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
You can now buy now, pay later your rental bond
Harrison Astbury (No paywall)A new buy now pay later platform, Flexibond, allows renters to break down their bond payment into four fortnightly instalments.
https://www.savings.com.au/buy-now-pay-later/you-can-now-buy-now…
# TUNSW in the media Australia, Bond.Free supermarket feeds 2000 international students a week
Bianca Hall The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)More than 100,000 international students left behind in Melbourne after borders were shut have been hit hard by the pandemic. With casual work drying up and no federal government support, many are struggling to put food on the table. ... [Yet] international students brought more than $32 billion to the Australian economy in 2017-18. But, University of Melbourne student union president Hannah Buchan said they have not received adequate support in return.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/victoria/free-supermarket-feeds-…
# Hot topic Australia, Coronavirus COVID-19, Welfare.Worker exodus ignites regional house prices
John Collett The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Regional house prices are growing at a faster rate than city homes, driven by increasing demand from an exodus of workers abandoning CBDs in the COVID-19 era of working from home.
https://www.smh.com.au/money/banking/worker-exodus-ignites-regio…
# Australia, Housing market, Regional NSW.Can Australian property rebound from the Coronavirus crisis?
Martin North (No paywall)Martin North’s blog Digital Finance Analytics
https://digitalfinanceanalytics.com/blog/can-australian-property…
# Australia, Housing market.Distressed sales fall to pre-pandemic levels in most cities: Domain data
Kate Burke Domain (No paywall)Urgent property sales have dropped back to pre-pandemic levels in most cities, with ongoing government support measures and extended mortgage holidays providing a buffer for those facing financial difficulty.
https://www.domain.com.au/news/distressed-sales-fall-to-pre-pand…
# Australia, Coronavirus COVID-19, Housing market.A budget of missed opportunity - not fit for the challenging times we live in
Shelter NSW (No paywall)While there are some specific encouraging announcements related to housing security in yesterday’s NSW 2020-21 Budget, overall Shelter NSW is very disappointed and concerned with the response. It is a budget of missed opportunity and not fit for the challenging times we live in.
https://mailchi.mp/shelternsw/special-ebulletin-statement-on-the…
# Must read NSW, Public and community housing.Stamp duty not the only conversation we need to have
Mark Degotardi The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)The focus of the NSW budget this week has been on plans to eradicate stamp duty. That's a sensible conversation to have but it yet again puts the spotlight on home ownership; it means nothing to the hundreds of thousands of people in our state who are struggling to pay the rent, let alone a buy a house. The NSW budget will stand in stark contrast to the Victorian one, due next week, which will commit a record $5.3 billion to social and affordable housing. The Victorian government has clearly recognised that investing in social housing is a win-win: it helps people and it helps the economy, through job creation.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/stamp-duty-not-the-only-conv…
# NSW, Public and community housing, Tax.NSW Budget Delivers Some Housing Support for Most Vulnerable, But More Work To Do
NCOSS (No paywall)Read NCOSS's media release
https://www.ncoss.org.au/2020/11/nsw-budget-delivers-some-housin…
# NSW, Public and community housing.