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
Childcare, leave, housing: Where women won in Labor’s first budget
Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Here’s where women won – the new and already-known initiatives – in Labor’s first budget. ... Repeated Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) surveys identify that women bear the brunt of the housing crisis. For all, there is a new housing accord between the government and industry, with the Commonwealth committing $350 million for new affordable dwellings over five years, from 2024. It is hoped investment from superannuation funds and institutions will supply one million more social and affordable houses in the coming years. But the Women’s Budget Statement says: “Unaffordable housing disproportionately impacts women as they on average have lower incomes and wealth and are significantly more likely to be driven from their homes by violence.”
https://www.smh.com.au/money/planning-and-budgeting/childcare-le…
# Australia, Domestic violence, Public and community housing, Affordable housing, Home ownership, Women.The one Sydney summer exhibition you shouldn’t miss
Rob Harris The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)One of Korea’s most prominent artists, he has made his name with large, distinctive fabric works that depict where he has lived, sometimes at their original scale, as well as household appliances including stoves, toilets and radiators.
https://www.smh.com.au/culture/art-and-design/do-ho-suh-brings-l…
# NSW, Home.Most older Australians aren’t in aged care. Policy blind spots mean they live in communities that aren’t age-friendly
Edgar Liu, Bruce Judd and Mariana T Atkin The Conversation (No paywall)In response to the horror stories of abuse and neglect from the Royal Commission into Aged Care, the new federal Labor government has made legislative changes. Prior to this, Australia’s most recent aged-care reforms were enacted a decade ago. The focus, however, is still largely on residential care homes, so what about older Australians in the broader community? More older Australians are still living in their own homes. How do our policies and cities support them? We have published an analysis comparing 85 policy documents across all three levels of Australian governments against World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on age-friendly cities. We found these policies reflect outdated views of old age. They neglect many important aspects that contribute to happy and fulfilling lives in older age. The policy focus is overwhelmingly on care and support services. There are decreasing levels of attention to housing, transport, walkability and, least of all, cultural diversity.
https://theconversation.com/most-older-australians-arent-in-aged…
# Australia, Housing market, Older people, Planning and development.In pictures: Homeless families march on Downing Street to demand council homes
Liam Geraghty (No paywall)Hundreds of families living in temporary accommodation and overcrowded housing marched on Downing Street calling for ministers to deliver more affordable homes. As Rishi Sunak tackled his first Prime Minister’s Questions in the Commons, parents and children from London campaign groups Housing Action Southwark and Lambeth (HASL), Haringey Housing Action Group, Focus E15, and English for Action marched from Parliament Square to Number 10. (Big Issue)
https://www.bigissue.com/news/housing/in-pictures-homeless-famil…
# International, Affordable housing, Campaigns and law reform, Homelessness.First home owners would save money for 60 years with property tax, says NSW government
Alexandra Smith The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)A first home buyer who opts to pay property tax rather than stamp duty could be ahead financially for 60 years, according to NSW Treasury analysis released before the government’s final push to implement the Premier’s pet policy before the election. NSW Treasury modelling shows if a first home buyer opted for an annual property fee on a $1.5 million apartment, it would take 63 years before you reach the value of stamp duty that would have been paid in today’s dollars using the upfront fee. For a unit purchased for $1.25 million, it would take 52 years.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/first-home-owners-would-save…
# NSW, Home ownership, Housing market, State Government, Tax.WA aged care provider's workers' housing plans in danger as federal budget axes funding scheme
Georgia Loney ABC (No paywall)A WA aged care provider's plans to build a permanent workers' village to address the housing shortage could be jeopardised after the federal government scrapped a major regional development fund. Workers' villages are usually associated with north-west mining towns, but Bethanie Housing is planning to build the village on the site of its new aged care home in Bunbury, 200 kilometres south of Perth. It's been hailed as a potential solution to the housing shortage in regional WA, which is so bad that many workers further south are sleeping in tents. ... The housing project was approved by the WA government's Joint Development Assessment Panel this week. However, Bethanie had sought $8 million through the Building Betters Regions Fund for the project from the previous government. The money, which is awaiting approval, is now in doubt after Labor federal government cut the funding stream as part of Tuesday night's budget.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-27/wa-bethanie-aged-care-wor…
# Australia, Housing market, Work, employment.Most Australian homes won’t stand the test of time
ASh Cant The New Daily (No paywall)As states mop up from another devastating flood, it is time to consider planning for the disasters ahead – starting at home. Floods and bushfires have left thousands of people without a place to live over the past few years. The reality is many of those houses – and those still standing or under construction – are not fit for the current climate, let alone a future that is driven by climate change. Not only should we be considering where our homes are built, but also how they are constructed, senior lecturer at RMIT’s School of Property, Construction and Project Management, Dr Trivess Moore said. We need to consider whether the design will enable the structure to withstand extreme weather, Dr Moore said.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/property/2022/10/28/australia…
# Australia, Climate change, Housing market, Minimum habitability standards.What makes a great footpath? The answer is key to our happiness and wellbeing as we age
Fatemeh Aminpour The Conversation (No paywall)As people age, they often become less confident about walking. Fear of falling can limit the activity of older people, leading them to become isolated. So what, exactly, makes for a great footpath to walk on? My colleagues and I explored this question in a recent paper. We used an evidence-based tool to measure the walkability of urban roads – assessing not just the footpath itself, but the features around it. The results can help urban designers make our cities more walkable, especially for older people.
https://theconversation.com/what-makes-a-great-footpath-the-answ…
# Australia, Health, Older people, Planning and development.