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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
$400 million to empower Aboriginal communities and deliver outcomes
NSW Government Media Release (No paywall)The NSW Government has announced $401 million in additional funding over four years in the 2022-23 Budget, to prioritise Closing the Gap and other projects that improve outcomes for Aboriginal people across the state. ... [Premier Dominic Perrottet said:] “These initiatives span areas like improving cancer care pathways for Aboriginal people, boosting the Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation sector to support empowerment, and support for Aboriginal community housing providers.”
https://www.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/400-million-to-empower-abo…
# NSW, Aboriginal renters, Public and community housing, Health, Race and ethnicity.A merry-go-round of buck-passing’: inside the four-year Grenfell inquiry
Robert Booth The Guardian (No paywall)Five years after the fire that killed 72, the inquiry is nearing a close. Over 300 days of evidence, what have we learned about the failings that led to disaster? Also, read Lucie heath's article entitled: 'The Grenfell inquiry revealed shocking failures – five years on, they are far from fixed' in 'The Guardian' at: [https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jun/14/grenfell-inquiry-five-years-72-lives-change]
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jun/14/a-merry-go-round…
# International, Public and community housing, Asbestos, lead, hazardous materials, Minimum habitability standards.Thousands still waiting for rental relief after floods destroyed paperwork
Tom Rabe The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Less than 10 per cent of a $250 million rental support fund has been distributed to NSW flood victims months after the natural disaster swept through the state’s north. A parliamentary inquiry into the deadly February flooding disaster heard more than 3000 people are still waiting for the rental support payment despite the program set to end in less than two weeks. Opposition environment spokeswoman Penny Sharpe said many flood victims were unable to produce key documentation required to access the government cash because their possessions were swept away by floodwaters.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/thousands-still-waiting-for-…
# NSW, Rent, State Government.Twenty-five years after The Castle the Australian dream is well and truly dead
Gareth Bryant The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Twenty-five years ago, a low-budget film shot in less than a fortnight captured the hearts and imaginations of Australia. With its sympathetic portrayal of suburban family life, a classic David v Goliath narrative of justice prevailing over corporate greed, and plenty of ever-quotable one-liners, The Castle has maintained a timeless “vibe”. In 2010, the film was voted as the best expression of Australian identity, which makes sense when you consider The Castle is a love letter to the Australian dream of home ownership. ... Two years after the release of The Castle, the Howard government established Australia’s pro-property investor tax regime, which helped lock future Darryls and Sals out of home ownership. The introduction of a 50 per cent discount on capital gains tax combined with negative gearing to supercharge Australian house prices.
https://www.smh.com.au/culture/movies/twenty-five-years-after-th…
# Australia, History, Home ownership, Tax.What tenants can do if their landlord hikes the rent
Kate Burke Domain (No paywall)Renters are spending more money to keep a roof over their head, with strong competition for fewer available homes pushing prices to new heights. Tenants are increasingly facing rental hikes both during and between leases, with rents at record highs in many regions and vacancy rates at crisis-level lows. Add rising mortgage rates for landlords and reopened borders into the mix, and there are fears they could be set to rise further. “People are facing rent increases at a magnitude that we have not been seeing before,” says Joel Dignam, executive director of tenant advocacy group Better Renting. ... Tenants should research rental prices for similar properties in their area, says Tenants’ Union of NSW chief executive Leo Patterson Ross. While market rents are rising fast, some landlords’ price hopes are rising faster, he says.
https://www.smh.com.au/property/living/what-tenants-can-do-if-th…
# TUNSW in the media Australia, Rent, Housing market, Landlords and agents.Perth council headed to tribunal after homeless centre rejection
Peter de Kruijff The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)A planning decision by the City of Perth’s council to reject the relocation of an existing drop-in centre for people experiencing homelessness to a site 200 metres around the corner is going to the State Administrative Tribunal.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/western-australia/homeless-servi…
# Australia, Tribunal NCAT, Homelessness, Planning and development.Council takes owner of gutted Sydney boarding house to court over concerns for safety of passersby
Tamsin Rose The Guardian (No paywall)The owner of a Sydney boarding house where three people died in a blaze is being taken to court by the local council after allegedly failing to make the gutted property – currently listed for sale – safe for passersby. The Newtown block was recently put on the market, amid calls for a portion of the sale to go to the residents who survived the blaze and an overhaul of the regulatory system overseeing properties of its type. The Probert Street building was reportedly showing signs of structural failure after the March inferno, prompting the council to issue an emergency order to owner Albert Wong to put in place safety measures. Despite issuing a short extension to account for bad weather, the Inner West council claimed Wong had not complied with the orders, and said it had been forced to step in and do the work itself. ... Shelter NSW’s chief executive, John Engeler, said it would be good to see a portion of the sale of the property go to the residents who survived the fire and were displaced. “It demonstrates good faith and demonstrates what’s gone on here – it’s a bigger issue than a pure legal narrow framework,” Engeler said. “That would send the right message.”
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/jun/13/council-t…
# NSW, Boarders and lodgers, Local Government.Calls for more social housing as homeless youth cycle through system up to 10 times
Rosanne Maloney ABC (No paywall)Nahla Dichak was 15 years old when family breakdown left her homeless and scrambling to find her next place to sleep. For two years she couch surfed with distant family and friends around Melbourne, sometimes sleeping at McDonalds or outside youth homelessness services.
"It was just traumatising," she said.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-14/calls-for-more-social-hou…
# Australia, Public and community housing, Homelessness, Young people.