Amid the excitement this week of welcoming our new sessional students and our continuing students the following week, we cannot overlook the concern for their wellbeing. Some of our students are currently struggling to find somewhere to live due to the current accommodation crisis. 

Professor Mariella Herberstein, Dean of Students, says: “We are assisting students in need of accommodation to find safe options. You can help these students by registering to become a home stay provider.” 

If you have a spare room that you could rent, tax free, to one of our students, please register with one of our three preferred homestay providers: the Australian Homestay Network, Auzzie Families and Homestay Network. These well established providers have a successful track record of matching students with suitable homestay accommodation.  

Homestay hosts receive a tax-free income to help cover the costs associated with hosting a student. Homestay students, in turn, gain access to safe accommodation that enables them to achieve their academic goals during their time at Macquarie. 

This week, you can also support students in need of accommodation by referring them to our Accommodation Lounge at 18 Wally’s Walk. Students can drop in any weekday between 10am and 5pm for support in finding and applying for accommodation. Commencing students can also find information on the accommodation discussion board in our orientation iLearn unit MACQ2023.  

While many of our students have already secured accommodation, coming together as a community to support those who are still searching for a suitable and safe place to live could be life changing for them.