Highlights
- 20 weeks of free homestay accommodation is helping vulnerable international students in NSW get through tough times during the pandemic
- A survey conducted between March and May this year found 60 per cent of international students had lost their jobs and 43 per cent were skipping meals
- The top four source markets for Australia's international education sector are China, India, Nepal and Brazil
Like many international students in Australia, Leonardo Kila lost his part-time construction job when the coronavirus restrictions were imposed earlier this year.
With a bachelor’s degree in International Relations, 33-year-old Mr Kila moved to Sydney two years ago to study a course in web development. However, his plans to upskill in Australia were turned upside down by the pandemic.
Without any money to pay rent of his shared house, he was borrowing from family and friends to survive before he applied for the NSW Government’s International Student COVID-19 Crisis Accommodation program.
He now lives in a family home with the state government subsidising his rent.
He says he is grateful to find free accommodation during these tough times but can’t forget the difficulties he endured during the first few months of the pandemic in Australia.
“I saw a lot of people losing their jobs, there was no demand for workers in the building and construction sector. Those first two months were the hardest months of my life.”
“It was very tough to hear Prime Minister Scott Morrison telling us international students that we should consider returning to our home countries. Those words still haunt me - we were all shocked and in fear.”
A survey by NSW Unions conducted between March and May this year showed the pandemic's devastating impact on international students and found that 60 per cent of them had lost their jobs, 30 per cent didn't have money to pay rent, while 46 per cent were skipping meals on a regular basis.
However, things changed for Mr Kila after he applied for international student COVID-19 crisis accommodation which offers 20 weeks of free accommodation for vulnerable international students during the current crisis.
Leo Kila: "The first two months of the economic shutdown during the coronavirus crisis were the hardest months of my life." Source: Supplied
The program is part of the state government’s $20 million package to place students in temporary accommodation. While being a beneficiary of the scheme, Mr Kila welcomes it, he says this could have been made available sooner.
“This assistance was not offered at the height of the COVID crisis. In the beginning, the response was a bit timid and slow. I lost my job and I find it a good option until I can manage to get things back in order," he says.
"I have always worked in the construction industry and job offers in this area have been greatly reduced. It is very difficult for anyone who is studying in Australia; I know that many people around me are really struggling."
After being approved for accommodation, Mr Kila says he was asked where he would like to live. He was also asked about his lifestyle in order to match him with a compatible host.
“The placement process was very thorough. They found a host near where I used to live in Maroubra and gave me the option to be part of the family’s daily life, share meals, go out etc."
“As I am in my 30s, I chose to live more independently. I am living with an old lady who has always hosted students in her home. Her daughter comes to visit her sometimes. It’s been great," he says.
There are approximately 565,000 international students in Australia who are not eligible for the federal government assistance under JobKeeper or JobSeeker programs.
However, with the assistance he has received with accommodation, Mr Kila now wants to get back on his feet as soon as possible. He’s already seeing a shift in the market and has started getting some work.
"It is great to be here in family accommodation while I find ways to recover my monthly income.”
Recent survey by NSW Unions revealed the pandemic's economic impact on Brazilian studying in Australia: 23% can't pay rent and are close to being evicted Source: Unions NSW
The scheme is delivered through approved student accommodation and homestay providers.
David Bycroft, the founder of the Australian Homestay Network, one of the companies working with the state government, that also works with refugees, said the number of students from South and Latin America seeking homestay accommodation has increased manifold during the coronavirus pandemic.
"We have 200-300 students enrolled, 10 per cent of them from South and Latin America which is a much greater number than we have seen from these countries in previous few years as these students historically have always preferred to stay in their own accommodation," he told SBS Portuguese.
From 2017 to 2019, students from south and Latin American countries accounted for just over two per cent of the total number of students seeking homestay accommodation.
International student Leonardo Kila Source: Supplied
For Leonardo, this support has been crucial to surviving through a tough time when he had no income.
"Things are already changing here in Sydney, we are seeing more vacancies opening up in civil construction where I have always worked, things are looking up," he says.
