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
Coalition unveils policy to encourage older Australians to move into smaller homes
Tom Lowrey ABC (No paywall)Pensioners, self-funded retirees and working older Australians are being offered new financial incentives to sell their family home earlier and downsize to something smaller. ... The Prime Minister will use today's Liberal campaign launch in Brisbane to unveil the new policy, aimed at freeing up larger homes in the property market for younger families. The policy has two key planks — the first is an extension of an existing tax break allowing up to $300,000 from the sale of a family home to be placed into superannuation without a penalty. The second is another tweak encouraging pensioners to sell by exempting the proceeds of the sale from the assets test for two years instead of one. ... Federal Labor has promised to match the policy, with Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese describing it as a "modest" policy. "This suggestion by the government is a practical one," Mr Albanese said. Also, read Paul Karp's article entitled: 'Coalition announces $300,000 super concession for over-55s who sell home' in The Guardian at: [https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/may/15/australian-federal-election-2022-scott-morrison-anthony-albanese-coalition-liberal-party-superannuation-housing-campaign-launch]
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-15/coalition-offers-incentiv…
# Australia, Federal Government, Home ownership, Housing market, Older people.After 10 years of Airbnb and short-stay rentals, is Australia ready for regulation?
Lucy MacDonald ABC (No paywall)Experts — using figures from independent advocacy and data group InsideAirbnb — say for every vacant rental, there are about 30 short-stay rentals available on Airbnb. "Non-metropolitan Australia has … always had tight rental markets," urban planner and policy analyst Nicole Gurran said. "Even a small increase — and we've seen a significant increase — in demand for housing associated with the short-term tourism market is going to exacerbate those tight rental vacancy rates." ... An Oxford Economics report found Airbnb contributed more than $10 billion to Australia's economy in 2019. But a 2019 report by America's Economic Policy Institute found that Airbnb's economic benefits were outweighed by the cost to renters. Then in 2020, global tourism ground to a halt. "COVID really showed there's a connection between the short-term rental market and rents all across Australia, and indeed across the world." [Housing researcher, Professor Peter Phibbs said the evidence was clear: "You cannot have an unregulated short-term accommodation industry and a healthy long-term rental market. Those two things just can't co-exist."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-15/short-stay-rentals-airbnb…
# Australia, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19, Housing market, International, Short-term holiday letting.The geometric beauty of Singapore’s social housing tables – in pictures
Sammy Gecsoyler and Jonathan Tan (Photographer) The Guardian (No paywall)Despite living in social housing all his life, Singapore-based photography hobbyist Jonathan Tan never took much notice of the geometric wonders in front of him. Then, for his 2020 project Lepak Downstairs, he used an iPhone and a selfie stick to capture the old, tiled concrete stools and tables found throughout Singapore’s housing estates. "Singaporeans are so used to these sights and we start taking them for granted, but it’s nice to see people appreciating everyday spots again,” he says. Almost 80% of Singapore residents live in public housing, which has instilled an expectation of quality shared spaces. “Singaporeans have a broader concept of what constitutes home. Beyond the four walls of our apartment, home is the neighbourhood, which includes our parks, exercise corners and communal spaces.”
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2022/may/14/the…
# History International, Public and community housing.Why is no-one talking about Aboriginal community housing in this election?
