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 Australian public service is letting Indigenous people down. How do we fix it?
Jenny Stewart The Conversation (No paywall)For years, First Nations people have been telling governments they want to be listened to. In particular, they want more ownership of the programs and services that are supposed to help them. The Voice referendum may have failed, but the need remains. The recent Productivity Commission review of the Closing The Gap agenda reiterated these problems, adding that despite some signs of change, very little had been done in designing and implementing programs to move away from the “business as usual” top-down approach.
https://theconversation.com/the-australian-public-service-is-let…
# Must read Australia, Aboriginal renters.Alan Kohler: The banal evil of unaffordable housing
Alan Kohler The New Daily (No paywall)The other day a young couple bought a nice three-bedroom house in Brady Road, Bentleigh East, 23 kilometres from Melbourne’s CBD, for $1,263,000. I don’t know what their deposit was, but if it was 20 per cent, they borrowed a million dollars. Repayments: $6576 per month. But here’s the reality of what has happened to housing affordability in Australia: If the overall house price to income ratio in Australia had stayed what it was in 2000, and what it had been for decades before that – that is, four instead of the current eight – that family would have paid half the price they did, and their repayments would be $3293 per month.
https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/finance/2024/05/06/alan-kohler-un…
# Must read Australia, .Nine out of every 10 landlords submit a false tax return. The ATO is about to do something about it
Daniel Jeffrey 9 News (No paywall)Landlords have been warned to lift their game during tax time, with the ATO revealing nine out of every 10 people who own a rental property get their returns wrong. The tax office today announced its three "focus areas" for this year, pointing the finger squarely at landlords claiming expenses they aren't entitled to. Data shows 90 per cent of landlords are submitting incorrect tax returns, the ATO said. "We often see landlords making mistakes when it comes to repairs and maintenance deductions on rental properties, so we're keeping a close eye on this," ATO assistant commissioner Rob Thomson said.
https://www.9news.com.au/finance/australia-tax-office-crackdown-…
# Hot topic Australia, Rent.Australia's median rent surges to record heights with regions and outer suburbs feeling the heat
Nelli Saarinen ABC (No paywall)Rents have reached a record high with the national average now at $627, pushing renters further to the outskirts of capital cities. Annual rent growth began accelerating in 2024, with rents now 8.5 per cent higher than this time last year, according to the latest data from CoreLogic. "Not only are rents rising quickly, but they're rising at a bit of a faster pace than what we saw towards the end of last year," CoreLogic's head of research Eliza Owen said. The growth is most pronounced in regional Australia and the outer suburban areas of cities, Ms Owen said.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-06/median-rent-record-high-c…
# Hot topic Australia, Rent.Accusations Housing ACT inappropriately using emergency line to request property repairs
Claire Fenwicke Riotact (No paywall)Housing ACT has been accused of using the State Emergency Services’ hotline to request volunteers carry out property repairs. A senior member of ACTSES told Region it was common for Canberrans to call the 132 500 line for issues with their homes that weren’t an emergency, no matter what kind of accommodation they lived in. This can include calling up for repairs outside of emergency weather periods, issues that don’t impose an immediate risk, and issues that would otherwise be carried out by professionals. They described Housing ACT as one of the “worst” culprits.
https://the-riotact.com/accusations-housing-act-inappropriately-…
# Hot topic Australia, Rent, Repairs, Security and safety.Judge dismisses legal challenge of public housing tower residents forced to move
Kristian Silva ABC (No paywall)Victoria's Supreme Court has thrown out a legal challenge by Melbourne housing towers residents to halt the state government's plans to demolish the buildings. Last year, the government announced plans to knock down and rebuild 44 aging high-rise towers across the city. The first five towers were set to be replaced by 2031, with buildings in Flemington, North Melbourne and Carlton slated as the first to go. Resident Barry Berih brought the class action earlier this year, arguing Victoria's cabinet went against legislation when it decided to demolish the towers.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-03/public-housing-towers-cla…
# Australia, Public and community housing, Tribunal NCAT.Residents to continue fighting demolition of Melbourne public housing towers despite court setback
Cait Kelly The Guardian (No paywall)Victoria’s supreme court has dismissed a class action that was attempting to stop the demolition of Melbourne’s 44 public housing towers, saying it had no real prospect of success. But the Inner Melbourne Community Legal service, which is leading the case, said it was determined to continue the fight using fresh legal tactics. All 44 of Melbourne’s high-rise public housing towers will be redeveloped by 2051, with five in Flemington, North Melbourne and Carlton expected to be replaced by 2031.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/may/03/m…
# Australia, Public and community housing, Rent.Against Landlords by Nick Bano review - valuable ideas for how to solve Britain’s housing crisis
Rowan Moore The Guardian (No paywall)Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the housing crisis could be solved without building any more homes? There would be no carbon emissions from construction sites, no green fields covered over, no householders upset at dwellings appearing in their view. Instead, rents would become affordable and decent homes available through changes in government policy. Such is the promise of Against Landlords by the author and barrister Nick Bano, a man who has been described as “Britain’s top Marxist housing lawyer”. The crisis, he argues, is not one of supply but of cost. There are enough homes to go around, but they are notoriously expensive.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/apr/23/against-landlords-…
# Hot topic International, Rent.