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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
Major housing bodies sign letter to Truss demanding urgent support for tenants facing crippling bills
Grainne Cuffe Inside Housing (Paywall)From the United Kingdom ... In a letter to Liz Truss, organised by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), more than 20 bodies across the sector have outlined several actions that she should take, including restoring Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates to at least the 30th percentile and preventing energy companies from forcing prepayment meters on people. The sector bodies, including housing associations, charities and council and ALMO representatives, wrote to express their “rapidly escalating concern” about the impact that rising living costs are having on “both residents and housing providers”.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/major-housing-bodies-s…
# International, Public and community housing, Utilities electricity water gas, Campaigns and law reform.Gold Coast property rush eases but don't expect rental market to cool anytime soon, research says
Dominic Cansdale ABC (No paywall)A "fear of missing out" may have kicked off the "extraordinary growth" of the Gold Coast's housing market, but even as the hype eases, industry figures warn rising rents are likely to continue. ... Despite rising interest rates having "taken the heat out the market", Mr Kusher said the rental market was likely to remain "really tight" with rising building costs and other "unforeseen" factors undermining the construction of new properties.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-09/how-fomo-kicked-off-gold-…
# Australia, Rent, Housing market.Wittenoom's last resident evicted as WA government shuts down asbestos-contaminated town
Cameron Carr and Andrew Tyndall ABC (No paywall)The last resident remaining in the asbestos-contaminated town of Wittenoom, 80-year-old Lorraine Thomas, has been evicted from her home. Her daughter, Aileen Thomas, said bailiffs and government officials arrived at the property without warning on Thursday. Aileen said her mother struggled to comprehend the situation when she was told to pack up and go.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-08/last-resident-of-asbestos…
# Australia, Eviction, Asbestos, lead, hazardous materials.Rescuers praised in Dungog halfway house fire that killed 12 people (1991)
ABC (No paywall)Rescuers are being praised for preventing an even greater loss of life in the fire that razed a halfway house in the NSW Hunter Valley town of Dungog. 12 people were killed but 28 others got out al,most unscathed. Many were helpless in their beds as flames spread through the old building at Dungog near Maitland. Rescuers dashed repeatedly through fierce heat to bundle them to safety.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-31/rescuers-praised-in-dungo…
# History, Video NSW, Homelessness.Which banks are passing on the latest RBA interest rate rise to mortgage holders? NAB kicked it off, then ANZ and Commonwealth followed suit
Dannielle Maguire ABC (No paywall)On Tuesday, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) raised interest rates by 0.5 of a percentage point, taking the cash rate target to 2.35 per cent. It wasn't until Friday afternoon that the National Australia Bank (NAB) and ANZ announced they were passing on the rise in full to mortgage holders. By Friday evening, Commonwealth Bank followed suit but many other banks were yet to say if they'd raise their rates or not.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-09/rba-interest-rate-rise-an…
# Australia, Housing market.CGT on sale of rental property may not be as bad as you think
George Cochranw The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Once you rented your house for more than six years, you are taken to have purchased it at the time you first rented it – not at the end of the sixth year. This is called the “home first used to produce income rule”. [Read on]
https://www.smh.com.au/money/super-and-retirement/cgt-on-sale-of…
# Australia, Landlords and agents, Tax.Who is new housing secretary Simon Clarke?
Grainne Cuffe Inside Housing (Paywall)Mr Clarke pledged public support for Liz Truss ahead of her appointment, claiming she will “take decisive and immediate action” to support families and businesses affected by soaring energy bills. The new housing secretary could be positive in terms of building new homes and achieving net zero. He has publicly supported regeneration projects, particularly in the North. In May, he tweeted that it would be a “disaster for the Conservatives” if “we do not build the homes we need, where we need them. But much, much more importantly, it will be a disaster for generations of people who will not be able to own a good home,” he said. Mr Clarke is an outspoken advocate of tackling climate change. ... In terms of voting history, in September 2018, Mr Clarke voted against higher fines for landlords or letting agencies breaching the law, limiting what tenants can be charged for. In the same month, he also voted not to further restrict the circumstances in which landlords and letting agents can charge tenants for losses arising from a breach of a tenancy agreement. It will be interesting to see where he stands on private rented sector reforms, which the government is currently in the process of legislating.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/insight/insight/who-is-new-housi…
# International, Public and community housing, Rent, Federal Government, Housing market.More Australians are renting long-term, but tenants' rights are far behind
Isabel Moussalli ABC (No paywall)As home ownership becomes increasingly out of reach for many Australians, more and more people are resigning themselves to the reality of being renters for life. Housing experts say as the number of long-term renters continues to rise, the nation should start looking overseas where rents rises are controlled and leases of up to five years are not uncommon. (ABC PM)
https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/pm/renting-long-term-but-t…
# TUNSW in the media, Audio Australia, Rent, Families, Housing market, No-grounds evictions.