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
Landlords sell to reap capital gains, not avoid rental reforms: study
Tawar Razaghi The Sydney Morning Herald (No paywall)Landlords sell their investment properties for lucrative capital gains, rather than dissatisfaction with tenancy law reforms, new research reveals.
Tenancy law reforms were at the bottom of the list of reasons why investors sold their properties, research by the Australia Housing and Urban Research Institute found.
The research also found no evidence of tenancy reforms in NSW in 2010 affecting the supply of rental properties in the state. The same number of rentals were added to the private rental sector after the changes as the previous trend, and ever fewer than expected exited.
https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/landlords-sell-to-reap-capi…
# Must read, Research alert NSW, Eviction, Campaigns and law reform, Landlords and agents.AUDIO: Elderly renters struggle to find accommodation amid rental crisis
Newsradio ABC (No paywall)\Many Australians are doing it tough right now as cost of living pressures take hold, and elderly renters are are no exception.
Australia has one of the highest proportions of seniors living in rental poverty across the developed world.
ABC NewsRadio's Thomas Oriti spoke to Fiona York, from the Housing for the Aged Action Group, about the ongoing renting crisis against elderly people.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-06/elderly-renters-struggle-…
# Australia, Homelessness, Housing affordability, Older people.Dave Hunt/AAP Homeless numbers have jumped since COVID housing efforts ended – and the problem is spreading beyond the big cities
Hal Pawson and Cameron Parsell The Conversation (No paywall)The numbers of people who are homeless have risen sharply across Australia, with soaring housing costs emerging as the biggest driver of the increase. The Australian Homelessness Monitor 2022, released today, reports that the average monthly number of people using homelessness services increased by 8% in the four years to 2021-22. That’s double the population growth rate over that period.
Just as in other countries, the 2020 COVID-19 emergency accommodation programs achieved sudden reductions in rough sleeping in cities such as Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. But these remarkable gains were only temporary.
https://theconversation.com/homeless-numbers-have-jumped-since-c…
# Research alert Australia, Public and community housing, Homelessness, Regional NSW, Sydney.‘The worst I’ve seen’: Country towns recording rises in homelessness
Jewel Topsfield and Benjamin Preiss The Sydney Morning Herald (No paywall)Australia’s country towns are experiencing rising homelessness as rents skyrocket, vacancy rates plummet and people on low incomes find themselves unable to afford a home.
The 2022 Australian Homelessness Monitor reveals a rapid growth in homelessness in regional Australia over the past four years.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/the-worst-i-ve-seen-country-town…
# Research alert Australia, Homelessness, Regional NSW.Queensland government housing crisis intiatives criticised for lack of 'long-term plan' for those needing social housing
Rachel Riga ABC (No paywall)A highly anticipated report on the outcomes of a state-wide housing summit has been criticised for a lack of long-term solutions to tackle the crisis.
The report contains a series of initiatives the Queensland government will action to address housing strain and supply issues after a summit was held in October with 200 people across all levels of government, the private sector and stakeholder groups.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-01/qld-housing-summit-fundin…
# Australia, Public and community housing, Affordable housing, Housing affordability, Housing market.ACT government must do more to help Canberra renters
Joel Dignam Canberra Times (Paywall)This week, the ACT government introduced its latest bill to reform tenancy laws. This bill builds on many changes made over the past four years.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8001808/positive-changes-…
# International, Rent, Campaigns and law reform, Housing affordability.The solution to Australia’s rental crisis is more regulation and fewer landlords
Matt Lloyd-Cape The Guardian (No paywall)When it comes to regulating an industry that provides homes for millions, the wishes of landlords trump safety and security concerns of renters
Victoria has seen rents increase by 20% on average this year, but in some cases by up to 150%. These slightly terrifying statistics were revealed at a recent conference on the state of Australia’s rental market.
Such rental increases should concern policymakers even more than the recent rapid increase in house prices, since they disproportionately impact lower income households who are more vulnerable to housing stress.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/dec/05/the-soluti…
# Hot topic Australia, Housing affordability, Housing market, Landlords and agents.Jump in homelessness as Australia’s rental crisis pushes ‘overwhelmed system to breaking point’
Caitlin Cassidy The Guardian (No paywall)Vulnerable people and regional areas hardest hit, report shows, as experts demand urgent action to increase affordable housing
When Brooke escaped domestic violence in 2020, she didn’t expect her biggest problem would be finding secure housing for her and her three children.
Brooke has worked in disability and aged care for almost a decade, and never previously had a problem with rental security. But for two years she’s been in crisis accommodation in Melbourne, facing knock-back after knock-back for a permanent home.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/dec/05/jump-in-h…
# Must read Australia, Homelessness, Housing affordability, Housing market.