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
The lesson for Australia out of Victoria’s property tax hikes: two out of three ain’t bad
Brendan Coates The Conversation (No paywall)Victorian treasurer Tim Pallas’s three-pronged strategy to raise an extra A$2.7 billion in property taxes over the next four years is a case of two out of three ain’t bad.
https://theconversation.com/the-lesson-for-australia-out-of-vict…
# Australia, Housing market, State Government, Tax.Mortgage stress: More than 130,000 households in NSW and Victoria on the brink of crisis, CHOICE warns
Sue Williams Domain (No paywall)More than 130,000 households in NSW and Victoria are on the brink of financial crisis as a result of mortgage stress, a shocking new report from consumer group CHOICE has revealed. As more people grow desperate to get into the rising property market and take on bigger mortgages, financial counsellors across the country admit they can barely keep up with their caseloads. And it’s now putting more pressure on the federal government’s plan to scrap responsible lending laws.
https://www.domain.com.au/news/mortgage-stress-more-than-130000-…
# Australia, Home ownership, Housing affordability, Housing market.Disabled woman given eviction notice as sister was reputational risk, royal commission told
Josh Dye The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)The chief executive of a disability service provider that tried to evict a client says the action was taken because the client’s sister – who made several complaints – risked damaging the organisation’s reputation, the disability royal commission has heard. Sunnyfield Disability Services chief executive Caroline Cuddihy fronted the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability in Sydney on Wednesday after two days of testimony from family members of Sunnyfield clients.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/disabled-woman-given-eviction-no…
# NSW, Eviction, Disability.Reserve Bank 'grappling' with house price boom questions, internal documents show
Daniel Zipper ABC (No paywall)Australia's central bank is "grappling" with questions about risky first-home buyers and a strong increase in home loans, according to meeting notes and internal discussions about the nation's white-hot housing market.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-27/reserve-bank-grappling-wi…
# Australia, Home ownership, Housing market.The Canadian Property Bubble Is Pushing Rents Higher As More Apartments Sit Empty
(No paywall)From Canada ... One of Canada’s frothiest market indicators surfaced — rents are rising with vacancies. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) data from their 2020 rental survey shows a sharp uptick in vacancies. Normally this is expected to bring prices down, but not in a property bubble. Rental prices continue to rise along with increasing vacancies. In some cases, multi-decade highs for rental vacancies are seeing price growth accelerate. (Better Dwelling)
https://betterdwelling.com/the-canadian-property-bubble-is-pushi…
# International, Rent, Housing market.ParentsNext program leaves single parents wondering about next steps to secure rental properties
Gladys Serugga ABC (No paywall)Single parents on a federal government income support program say mandatory reporting requirements introduced this year are locking them out of the housing market. Bridie Stirling has moved four times in eight months with her four-year-old son. She said a lack of rental vacancies in regional Australia, and the stigma associated with income support linked to a parenting employment program, had left her struggling to break into the market.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-24/single-parents-say-parent…
# Australia, Rent, Federal Government, Housing market, Welfare, Women, Work, employment.Disability royal commission hears of eviction attempt on severely disabled woman
Josh Dye The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)A Sydney-based disability care provider is under scrutiny by the disability royal commission over allegations of physical abuse and neglect of vulnerable clients under its care. ... The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability heard on Monday that in June 2018 Sunnyfield sought to terminate their agreement with Melissa. The eviction notice, which would have rendered Melissa homeless, was issued because of an ongoing dispute with Melissa’s older sister and legal guardian Eliza.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/disability-royal-commission-hear…
# NSW, Eviction, Disability.Charles Koch funded eviction push while investing in real estate companies
Andrew Perez and David Sirota The Guardian (No paywall)From the United States ... Billionaire Charles Koch’s foundation has bankrolled three conservative legal groups leading the court battle to eliminate prohibitions against tenant evictions during the Covid-19 pandemic in America. At the same time, Koch’s corporate empire has suddenly stepped up its real estate purchases during the pandemic – including making large investments in real estate companies with a potential financial interest in eliminating eviction restrictions.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/may/21/charles-koch-fou…
# International, Eviction, Coronavirus COVID-19, Housing market, Landlords and agents.