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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See notes about the Digest and a list of other contributors here. Many thanks to those contributors for sharing links with us.
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Archive
Tenant News
Tenants' Union of NSW (No paywall)Tenants' rights after a disaster – new podcast, and lots more ... Our thoughts are with all those suffering in the wake of the devastating floods and storms along the east coast. It has been a heartbreaking disaster. Together with Legal Aid NSW, the Tenants' Union has just published a special episode of our podcast: Tenants' rights and obligations after a disaster. It covers the most common issues faced by renters after a disaster. Read also about a community pulling together; when disaster hits a housing system in crisis; the fire and tragic loss of life at Vajda boarding house in Newtown; and, the Disability Royal Commission.
https://us3.campaign-archive.com/?u=29c79d2825cb376b3f0b06385&id…
# NSW, Boarders and lodgers, Rent, Campaigns and law reform, Disability.Response to Federal Budget 2022-2023
Shelter NSW (No paywall)A missed opportunity to invest in the security of low-income Australians. Shelter NSW stands with National Shelter in its assessment that that the 2022/23 federal budget continues to ignore the needs of low-income and vulnerable Australians and again fails to invest in social and affordable housing. Ms Emma Greenhalgh, Chief Executive Officer, said that ‘at a time of a national housing emergency, there is nothing on offer from the federal government to address the housing circumstances of households in greatest need’. [Click link to media statement]
https://mailchi.mp/shelternsw/special-members-bulletin-national-…
# NSW, Public and community housing, Affordable housing, Federal Government, Housing affordability, Housing market.Captured on camera: Shining a light on the hidden lives of social housing residents
SBS (No paywall)More than 800,000 Australians live in social housing, and many are survivors of hardship and loss. A professional photographer is documenting some of their stories, for a book that aims to raise funds and awareness of this little understood community.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/small-business-secrets/article/captu…
# Australia, Public and community housing, Personal stories.Queensland flood victims say $6 billion flood relief in federal budget doesn't address immediate housing need
BazRuddick ABC (No paywall)Last night's federal budget revealed $6 billion will be spent on flood relief for communities in south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales, but those affected, and their advocates, say it does not come close to addressing immediate housing needs, and the state's growing housing crisis.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-30/qld-federal-budget-flood-…
# Australia, Federal Government, Housing market.The coming storm for New Zealand’s future retirees: still renting and not enough savings to avoid poverty
Claire Dale The Conversation (No paywall)A large number of New Zealanders are facing a perfect storm at retirement, with minimal savings and no house, raising the risk that thousands will enter old age in poverty. ... New Zealanders have traditionally relied on owning a home to support themselves during their retirement years. But many of the New Zealanders now aged between 50 and 65 – a cohort of almost half a million people – will go into retirement as renters after skyrocketing house prices over the last three decades put home ownership out of reach.
https://theconversation.com/the-coming-storm-for-new-zealands-fu…
# International, Rent, Housing market, Older people.Budget fails to address high housing costs
Editorial The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)The federal budget has put rising petrol bills at the centre of its “cost of living relief” package but the cost of housing, which is a much greater burden on the family budget, has not been given such a high profile. ... [Prime Minister Scott Morrison] said that “the best way to support people renting a house is to help them buy a house”. While Mr Morrison was right to sing the praises of home ownership, his remarks sounded insensitive to the 30 per cent of Australians who rent, especially those who do not want to buy or cannot afford to. Also, read Tawar Razaghi's article entitled: '"Pure electioneering": First-home buyer help will increase property prices, experts warn' in 'The Sydney Morning Herald' at: [https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/pure-electioneering-first-home-buyer-help-will-increase-property-prices-experts-warn-20220330-p5a99w.html].
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/budget-fails-to-addr…
# Australia, Rent, Families, Federal Government, Home ownership, Housing affordability.'A let them eat cake moment': Scott Morrison says best way to help renters is to ‘help them buy a house’
Calla Wahlquist The Guardian (No paywall)Scott Morrison has told renters that the best way the government can support them is to help them buy a home, in what housing experts have described as a “let them eat cake” moment. The prime minister made the comment on Channel Nine’s Today show on Wednesday morning after being asked why there was not more support for renters in the federal budget handed down on Tuesday night. Also, read Soaliha Iqbal's article entitled: 'In A Rare Moment Of Genius, Scott Morrison’s Solution To Avoid Rent Increases Is To Buy A House' in 'Pedestrian' at: [https://www.pedestrian.tv/news/scott-morrison-tells-renters-to-buy-a-house/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR3ODA88MOYlf6KucOONORLSHf0TOtgfv_AV3WeCQABl9L191og823EG9QQ]. Listen to Emily Bourke's report entitled: 'PM says buy first home to avoid climbing rents' on ABC's PM at: [https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/pm/pm-says-buy-first-home-to-avoid-climbing-rents/13819640]. And again, here's the same story by Courtney Gould entitled '"Buy a house": PM's message to renters' in news.com.au at: [https://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/federal-budget/scott-morrison-and-ally-langdon-clash-over-rent-relief-after-federal-budget-delivered/news-story/2e8208699dddcdfd9dc383d38e5055e7]
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/mar/30/scott-mor…
# Australia, Rent, Federal Government, Housing affordability, Housing market.Higher mortgage costs will soon dwarf budget benefits
John Collett The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Measures in the federal budget to assist people in the face of higher prices for food, petrol and other essentials probably won’t be nearly enough to seriously alleviate financial stress, with many households already struggling. Figures from Digital Finance Analytics provided to Money show mortgage stress — a leading factor in financial stress — is greatest among “young growing families”, which includes many recent first-time buyers and those living in the regions. Also, read Melissa Heagney's article entitled: 'Rising mortgage costs could leave petrol price pain in the shade' in 'Domain' at: [https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/rising-mortgage-costs-could-leave-petrol-price-pain-in-the-shade-20220329-p5a93k.html].
https://www.smh.com.au/money/planning-and-budgeting/higher-mortg…
# Australia, Federal Government, Home ownership, Housing affordability, Housing market, Regional NSW, Young people.