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
Clothing Store Precinct preparing for sale
Geoff Turnbull (No paywall)The Clothing Store Precinct between Carriageworks and Pines Estate in Newtown may be the first part of North Eveleigh to be redeveloped. Also, flick down to item entitled: 'ALP NSW Conference supports public housing'. (South Sydney Herald)
https://southsydneyherald.com.au/clothing-store-precinct-prepari…
# NSW, Public and community housing, Planning and development.APHNR working group invitation
International Union of Tenants (No paywall)The Asia-Pacific Network for Housing Research (APNHR) is pleased to announce that we are forming an APNHR Working Group on Intergenerational Housing Issues. The scope extends to a broad range of intergenerational housing issues that include, but are not limited to: Intergenerational housing inequalities; Generation rent challenges; Intergenerational transfers and housing outcomes; Links between intergenerational housing and health and wellbeing; Multigenerational housing living and design.
https://www.iut.nu/news-events/aphnr-working-group-invitation/
# Research alert International, Rent, Families, Health, Housing market, Older people.$30 million Little Bay residential development approved as council and residents fear for banksia bushland
Erin Modaro (No paywall)A development application for a 4-storey mix of apartments and townhouses in Little Bay has recently been granted approval by the Land and Environment Court, after developers appealed Randwick council’s dismissal of the application in 2021. The application for 45 new residences at 11 Jennifer Street was knocked back by Randwick Council due to concerns over damage to native vegetation, notably the critically endangered Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub. The original development proposal included the removal of areas of native scrub, which would threaten local wildlife such as the endangered Maroubra Woodland Snail. (City Hub)
https://cityhubsydney.com.au/2022/11/30-million-little-bay-resid…
# NSW, Planning and development.Ten-year building warranty is a strata game changer
Jimmy Thomson (No paywall)A crucial element in the NSW apartment building revolution has arrived with the first of the big insurers prepared to take a punt on Chandler’s five-star reforms. As we reported last week, Resilience Insurance is to offer building warranty cover for new apartment blocks over three storeys high – the first time in 20 years that has been available in Australia. ... This will provide comprehensive consumer protection for building defects caused by substandard design and building work, said Fair Trading Minister Victor Dominello, announcing the move, adding that this was “a big win for apartment owners and body corporates.” (Flat Chat)
# NSW, Strata.As rates rise again, Australia's average property prices are falling. Here's how steeply home prices are dropping across the nation
Angelica Silva and Dinah Lewis Boucher ABC (No paywall)Australia's median property values dropped 1.2 per cent in October, to $721,018, a figure including both houses and apartments. The rate of falls has eased in Sydney and in Melbourne but has "gathered momentum" in Brisbane, where home values are now falling the most rapidly of any capital city or rest-of-state region, according to Tim Lawless, the research director for property data and analytics firm CoreLogic.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-01/australian-property-price…
# Australia, Housing market.Glimmer of good news for homeowners facing a mortgage cliff
Melissa Heagney Domain (No paywall)Homeowners who fixed their mortgage rate at rock-bottom levels will save as much as $20,000 compared to if they had stayed on a variable loan, new modelling shows, a boost to mortgage holders preparing for higher repayments. Much has been made of the looming cliff, as many owners prepare to refinance next year and pay hundreds of dollars more per month. But new analysis shows the benefit to those who chose fixed instead of variable after the pandemic hit.
https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/glimmer-of-good-news-for-ho…
# Australia, Home ownership, Housing market.Queensland heads off crisis talks with doubling of social housing spend
Matt Dennien The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)An extra 5600 social and affordable homes will be built by the Queensland government over the next five years in a previously floated move made to preempt crisis talks. But the number is still short of what the sector says it needs. The state government will pour an additional $1 billion into its housing fund, doubling its size and the number of homes built from its investment returns by 2027.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/queensland/queensland-heads-off-…
# Australia, Public and community housing, Affordable housing, State Government.The IUT Paris declaration – The situation is unbearable
International Union of Tenants (No paywall)The IUT board met in Paris on 27 October 2022. Discussing the situation for tenants in their respective countries, it became evident that tenants across Europe are facing severe consequences of the cost-of-living crisis. Rent increases following indexation coupled to inflation, and the soaring energy prices are making the situation unbearable for low- and middle-income households. Facing similar challenges in Europe, and elsewhere, the IUT board is making this declaration to call for governments to act. [Read IUT's demands]
https://www.iut.nu/news-events/the-situation-is-unbearable-iut-c…
# Must read International, Eviction, Rent, Utilities electricity water gas, Campaigns and law reform, Climate change.