Housing News Digest
Housing News Digest
The Tenants' Union Housing News Digest compiles our pick of items from all the latest tenancy and housing media, sent once per week, on Thursdays.
Below is the Digest archive from November 2020 onwards. From time to time you will find additional items in the archive that did not make it into the weekly Digest email. Earlier archives are here, where you can also find additional digests by other organisations.
Our main email newsletter, Tenant News is sent once every two months. You can subscribe or update your subscription preferences for any of our email newsletters here.
See notes about the Digest and a list of other contributors here. Many thanks to those contributors for sharing links with us.
We love sharing the news and hope you find it informative! We're very happy to deliver it for free, but if you find it valuable, can you help cover the extra costs incurred by making a donation?
Archive
‘Scarce’ supply continues to drive up Sydney rents as median hits $620 per week
Fiona Killman news.com.au (No paywall)Sydney renters have been dealt another blow, with units across the city recording the biggest annual rent increases of any market in Australia.
Rental pain across the Harbour City continues to grow as scarce supply drives up competition, resulting in rent increases.
The latest PropTrack Market Insight Report has revealed that median advertised rents in Sydney rose 3.3 per cent to $620 per week over April to June – $100 more than the national median. This is up 13.8 per cent compared to the June quarter of 2022.
https://www.news.com.au/finance/real-estate/sydney-nsw/scarce-su…
# Hot topic, Research alert NSW, Rent, Housing affordability, Sydney.Minns’ housing plan is fantastic news, but only for property developers
Cathy Sherry The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)The NSW government’s plans to tackle Sydney’s housing crisis will have property developers popping their bottles of Moet.
Light on detail, the proposal promises fast-track approval and a height bonus of 30 per cent for developments that include 15 per cent affordable housing, which is defined as housing for people whose “income isn’t high enough to pay rent in the area where they live or work”.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/minns-housing-plan-is-fantas…
# Hot topic NSW, Housing market, Planning and development, State Government.‘You should not be allowed to build a Lego house’: Buyer furious over Sydney property development
Kate McClymont The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)“Frankly, you should not be allowed to build a Lego house given the manner in which you have conducted yourselves,” an angry purchaser wrote recently to property developers Fayad Fayad and his brother Remon.
But like all the other emails solicitor Claudine Watson-Kyme has sent to the pair, she has never received a reply.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/you-should-not-be-allowed-to…
# Hot topic NSW, Home ownership, Housing market, Planning and development.Sydney hit hardest as 30,000 international students join fight for housing
Amber Schultz The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)The NSW government wants universities to take more responsibility for housing international students as Sydney braces for tens of thousands of arrivals for the return of face-to-face learning.
There are more than 28,000 international students enrolled in NSW universities but, as of Saturday, education providers are required to deliver a minimum of two-thirds of course content in person, putting an end to COVID-era remote learning.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/sydney-hit-hardest-as-30-000-int…
# Hot topic NSW, Housing affordability, Housing market, Students.Approval for massive development on Sydney fringe fast-tracked despite koala habitat concerns
Anne Davies and Lisa Cox The Guardian (No paywall)The New South Wales government has given the green light to a massive housing development on Sydney’s fringe despite the state’s environment minister expressing reservations last month about current koala habitat protections in the region.
The development of 13,000 houses in Appin, 80kms south of Sydney, proposed by Walker Corp, is one of the largest on Sydney’s outer edges, and is located in sensitive koala territory.
The government has given approval to the project but the actual rezoning has been deferred until 15 December to give the government time to negotiate a state planning agreement with Walker Corp and allow the developer to finalise an infrastructure plan for the huge area.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jul/03/approval-…
# Hot topic NSW, Housing market, Planning and development, State Government.Premium properties lead real estate revival, but is a double-dip housing downturn looming?
Michael Janda and Rachel Pupazzoni, with Tony Ibrahim ABC (No paywall)Sydney is continuing to lead a home price rebound, as property values close in on a return to pandemic boom peaks.
Two interest rate rises in a row appear to have done little to dent the market, particularly in the premium sector — the top quarter of homes by value.
CoreLogic data show a 1.1 per cent rise in national property values over June, backing up May's 1.2 per cent increase.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-03/house-prices-june-2023-co…
# Hot topic NSW, Home ownership, Housing affordability, Housing market.Health, education, jobs and housing: Burney to give Voice priorities on day one
Lisa Visentin Brisbane Times (No paywall)Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney says she will task the Voice with generating fresh ideas in health, education, jobs and housing from day one, in her strongest comments to date aimed at defining its purpose and agenda.
Burney will use a speech to the National Press Club on Wednesday to outline her vision of the body as being “active and engaged” on key policy challenges facing Indigenous communities if the public backs it in the upcoming referendum, pitching the Voice’s relationship with government as collaborative rather than combative.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/federal/health-educati…
# Must read, Hot topic Australia, Aboriginal renters, Campaigns and law reform, Housing affordability.No relief for renters as median rents rise to $520 a week nationally
ABC ABC (No paywall)The latest data for the June quarter from Prop Track shows median rents have risen by 2% nationally, with Sydney and Melbourne leading the way.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-05/no-relief-for-renters-as-…
# Hot topic, Research alert Australia, Rent, Housing affordability, Housing market.