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.
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Archive
Covered in graffiti, these buildings all look the same. A Sydney council wants them heritage listed
Michael Koziol The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)The Inner West Council is proposing a heritage frenzy that would protect 15 electricity substations and create nine new “heritage conservation areas” that limit change or development in large parts of the district.
Poles and wires company Ausgrid planned to delist 10 substations from its own heritage register, prompting the council to launch a review and determine that those – plus another five – should be given protection.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/covered-in-graffiti-these-bu…
# Hot topic, New policy announcement NSW, Heritage listings, Local Government, Planning and development.The rental crisis with Leo Patterson Ross, CEO, Tenants Union Of NSW
Radio Skid Row Radio Skid Row (No paywall)Leo Patterson Ross, the CEO of the Tenants Union of NSW, discusses the current rental crisis.
https://soundcloud.com/radio-skid-row/the-rental-crisis-with-leo…
# Hot topic, TUNSW in the media, Audio NSW, Rent, Campaigns and law reform, Housing affordability.Greens and Coalition put Labor’s housing fund in a deep freeze sparking threats of double dissolution election
Paul Karp and Amy Remeikis The Guardian (No paywall)The $10bn Housing Australia future fund will not pass parliament this week, after the Greens and Coalition teamed up in the Senate to delay the bill until October, prompting warnings of a double dissolution election.
The impasse prompted a blunt crossbench message that the Greens were “hurting people” while Labor’s Dan Farrell called the Greens and Coalition “the axis of evil”.
A Greens motion proposing to delay the bill until 16 October to “allow time for national cabinet to progress reforms to strengthen renters’ rights” was voted up 37 votes to 23 about noon on Monday. A bid by Labor to vote on the bill on Tuesday was defeated.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jun/19/labor-hou…
# Must read, Hot topic Australia, Campaigns and law reform, Federal Government, Housing affordability.Housing minister will not rule out dumping $10 billion housing fund in favour of easier option
Stephanie Borys ABC (No paywall)A key election commitment to set up the Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF) is in doubt, after the housing minister would not outline the government's next steps.
The Greens and Coalition on Monday joined forces to delay a vote on the $10-billion fund until October.
However a vote in October is no longer certain, after Housing Minister Julie Collins would not say if the government would bring the legislation back for debate later this year.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-06-20/housing-minister-could-du…
# Hot topic, New policy announcement Australia, Campaigns and law reform, Federal Government, Planning and development.Australian PM pledges $1.4 billion for affordable homes
Reuters staff Reuters (No paywall)Australia's centre-left Labor government said on Saturday it would commit A$2 billion ($1.4 billion) to deliver thousands of new affordable homes nationwide, as the country grapples with soaring living costs.
Prime Minster Anthony Albanese said the funds - to be used by 30 June 2025 - would be delivered to state and territory governments within two weeks, with the aim of boosting public housing supply for Australians on waiting lists.
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australian-pm-pledges…
# Hot topic, New policy announcement Australia, Public and community housing, Affordable housing, Federal Government.Victoria to consider rent caps and taxes on Airbnb owners to ease rental crisis
Benita Kolovos The Guardian (No paywall)The Victorian government will consider introducing rent caps and new taxes on owners of Airbnbs and vacant properties to help ease pressure on renters, under a deal struck with the Greens in exchange for their support for the state budget.
Before the last sitting of state parliament before the winter break, the Greens will announce their support for the budget, which includes tax increases for big business, property investors and private schools to pay off the state’s Covid-19 borrowings.
In exchange, a taskforce led by deputy premier Jacinta Allan, which is currently examining measures to boost housing supply, will consider renter safeguards the Greens have been campaigning for.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jun/20/victoria-…
# Hot topic, New policy announcement Australia, Rent, Campaigns and law reform, State Government.Will a national rent freeze fix Australia’s housing crisis? Depends on who you listen to
Cameron Murray The Guardian (No paywall)In the face of rapidly rising rents in Australia’s capitals, the Greens are calling for the federal government to work with states on a national rent freeze to protect tenants from the “bill shock” of sudden rental increase of 20%, 30%, or more when they renew their lease.
Berlin froze rents in 2019 on apartments built before 2014. It saved that city’s renters billions before being ruled unconstitutional in 2021. Perverse supply outcomes that were promised failed to materialise, with Berlin seeing much faster new housing development than the 13 next-largest German cities in the two years of the policy.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jun/20/will-a-nat…
# Must read, Hot topic Australia, Rent, Campaigns and law reform, Housing affordability.Greens renew push for rent freeze as housing bodies say ‘time is of the essence’ to pass Labor bill
Amy Remeikis The Guardian (No paywall)The Greens will continue to push for a national freeze on rents and interest rate rises, declaring there is more the Albanese government can do to address Australia’s housing cost crisis.
Their call comes as the country’s peak housing bodies call for the debate deadlock to be broken and for Labor’s housing Australia future fund to be passed this week.
Senator Nick McKim will introduce a private member’s bill in the Senate on Monday which seeks to allow the commonwealth work with states and territories in a similar way to the energy market intervention and freeze rent increases for two years, cap increases thereafter and ban no-grounds evictions.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jun/19/greens-re…
# Hot topic, New policy announcement Australia, Rent, Campaigns and law reform, Federal Government.