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
Budget's big social housing plan lacks public housing pillar
David Kelly, Libby Porter and Kate Shaw The Age (Paywall)The Victorian government's $5.3 billion social housing package suggests a refreshing change to the prevailing view of social housing as a burden rather than an investment. Indeeed, Premier Daniel Andrews says that he didn't see this as a "cost to the budget" given the benefits of secure, affordable housing for those in need. The details of the big housing build speak differently, however. The new investment is not in public assets. The only new public housing – which is owned and managed by the state, caps rent at 25 percent of a tenant's income, provides secure tenure and prioritises the people in greatest need – replaces housing that has already been demolished as part of another program.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/budget-s-big-social-…
# Must read Australia, Public and community housing, Affordable housing.Complex rent assistance scheme needs major reform
Rachel Lane The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)The federal government's rent assistance program is inequitable, inefficient and fails its mandate of helping low-income private renters with their living costs, new research shows.
https://www.smh.com.au/money/super-and-retirement/complex-rent-a…
# Australia, Rent, Federal Government.Older renters on the dole the most financially strapped as calls grow for JobSeeker increase
Jennifer Duke The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Older renters who end up on the dole before reaching pension age are the most financially vulnerable retirees, a new report shows, as social services groups pressure the federal government to increase the JobSeeker payment.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/older-renters-on-the-dol…
# Must read, Hot topic Australia, Rent, Older people.Empty nesters rule the roost as retired tenants fall behind
Jennifer Duke The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)‘[Retirement Income Review found two groups] ... to be more at risk of falling on hard times at the end of their working life: those who rent and "involuntary retirees" who lose their jobs and cannot find another before reaching pension age. Those who fall into both of these categories have an even tougher time making ends meet, potentially relying on the government or loved ones to stay afloat.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/empty-nesters-rule-the-r…
# Australia, Rent, Home ownership, Older people.Withdrawing super for first home a very good investment, says Bernie Fraser
Jennifer Duke The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Former Reserve Bank governor Bernie Fraser says low-income workers should be allowed to withdraw some of their superannuation early to buy a first home, while former prime minister Kevin Rudd, super funds and Labor warn such a scheme would push property prices higher.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/withdrawing-super-for-fi…
# Australia, Home ownership.Deferred rents could push thousands of renters out of housing
Claudia Long ABC (No paywall)When Ash lost her tourism job at the start of the pandemic, she knew she wasn't going to be able to make her rent payments.
https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/renters-could-be-pu…
# Australia, Eviction, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19, Homelessness.Australia's rent 'bomb' risk means countless renters could face eviction
Luke Henriques-Gomes The Guardian (No paywall)Report estimates up to 1 million people may be in rental debt as end of Covid-spurred moratoriums on eviction approaches. You will find a link to the full report at:
[https://www.betterrenting.org.au/covid_debt_report]
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/nov/25/australia…
# Hot topic Australia, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19, Homelessness.Governments urged to wipe rental debts to prevent Australians from becoming homeless during pandemic
SBS (No paywall)An advocacy group is calling on governments to buy and tear up rent debts caused by the coronavirus pandemic to prevent Australians becoming homeless.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/governments-urged-to-wipe-rental-deb…
# Australia, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19, Homelessness.