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
Battle over Windang Oasis Village's future heads to NSW Supreme Court
Grace Crivellaro Illawarra Mercury (Paywall)It’s been a gruelling, anxious fight for Windang’s Oasis Village residents who have been under a black cloud for the past four years, fearing they could lose their homes.
But an application for an administrator to be appointed to look after the lakeside caravan park, which is home to around 50 elderly people, has provided them with a glimmer of hope. ... The matter will be mentioned in the NSW Supreme Court on July 12.
https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/7794268/battle-over-wi…
# NSW, Eviction, Land lease communities, Tribunal NCAT, Local Government, State Government.Housing crisis: The 20 regions facing the largest rent hikes
Sezen Bakan The New Daily (No paywall)Long-suffering renters are in for more pain over the next two years, with rents set to rise by $100 a week in at least 20 Australian cities and regions. Soaring weekly rents and low vacancy rates have already left renters struggling to afford accommodation amid a broader rise in the cost of living.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/property/2022/06/21/rent-cris…
# Australia, Rent, Housing market.Melbourne is Australia's most liveable city, but other state capitals have tumbled down the list
Melbourne is Australia's most liveable city, but other state capitals have tumbled down the list ABC (No paywall)The Austrian capital, Vienna, topped the rankings for the first time since 2019, with Melbourne in 10th spot — the highest-ranked Australian city — and tied with Osaka. Adelaide — which was ranked second in last year's index — has fallen to 30th, Perth has fallen 26 spots to 32nd and Brisbane has dropped 17 spots to 27th. Melbourne had topped the list from 2011 to 2017 before being overtaken by Vienna.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-23/australian-cities-fall-in…
# Australia, Coronavirus COVID-19, Families, International.West Australian housing land tax reform will boost regions, REIWA says
Bridget Herrmann ABC (No paywall)Western Australia's peak real estate body says land tax reform would put workers where the money is being made and encourage movement to the regions.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-23/west-australian-housing-l…
# Australia, Housing market, Tax.State Budget: Hunter MPs concerned about lack of new social housing builds for region as homelessness becomes a critical issue
Madeline Link (Paywall)As families that would never have considered themselves at risk of homelessness are sucked into the black hole that is the state's rental crisis, the need for social housing in the Hunter has never been more critical. (Newcastle Herald)
https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/7790772/mps-hit-the-roo…
# NSW, Public and community housing, Regional NSW, State Government.Australia ranks fourth on global property risk list. Will we dodge it?
Elizabeth Redman The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Australia is one of the most likely countries in the world to clock property price falls, a new ranking shows, after prices boomed over the past two years. Property prices are high compared to rents and incomes, the Bloomberg Economics research found, although local experts caution prices will not necessarily drop far enough to get back in line with fundamentals. Australia ranked fourth in the OECD for the risk of a property price correction, behind New Zealand in first place and just ahead of Canada in fifth, two other countries where property markets have been hot for years.
https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/australia-ranks-fourth-on-g…
# Australia, Housing market, International.As a kid I was homeless, and that’s why I joined the Vinnies CEO Sleepout last night
Richard Stewart The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Overnight I took part in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout to raise money to support people experiencing homelessness – as I did when I was about 10 years old. As a child, I was the beneficiary of Vinnies’ support and that set me on a path to lead my life as I do today.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/as-a-kid-i-was-homeless-and-that…
# NSW, Homelessness, Personal stories.Stronger, smarter, strata: the climate for change in Victoria
Gregor Evans The Fifth Estate (No paywall)With the Victorian election rapidly approaching, strata communities offer a valuable channel for the state government to deliver its building electrification and net zero policies. ... More and more Victorian consumers are beginning to shift to more sustainable living choices, whether considering or purchasing an electric vehicle for the first time due to increased petrol prices, moving into “smart homes”, or installing ever-more affordable solar panels, as a cleaner, greener economy – led by market forces – takes shape. Strata living, by its very nature, can act as a multiplier effect towards improving the efficiency of our built environment and urban spaces, and is a sector of our economy and society where industry is uniquely placed to make this happen.
https://thefifthestate.com.au/columns/spinifex/stronger-smarter-…
# Australia, Strata, Utilities electricity water gas, Climate change.