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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See notes about the Digest and a list of other contributors here. Many thanks to those contributors for sharing links with us.
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Archive
Homeless at school: 56% of teachers have worked with homeless children
Shelter England (No paywall)You will find Shelter England’s media report here.
https://england.shelter.org.uk/media/press_release/homeless_at_s…
# International, Coronavirus COVID-19, Families, Health, Homelessness.In schools, we see the extra harm Covid is doing to Britain's homeless children
Dani Worthington The Guardian (No paywall)As a headteacher, I’ve seen badly housed pupils arrive tired and hungry. Now the gap between them and their peers is growing.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/nov/19/school-cov…
# Must read International, Coronavirus COVID-19, Families, Health, Homelessness.Regional Australia’s time has come – planning for growth is now vital
Tony Matthews The Conversation (No paywall)Australian governments have always wanted thriving regional cities, but policy innovations with this goal in mind have a bad history. Planned well, regional cities have huge potential to generate national economic growth while improving livability and sustainable development.
https://theconversation.com/regional-australias-time-has-come-pl…
# Australia, Planning and development.First-timers pile in as house prices start to rise
John Collett The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)ANZ economists are forecasting property price hikes of about 9 per cent across major capital cities next year.
https://www.smh.com.au/money/planning-and-budgeting/first-timers…
# Australia, Housing market.Retirees ignoring potential of dipping into home equity: income review
Jennifer Duke The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Retirement Income Review ... Cash-poor retirees living in expensive properties are not tapping into their housing equity to fund their older years, despite the family home representing the biggest share of net wealth for those aged over 65.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/retirees-ignoring-potent…
# Australia, Rent, Older people.Asset testing expensive homes for pension could reduce overspending: Income review
Jennifer Duke The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Retirement Income Review ... Penalising pensioners with expensive homes could stop overspending on housing, says a wide-ranging review into the retirement system that also casts doubt on already-legislated increases to the superannuation guarantee.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/asset-testing-expensive-…
# Australia, Rent, Home ownership, Older people.Federal Government to assess superannuation, housing policy after Retirement Income Review
Melissa Clark (No paywall)Retirement Income Review ... Australians could be encouraged by the Federal Government to draw down on their superannuation balances and use equity in the family home to fund their retirement, rather than rely on increases in compulsory super contributions.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-19/federal-government-to-ass…
# Australia, Rent, Home ownership, Older people.Super tax breaks not needed for wealthy, they should tap into their home equity, retirement income review
Nassim Khadem ABC (No paywall)Retirement Income Review ... The almost $42 billion annual cost of superannuation tax concessions is largely benefiting wealthy savers, according to the Federal Government's retirement income review, which suggests they should instead tap into the equity of their homes to help fund their retirement.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-20/super-tax-breaks-not-need…
# Australia, Rent, Home ownership, Housing affordability, Older people.