsidies paid to tenants living in buildings with moderate and heavy damage will end this month. Landlords will continue to receive rent subsidies, but tenants will be cut off."

“How will tenants pay their rents, which have already increased at least 5 folds after the earthquake, without rent subsidies? The state should not discriminate against earthquake victims and this misguided measure should be abandoned immediately,” Ağbaba conclude.

(HA/DT)