Aaron Fernandes and Kearyn Cox SBS (No paywall)At sixty-six years of age, Dulcie Nanala has lived virtually her entire life in the same house. There are mattresses sprawled through every room. Four generations of her family live here too, including her mother, who sleeps in the dining room. “My mother, my son and daughter and a partner, and two grandkids. Plus another son. Eight people,” she tells SBS News. ... Making the situation worse, the community is going through an outbreak of COVID-19, with most of the 450 residents needing to isolate at home in recent weeks. ... Australia hasn’t had a national strategy to address overcrowding in remote Aboriginal communities since 2018, when the last one was discontinued by the Liberal government under Malcolm Turnbull. ... Reducing overcrowding in remote Aboriginal communities used to be jointly funded by the federal and state governments, under a 10-year, $5.5bn program called the National Partnership Agreement on Remote Indigenous Housing agreed to by the Council of Australian Governments in 2008.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/why-is-no-one-talking-about-…
# Australia, Aboriginal renters, Public and community housing, Coronavirus COVID-19, Federal Government, Health, Minimum habitability standards.Cost of living: 'Rent rises mean I want my landlord to evict me'
Will Fyfe BBC (No paywall)The Welsh government said it will consult on proposals for rent controls for private lettings, to ensure they are "affordable". "We believe everyone has the right to a good quality, affordable home and that local people should be able to achieve this in their local area," said the Welsh government. "We will be consulting widely to produce a White Paper, which will include proposals for a right to adequate housing with a view to establishing a system of fair rents (rent control) in the private rental market which are affordable for local people and new approaches to making homes affordable for those on local incomes." [Meanwhile] Money is so tight for Amy Jones that she asked her private landlord to evict her and her son so she can be considered for social housing. The 29-year-old will risk homelessness after cutting back on food and heating to pay the deficit between her universal credit allowance and rent.
# New policy announcement International, Eviction, Public and community housing, Rent, Utilities electricity water gas, Housing affordability, Housing market.As Landlords Intensify Tenant Background Checks, Some Lawmakers Want New Limits On Screening
David Wagner (No paywall)In response to California’s broad protections for those unable to pay rent during the pandemic, landlords have intensified their screening of new tenants. It’s now common for L.A. landlords to demand that applicants show months of paystubs verifying high incomes, proof of timely rent payments during the pandemic and excellent credit scores. ... Arguing that the city has a duty to promote fair access to housing, three city council members have put forward a motion seeking to ban landlords from screening tenants based on credit scores, eviction records, applications for rent relief and failure to pay rent during the pandemic. The proposal would also prohibit the use of algorithmic screening tools.
https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/los-angeles-la-rente…
# International, Privacy and access, Rent, Landlords and agents, Personal stories.What happens to rents after an RBA cash rate rise?
Aaron Bell (No paywall)There's plenty of talk about what interest rate rises mean for homeowners and mortgages, but what about renters? ... Leo Patterson Ross, Chief Executive Officer of The Tenants’ Union of NSW, said rents are rising at unprecedented levels, with very low vacancy rates, however the RBA cash rate rise won’t necessarily impact rent prices. “Interest rate rises won't affect prices because prices are set by the supply and demand - both the amount of housing and the matching of size, location and amenity,” he said. "Many people have been misled to think that prices are set by landlord's costs but this isn't true." ... Mr Patterson Ross reinforced the need to address supply for renters. “Providing sufficient public and community housing to meet the gap where the private market is not, and by resetting our housing policy so that it is about ensuring homes for the community first, and investment is a mechanism to achieve that goal, not a goal in and of itself with any homes a lucky by-product. This will be achieved through changes to taxation, planning and regulatory changes." (savings.com.au)
https://www.savings.com.au/news/rba-cash-rate-rise-and-the-impac…
# TUNSW in the media Australia, Public and community housing, Rent, Housing market, Landlords and agents, Planning and development, Tax.The $741m Resilient Homes Fund is designed to help home owners affected by flooding. Who is eligible and how does it work?
Alex Brewster ABC (No paywall)Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles has deemed the new state and federally funded flood assistance package the "largest household resilience program" in Australian history. Tagged the Resilient Homes Fund, those affected by the flooding throughout Queensland can apply now for part of the $741 million on offer. The fund allows Queenslanders whose homes were damaged by floods to access grants to raise, repair, retrofit, or have their home voluntarily bought back. Also, check out Lucy Loram's article at: [https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-13/maryborough-flood-residents-eligible-for-buy-back-scheme/101047534].
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-13/resilient-homes-fund-expl…
# Australia, Housing market.