Australians sign up to offer homes to stranded international students

Rosemaree Gould has welcomed students for 30 years and feels it is her duty to help out now.

Rosemaree Gould has welcomed students for 30 years and feels it is her duty to help out now. Source: Stefan Armbruster/SBS News

Hundreds of Australian families are signing up to house some of the thousands of international students facing financial hardship and homelessness due to the COVID-19 pandemic.


Hosts will receive $120 per week, paid for with crisis funds from educational institutions and government agencies - the usual rate is just over $300, paid in full by the students.

There are about 500,000 international students in Australia, contributing almost $40 billion a year to the economy.

Despite paying taxes, they’re not eligible for federal supports like JobKeeper or JobSeeker, and with no way of going home, there are fears many will become destitute and homeless.

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Australians sign up to offer homes to stranded international students | SBS Japanese