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
Government to ‘name and shame’ underperforming landlords as part of Social Housing Bill reforms
Jack Simpson Inside Housing (Paywall)From the United Kingdom ... Social housing providers that fail to meet the standards being brought in under the government’s new Social Housing Regulation Bill will be named and shamed ... [Also] the government will also outline plans for a new residents’ panel that will regularly meet with government officials and feed in to sector reforms. The new panel is expected to be made up of more than 200 social housing tenants and will regularly meet and advise the government on how the sector should operate. ... The steps towards reform will be welcomed by many tenant groups as well as the bereaved and survivors of the Grenfell fire, who view social housing reform as a key step in preventing a repeat of their experience.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/government-to-name-and-sham…
# International, Public and community housing, Landlords and agents.Regional first home buyers scheme promised by Labor if it wins federal election
Kelly Fuller and Ainslie Drewitt-Smith ABC (No paywall)Federal Labor has promised to help ease the burden of skyrocketing house prices in Australia's regions by creating a standalone regional first home buyers support scheme, if it wins the next election. ... Labor has pledged $12 million for the scheme that will allow first home buyers in the regions to get into a house with a deposit of 5 per cent without the need to pay lenders mortgage insurance.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-25/first-home-buyers-scheme-…
# Australia, Home ownership, Housing market, Regional NSW.Relocating flood-prone homes is hard, but could it be a better way to spend disaster relief funds?
Lucy Barbour, Kate Doyle, and Caitlyn Gribbin ABC (No paywall)As Australia counts the cost of another deadly flooding disaster, thousands of residents are facing an agonising decision — to rebuild or relocate? Relocation is a sensitive topic and notoriously hard to discuss in the aftermath.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-27/relocating-homes-flood-zo…
# History Australia, Housing market.Glasgow man 'hasn't switched on heating for two years' after high flats refurbishment
Craig Williams (No paywall)Three of Glasgow’s best known high rise blocks have attracted international praise for their improved environmental performance. ... The project’s success attracted international attention through COP26, with more than 20 organisations from Belgium visiting to see how their environmental performance had been improved and what lessons could be learned. ... [Widower George McGavigan, 62] said: “The refurbishment has really improved the place. I haven’t switched on my heating for two years as there is just no need. It has had a huge impact on bills. I used to have mould in the bathroom and that’s gone. There is a constant air flow and it feels healthy and comfortable. It’s a great place to live.”
https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/glasgow-man-hasn…
# International, Public and community housing, Utilities electricity water gas, Climate change, Fixtures - lights, aircon etc.Greens councillor wants wealthiest eastern suburbs home owners to pay higher rates
Andrew Taylor The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)A Greens councillor in Sydney’s affluent eastern suburbs is pushing to raise the amount paid in rates by its wealthiest homeowners, with claims cheaper properties have been subsidising mansions.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/greens-councillor-wants-wealthie…
# NSW, Housing market, Tax.Mayor orders New York’s homeless camps dismantled ‘within two weeks’
Edward Helmore The Guardian (No paywall)New York mayor Eric Adams has ordered that every homeless encampment in the city should be taken down within two weeks, arguing that the situation is not only dangerous to those living there but to the city itself. “We’re going to rid the encampments off our street and we’re going to place people in healthy living conditions with wraparound services,” Adams said Friday, though he provided few details on exactly how that extra provision would be provided for them.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/mar/26/new-york-mayor-h…
# International, Homelessness.‘NIMBYism at its worst’: Developers slam council plan to help residents fight proposals
Andrew Taylor The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Rising anger over apartment towers has prompted an eastern suburbs council to employ an advocate to help residents write submissions to try to block building proposals, amid ongoing concern about overdevelopment. Waverley mayor Paula Masselos said apartment towers were being built that are “higher and fatter than our planning rules instruments”, especially in Bondi Junction.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nimbyism-at-its-worst-developers…
# NSW, Strata, Housing market, Local Government, Planning and development.Property worth $25b at risk from coastal erosion
Elizabeth Redman Domain (No paywall)Twenty-five billion dollars worth of residential property is at risk of increasing storm surges and coastal erosion, new research shows. Coastal property is more at risk than ever, after significant development in popular beach towns over the past 30 years and a rise in beachside property values, CoreLogic’s Coastal Risk Scores for Financial Risk Assessment report, released on Monday, found. Also, read Sezen Bakan's article entitled: 'Storm surges and erosion pose risk to $25 billion of property: CoreLogic' in 'The New Daily' at: [https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/property/2022/03/28/coastal-risks-house-prices/]
https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/property-worth-25b-at-risk-…
# Australia, Housing market, Planning and development.