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
Australian residential tenancies law reform: a new agenda for 2023 and beyond
Chris Martin Parity (No paywall)On 28 April 2023, Australian governments, meeting as the National Cabinet, agreed to develop a new law reform agenda to ‘strengthen renters’ rights across the country’. Housing ministers are now tasked with drafting proposals to take back to National Cabinet in the latter half of the year.
Although no details have yet been produced, the announcement of the national reform agenda is remarkable for two reasons.
https://blogs.unsw.edu.au/cityfutures/blog/2023/08/australian-re…
# Australia, Campaigns and law reform, Federal Government, State Government.Who should pay to fix the housing crisis?
Michele Weekes ABC (No paywall)The CFMEU says a tax on 'super profits' could help us build enough social and affordable homes to fix the housing crisis.
Meanwhile, the federal government is trying to pass legislation that would see individual taxpayers contributing.
Should corporate entities be doing more?
https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lifematters/who-sh…
# Hot topic Australia, Public and community housing, Federal Government, Tax.Solar panels on established public housing could save eager tenants like Dianne more than $500 a year
Daniel Miles ABC (No paywall)Not much has changed in the 25 years Dianne Marcus has lived in her two-bedroom, government-owned home in Churchill.
It's a modest home in a decent neighbourhood and, as public housing tenants, it comes with a tightly-controlled reduced rent.
On one hand, Ms Marcus feels lucky to have a roof over her head in the current climate. She knows she's one of the lucky ones in the Gippsland region.
But on the other hand, she has a gripe to take up with her landlord.
She's doing everything she can to save money and would love to have solar panels installed on her roof to help bring down her bills.
But her landlord — essentially, the state government — isn't on board.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-02/solar-panels-public-housi…
# Australia, Public and community housing, Utilities electricity water gas, Climate change.The ongoing implications of COVID-19 for homelessness responses
Chris Hartley Centre for Social Impact (No paywall)On May 5th, 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that COVID-19, though still prevalent, is no longer considered a global emergency. public health emergency of international concern. This declaration reflects that for many Australians COVID-19 is in fact over. Over time, media coverage of COVID has diminished, and state and territory governments have ceased providing daily updates on cases and deaths. Moreover, a significant portion of the population has already experienced and recovered from COVID-19.
https://www.csi.edu.au/news/the-ongoing-implications-of-covid-19…
# Australia, Coronavirus COVID-19, Homelessness.Rental authority accused of failing to prosecute law-breaking landlords and protect tenants
Owen Jacques ABC (No paywall)Queensland's powerful rental regulator prides itself on making "renting work for everyone" but, as the housing crisis drags on, it has been accused of going soft on law-breaking landlords.
The Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA) is the key body that enforces legislation designed to protect the state's 1.8 million renters by investigating illegal behaviour and resolving disputes.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-31/rta-accused-giving-away-t…
# Must read Australia, Campaigns and law reform, Landlords and agents, State Government.There’s nothing wrong with raising kids in apartments - let’s embrace it
MIchael Koziol The Sydney Morning Herald (No paywall)The new boss of the state’s planning department, Kiersten Fishburn, lives in a 49-square-metre terrace with two children. As she told an industry lunch on Thursday: “Just imagine what every evening in my house is like.”
Fishburn puts her money where her mouth is on higher-density housing. “I’m proud to live in a dense area and I think it’s great for people,” she said. “Density is actually a social good, as well as environmental. But it has always been a challenging sell in the Australian context.”
https://www.smh.com.au/national/there-s-nothing-wrong-with-raisi…
# NSW, Families, Planning and development.Calls for property websites to list accessibility features as people with disabilities struggle to find rentals
Scott Wallen ABC (No paywall)Rachel Kayrooz needs to move from her newly marked-up rental in Queensland's south-east, but can't find anywhere accessible to go.
The community worker has functional neurological disorder (FND), which makes her susceptible to seizures, and needs a home with space to manoeuvre her walker.
It also needs to be affordable.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-19/rental-accessibility-for-…
# Australia, Starting a tenancy, Campaigns and law reform, Disability.Rent hike restrictions and an end to urban sprawl mulled in housing overhaul
Josh Gordon The Age (No paywall)Landlords would be able to lift rent only once every two years and may face a cap on the increase under sweeping housing reforms aimed at boosting security for younger Victorians locked out of the market.
Premier Daniel Andrews has warned that Victoria must stop the urban sprawl on Melbourne’s fringes, promising an anticipated planning overhaul would increase density and quality housing in middle suburbs, as well as provide renters with added security.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/rent-hike-restrictio…
# Hot topic Australia, Rent, Campaigns and law reform, State Government.