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
Greens vow action as huge rent hikes see adults forced to move back in with parents
Tamsin Rose The Guardian (No paywall)Jeremy Bryant wasn’t expecting to be moving back in with his parents just a few weeks after turning 30.
But that’s where the successful musician and university student now finds himself, along with his little brother, after the rent on their Redfern home was raised by $110 a week.
Hit with news of the impending jump just before Christmas, Bryant told his agent they could only add an extra $80 on top of the $650 they were already paying each week, but would still struggle.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/07/greens-vo…
# New policy announcement NSW, Rent, Housing affordability, State Government.Inside the old Sydney hotel that’s changing lives
Sue Williams The Sydney Morning Herald (No paywall)It’s an old hotel set to be redeveloped to bookend the huge $3 billion Central Place Sydney project but, inside, lives are being changed, one day at a time.
While the developer TOGA Group is waiting for the planning permissions to come through for the former post office building, later turned into an apartment hotel, they’ve opened it up as accommodation for at-risk homeless young people and refugees, mostly from Ukraine.
https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/inside-the-old-sydney-hotel…
# NSW, Homelessness, Planning and development.Housing summit looks at ways to solve Illawarra crisis
Natalie Croxon Illawarra Mercury (Paywall)Why are you here?
That was the question Michele Adair, chief executive officer of the Housing Trust, put to the 100-plus people who attended the Confront the Crisis housing summit on Tuesday.
The event was a call to action in the face of a worsening crisis gripping the Illawarra and Shoalhaven, where 22,700 very low to moderate income households are experiencing household stress and a growing number are waiting for social housing.
https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/8076091/what-needs-to-…
# NSW, Public and community housing, Affordable housing, Homelessness, Housing affordability, Planning and development, State Government.The rental crisis forced Kelly to move into a tent. She's angry it is becoming 'common practice'
Ellen Coulter ABC (No paywall)Kelly Ruckert sighs as she pulls back the flap on her tent.
"Over here we've got the bedroom suite with a good old camp stretcher … and this side is my wardrobe and storage area," she said.
"And that's how we live."
Ms Ruckert and her assistance dog, Ned, have been living in a tent at a caravan park in regional Tasmania since September, when Ms Ruckert was notified the rent on her home would soon increase.
With petrol and power prices also going up, it wasn't sustainable.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-08/rental-crisis-living-in-a…
# Hot topic Australia, Campaigns and law reform, Health, Homelessness, Housing affordability, Older people.New housing czar appointed to take on ACT affordability crisis
Ian Bushnell Riotact (No paywall)he ACT has a new housing czar based in the Chief Minister’s own Directorate, who will take charge of policy and project delivery across the government.
The new Office of the Coordinator-General for Housing within the Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate will bring all policy initiatives and activities under one roof in a bid to meet the growing Territory’s housing needs, with an emphasis on boosting the number of affordable homes and easing the rental crisis
https://the-riotact.com/new-housing-czar-appointed-to-take-on-ac…
# Australia, Public and community housing, Rent, Affordable housing, Housing affordability, State Government.PM - Rent support overwhelmed, cost of living pressures grow
Bridget Fitzgerald ABC (No paywall)A major support service for renters and social housing tenants says it is simply unable to keep up with demand amid growing cost of living pressures.
Tenants Victoria estimates it is able to respond to just 30 per cent of incoming calls and emails.
Record rent growth in the past year has coincided with soaring prices for things like energy, fuel and groceries, leaving renters to forgo medication or rack up debt to cover housing costs.
https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/pm/rent-support-overwhelme…
# Australia, Eviction, Rent, State Government, Tenants Advice and Advocacy Services.Indigenous homelessness 'a national shame' as single mum in Gippsland evicted on Christmas Eve
Bec Symons ABC (No paywall)A roof over your head — it's the basic need a mother wants to be met for her child.
But for 22-year-old Tamia Hood it seems impossible.
The GunaiKurnai single mum is living in an old pop-top caravan on the banks of Bung Yarnda, the lake that surrounds the Lake Tyers Aboriginal Trust in East Gippsland.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-02/indigenous-homelessness-n…
# Must read Australia, Aboriginal renters, Discrimination, Public and community housing, Homelessness, Housing affordability.The World Today - Rents outstripping wage growth
Rachel Mealey ABC (No paywall)New data reveals the rental crunch confronting many Australians, with rent increases significantly outstripping wage growth.
Advocacy group Homelessness Australia has found that while wages have increased by 5-per-cent over the past 2 years, the cost of rent has gone up by close to 30-per-cent on average.
The group wants the Federal Government to approve a 2-billion-dollar rapid rehousing fund in this year's budget.
https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/worldtoday/rents-outstripp…
# Audio Australia, Federal Government, Homelessness, Housing affordability.