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
Dinner and a show in Melbourne comes with a serving of harsh reality
Susan Murphy The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)In London, decades ago, I saw people sleeping in doorways, out of reach of falling snow. In New York I saw middle-aged Vietnam War veterans holding up cardboard signs, begging on the streets, and was grateful Australia looked after its citizens. Three decades later, rough sleepers in our city are everywhere.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/victoria/dinner-and-a-show-in-me…
# Australia, Homelessness.Ontario must commit to affordable housing for all, not attainable housing
Murat Ucoglu and Ute Lehrer The Conversation (No paywall)During his provincial election victory speech on June 2, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he aimed to build more housing to make the housing market more “attainable” for everyone. Although most people probably didn’t pay close attention to the specific choice of words Ford used during his speech, it’s alarming that Ford abandoned the word “affordable” in lieu of “attainable.” Instead of applying a word that speaks to the economic side of the housing crisis, his script writer opted for a term that means achievable, realistic, manageable.
This is troubling because it indicates that Ford is actively shifting the discourse away from an already very loose concept of affordability to a terrain that is even less defined.
https://theconversation.com/ontario-must-commit-to-affordable-ho…
# International, Affordable housing, Housing market.Falling prices not enough to make housing more affordable: Moody’s
Shane Wright The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Housing across the country will become less affordable this year and next even as prices fall, with a leading ratings agency warning strong wages growth will not be enough to offset the impact of higher mortgage interest rates.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/falling-prices-not-enoug…
# Australia, Housing affordability, Housing market.Talkback — Will dumping stamp duty ease Australia's housing crisis?
Nat Tencic ABC (No paywall)The NSW Government has announced it wants to scrap stamp duty in favour of a land tax. Replacing the one-off tax in favour of an annual fee has been talked about for decades. It's hoped this will lead to people living in more appropriate housing and resulting a more efficient tax system, but whether it will reduce house prices is less certain. (ABC Life Matters)
https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lifematters/talkba…
# Audio Australia, Home ownership, State Government, Tax.Home buyers warned by RBA to expect more interest rate pain
Shane Wright The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Home buyers could be slapped with an extra $200 in monthly mortgage repayments within weeks as the Reserve Bank considers a further increase in official interest rates amid warnings the battle to control inflation could drive Australia into a mild recession.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/home-buyers-warned-by-rb…
# Australia, Housing market.The Curious Case of Australia's Rental Crisis
Robert Sobyra (No paywall)How is it possible that during a period where population growth was halved, vacancy rates fell below 1% in virtually every corner of the country? Chaos and confusion continue to reign across Australia’s rental markets. While some families have had to absorb huge rent increases, others have been forced to live out of cars and tents. Explaining this mess has been one of COVID’s great mysteries. (Linkedin)
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/curious-case-australias-rental-cr…
# Australia, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19, Housing market.Government rejection of evacuation plans recommendation ‘strikes at heart’ of purpose of Grenfell Inquiry, lawyers say
Peter Apps Inside Housing (Paywall)Sam Stein QC, appearing on behalf of one group of bereaved family members and survivors of the fire, used part of his closing statement to criticise the recent Home Office proposal not to implement ‘personal emergency evacuation plans’ (PEEPs) for high-rise residents. These plans were recommended in October 2019, after the first phase of the inquiry heard evidence that many of the tower’s disabled occupants were unable to escape the blaze. The fire has since been described as a “landmark act of discrimination” against disabled and vulnerable residents, as it killed 40% of residents with a disability that hindered their ability to evacuate.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/government-rejection-of-eva…
# International, Public and community housing, Disability, Minimum habitability standards.Perth councillor moves for greater power to block new homeless shelters
Peter de Kruijff The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Homelessness services aiming to set up in the City of Perth would need to be reviewed by councillors under a proposed change to the local government’s planning schemes. Councillor Brent Fleeton has submitted a motion to this month’s council meeting that could mean anyone trying to open a community centre, including ones unrelated to homelessness, would face additional scrutiny.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/western-australia/perth-homeless…
# Australia, Homelessness, Local Government, Planning and development.