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
Developers keen to tap plan for 30,000 new social, affordable homes
Michael Bleby (Paywall)Developers see the chance to profit from Labor’s plan to develop 30,000 new social and affordable homes even as the community housing sector warns against giving them any tax breaks to do so. On the day Julie Collins was sworn into cabinet as the country’s new Housing, Homelessness and Small Business Minister, Mirvac, Stockland and Lendlease all said they looked forward to supporting the new government’s plan to boost the stock of housing for lower-income Australians. (Australian Financial Review)
https://www.afr.com/property/commercial/developers-keen-to-tap-p…
# Australia, Affordable housing, Federal Government.Trauma and homelessness – how services need to change
Lauren Crosby Medlicott Inside Housing (Paywall)From the United Kingdom ... If you’re homeless, accessing support and housing can be difficult, even traumatising. But two new approaches aim to change that, by training staff to better understand what service users have been through.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/insight/insight/trauma-and-homel…
# International, Homelessness.Few positives to negative gearing for first-timers
Jimmy Thomson (No paywall)For all the talk of housing affordability at the recent election there was one obvious subject that barely rated a mention. But now that the dust has settled on the Federal election, home owners, property investors and those who wish to join their ranks must be wondering what the new government is going to do about housing affordability. ... Of course, the elephant in every overpriced room is negative gearing which has become an albatross around various governments’ necks. (Flat Chat)
# Australia, Federal Government, Housing affordability, Housing market, Landlords and agents, Tax.Caravan parks at full capacity as vulnerable Aussies seek refuge
A Current Affair 9 News (No paywall)Penny Carr, Tenants Queensland: 'We will see it get worse before it gets better'.
https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/videos/latest/caravan-…
# Australia, Domestic violence, Land lease communities, Rent, Homelessness, Landlords and agents.‘Fixing the aged care crisis’ won’t be easy, with just 5% of nursing homes above next year’s mandatory staffing targets
Nicole Sutton and Nelson Ma The Conversation (No paywall)In his election victory speech, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged to “fix the crisis in aged care”. One of the biggest challenges facing incoming aged care ministers Mark Butler and Anika Wells is addressing widespread staffing shortages. But our latest research shows a mammoth effort will be needed to increase staffing across the sector. Only a fraction of aged care homes currently have staffing levels above new minimum ratios that will be mandatory from October next year.
https://theconversation.com/fixing-the-aged-care-crisis-wont-be-…
# Australia, Housing market, Older people.Social Housing Regulation Bill: landlords to be subject to ‘Ofsted-style’ inspections under new law
Jack Simpson Inside Housing (Paywall)From the United Kingdom ... Underperforming social landlords could face ‘Ofsted-style’ inspections under a raft of new laws brought in under the much-anticipated Social Housing Regulation Bill. Under the new bill, which will be published today, the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) will be given stronger powers to regularly inspect landlords on things such as health and safety and repairs performance. ... If the RSH finds that the standard of the home is putting tenants lives at risk, it will be able to order emergency repairs, with landlords footing the bill. Unlimited fines will be levied at housing associations and councils that are found to be persistently under performing, while the government will set about on a programme of naming and shaming the worst culprits.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/social-housing-regulation-b…
# International, Public and community housing, Repairs.VERTO tenancy advocate awarded for industry excellence
(No paywall)Albury’s Rebecca Bryant has scooped the pool at the Tenants’ Union TAAS (Tenancy Advice and Advocacy Service) Conference Awards held in Katoomba this month. Ms Bryant received the People’s Choice and Smooth Operator Awards for her outstanding work as a Tenancy Advocate for not-for-profit training and employment services provider, VERTO.
https://www.verto.org.au/news/815-verto-tenancy-advocate-awarded…
# NSW, Tenants Advice and Advocacy Services.Noosa workers staying in hostels as tourists return to Sunshine Coast
Owen Jacques ABC (No paywall)Tourism industry workers in Noosa are sharing eight-bed rooms in hostels, as restaurants, cafes and hotels in the resort town fill with visitors. Sarah Brown, 20, moved to the east coast from Western Australia and has been staying at the Nomads Noosa backpackers for two months while working a cafe job on popular Hastings Street. She shares her room with seven other women, and hangs up towels around her bunk bed for privacy. Ms Brown enjoys her work and the town, and would be willing to move into a share house with others from the hostel if it were an option. "There's nothing," she said, referring to the availability of rental properties. "Everything's either too far away or too expensive.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-07/backpacker-noosa-accommod…
# Australia, Boarders and lodgers, Rent, Housing market, Work, employment.