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
Up to 7,700 women return to violent partners over lack of affordable housing, research suggests
Tom Stayner SBS (No paywall)The federal government should invest billions more in social housing to prevent women being forced to decide between returning to abusive partners and sleeping rough, according to a new report. More investment in social housing is required to help protect thousands of women forced to return to violent partners each year or face homelessness, new research has found. Modelling by Equity Economics estimates as many as 7,700 women are returning to violent partners with another 9,000 domestic violence victims forced into homelessness. The research was commissioned by the Everybody's Home campaign, which is calling on the federal government to spend $7.6 billion on almost 17,000 new homes to address the entrenched shortage of housing for women in need. It says the additional social housing investment would not only provide security to women fleeing abuse but also deliver economic benefits.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/up-to-7-700-women-return-to-violent-…
# Research alert Australia, Domestic violence, Public and community housing, Affordable housing, Federal Government, Women.Investing in new social housing for survivors of domestic violence ‘could boost Australian economy’
Amy Remeikis The Guardian (No paywall)Investment in new social housing for survivors of family and domestic violence in Australia would not only give safety and security to some of those needing it the most, it also makes economic sense, new analysis has found. The pandemic has taken some of the attention away from the issue of domestic and family violence, despite an escalation of abuse during this time and the fact that it is the main reason women and children seek specialist homelessness services. You will find an audio from the ABC on the same report at: [https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/am/social-housing-could-save-millions/13441040]
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/jul/12/investing-in-new…
# Research alert, Audio Australia, Domestic violence, Public and community housing, Federal Government, Women.Lawyer wins $55,000 after suing landlords over mould
(Paywall)Criminal defence lawyer Chris Murphy has won more than $55,000 after he took the landlords of his former Sydney rental property to court over mould damage. ... Here's the story. Mr Murphy argued he was not required to pay that rent because the Lewkovitzes had broken the terms of a tenancy agreement by leasing a home that was not fit for living in. Mr Murphy had said he lost 40 pieces of art along with clothing and furniture due to the mould ... His claim also included expenses incurred in dealing with the contamination. ... Judge Hatzistergos said he was satisfied the Lewkovitzes knew about water penetration issues, particularly in relation to mould, from at least 2012 - the year prior to when Mr Murphy moved into the property. But in his ruling Judge Hatzistergos said the Lewkovitzes were entitled to the rent money because Mr Murphy's obligation to pay it remained despite his ability to use the house being affected. (Daily Telegraph)
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=D…
# NSW, Rent, Mould.Rent prices are soaring as Americans flock back to cities
Heather Long (No paywall)Lauren Campos opened the door to her Phoenix apartment last week to find a note stuck in the door frame. Her rent was going up nearly $400 a month, the note said, a 33 percent increase. ... Rents are starting to surge in many parts of the country as the economy reopens and young people return rapidly to cities. On top of the influx of millennials and Gen Z renters coming back after staying with family or friends, people who can work from anywhere are still relocating to lower-cost cities, and the hot home sale market has caused some baby boomers to sell their family homes and rent again now that their kids are grown. Nationwide, rent prices are up 7.5 percent so far this year, three times higher than normal, according to data from Apartments.com. Analysts expect rent prices to keep climbing for the foreseeable future, a major burden for renters and a warning sign that higher inflation could linger far longer than the White House and Federal Reserve keep predicting. (The Washington Post)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/07/09/rent-prices-r…
# International, Rent, Housing market.How a cookbook brought Melbourne's inner-city public housing community together
Jessica Lodge ABC (No paywall)Almost a year on from enduring Australia's strictest lockdown, residents of Melbourne's public housing towers have turned to cooking to help them heal and reconnect their community. Jess Ho from The Guardian also writes about this cookbook. Go to: [https://www.theguardian.com/food/2021/jul/13/cooking-is-a-way-for-me-to-share-my-love-recipes-from-melbourne-public-housing-residents]
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-11/vic-how-a-cookbook-brough…
# Australia, Public and community housing, Coronavirus COVID-19.Rental Burdens: Rethinking Affordability Measures
(No paywall)How much of your income should you set aside for rent? With the cost of housing on the rise, researchers are reexamining the 30-percent rule of thumb for measuring rental burden. (Edge, US Department of Housing and Urban Development)
https://www.huduser.gov/portal/pdredge/pdr_edge_featd_article_09…
# International, Rent, Home ownership, Housing affordability.The most expensive cities to rent in right now
9 News (No paywall)Harbour City knocked off perch for first time in over a decade. Finding the right rental can be tricky and it is set to get even harder, with new data revealing rent in Australian homes have hit an all time high. Today finance expert Effie Zahos said most capitals have seen a spike. Data indicates the biggest were in Canberra and Darwin. (9now)
https://9now.nine.com.au/today/the-most-expensive-cities-to-rent…
# Australia, Rent, Housing market.Here’s Who Will Be Left Behind in the Housing Boom
Ali Wolf The New York Times (No paywall)From the United States ... When Covid-19 first hit, those of us in the real estate industry predicted a collapse of the housing market. In just the first two months of the pandemic, 22.4 million Americans lost their jobs, while gross domestic product fell at the fastest rate in modern history in the second quarter. Instead, what unfolded was a transformation of the housing market, fueled by what I call “migration mania.” For employees in many industries, working remotely during the pandemic effectively has untethered them from their physical offices. Historically, but even more so during the pandemic, those with higher-income jobs are the most likely to work from home, McKinsey & Company found. As a result, many of them have chosen to move from more expensive areas of the country to lower-cost metros.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/13/opinion/covid-housing-phoenix…
# International, Coronavirus COVID-19, Housing market.