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
April 2022 News
Shelter NSW (No paywall)In this month's edition:
Federal Budget 2022/23 – a missed opportunity to invest in the security of low-income Australians
Minister reneges on innovative approach to planning
What’s happening in Western Sydney
Members' Meetings - recap and next meeting
Battle for Waterloo
600 Elizabeth St Redfern – not too late for the Government to get this right
Student Placement Program - Thank you Hussain!
https://mailchi.mp/shelternsw/shelter-nsw-april-2022-ebulletin?e…
# NSW, Public and community housing, Campaigns and law reform, Estate renewal, Federal Government, Planning and development, State Government.Cashed-up Sydney tree-changers send regional rents to record highs
Kate Burke and Melissa Heagney Domain (No paywall)Local tenants are being priced out of some regional NSW communities, with rents soaring by more than 20 per cent over the year in some areas. Steep rental hikes, which began in holiday hotspots and lifestyle locations, have spread across the state, as increased demand from sea and tree changers outstrips housing supply. ... Tenants Union of NSW chief executive Leo Patterson Ross said rapid rent rises were forcing tenants to compromise on the safety and quality of their homes, and pricing locals out of communities. Support services were being inundated with calls for assistance, with 50 per cent of case work now dealing with evictions, particularly no grounds evictions, and many impacted tenants finding they had nowhere they could afford to go in their community. ... More social and affordable rental housing was urgently needed to support those on low incomes being left behind by the private rental market.
https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/cashed-up-sydney-tree-chang…
# TUNSW in the media NSW, Public and community housing, Rent, Affordable housing, Housing market, Regional NSW.More than $3bn of social housing sold by NSW government since Coalition took power
Michael McGowan The Guardian (No paywall)The New South Wales government has sold off $3bn worth of social housing during its decade in power, while failing to meet its own targets for new properties. New figures released through parliament this week show that since it was first elected in 2011, the Coalition has sold off 4,205 social housing properties across the state. The sales have added about $3.5bn to the government’s coffers over the same period.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/16/more-than…
# NSW, Public and community housing, Estate renewal, State Government.NSW government funds housing modules for communities affected by floods in Northern Rivers
Jake Lapham and Emma Rennie ABC (No paywall)Sportsgrounds, showgrounds and crown land will be transformed into "mini-villages" to accommodate thousands of Northern Rivers residents left homeless after the devastating floods. The NSW government will send up to 2,000 modular homes to communities across the Tweed, Byron, Ballina, Richmond Valley and Lismore local government areas. The temporary homes, which will cost a total of $350 million and can house between one to four people, will be supplemented by supporting infrastructure and amenities like toilets. The government expects it will take four weeks to prepare sites, after which community housing providers will take control of their management. The homes could be in place for up to two years while communities rebuild. You may also read Mostafa Rachwani's article entitled: 'Modular homes on way to accommodate New South Wales flood victims' in 'The Guardian' at: [https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/17/modular-homes-on-way-to-accommodate-new-south-wales-flood-victims]
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-17/nsw-government-funds-hous…
# NSW, Homelessness, Housing market, State Government.KEEP 600 ELIZABETH ST 100% PUBLIC
(No paywall)Here's all the speeches from Keep 600 Elizabeth St 100% public housing - BBQ & protest on 2 April 2022.
https://www.facebook.com/actionforpublichousing/videos/234047112…
# Video NSW, Public and community housing, Estate renewal, State Government.Boarding house regulations in Sydney’s inner west under review after fatal Newtown fire
Tamsin Rose The Guardian (No paywall)An urgent review of “totally inadequate” boarding house inspection practices has been launched by the Inner West council following the fatal fire at a property that claimed three lives in Newtown last month. Mayor Darcy Byrne has also written to the New South Wales government to request a joint review of boarding house regulation in a bid to make the last resort housing measures safer and fairer. ... Newtown Neighbourhood Centre advocates for the rights of boarding house residents and most recently worked with emergency services to find housing for the men who lost everything in the Newtown fire. Centre chief executive, Liz Yeo, told Guardian Australia at the time of the blaze that the property was “cramped, crowded” and “in a dilapidated state”. While she wants to see the standard for boarding houses lifted across the board, she has warned against drastic action that does not include a major boost to public housing.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/15/boarding-…
# NSW, Boarders and lodgers, Public and community housing, Repairs, Housing market, Local Government, State Government.Ex-ministers could have shown humility and regret at the Grenfell inquiry. They didn’t
Lucie Heath The Guardian (No paywall)From the United Kingdom ... Despite weeks of evidence about safety deregulation, those who were in charge seem convinced they are above reproach. Over the past two weeks, more than four years after its first hearing, the Grenfell Tower inquiry finally heard from senior government figures responsible for housing and building regulations in the years before the disaster. ... It seems that a moment of self-reflection – or even an accurate account of the tragedy – was too much to ask for from our most senior elected representatives. They insist they are not responsible for decisions leading up to the fire. However, over its investigation, the inquiry has consistently painted a damning picture of the deregulation drive that was a key focus during Cameron’s time as prime minister. The obsession with abolishing red tape saw ministers at that time ignoring warning signs about a growing building safety crisis, and civil servants too disaffected to speak up.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/apr/14/ministers-…
# International, Public and community housing, Housing market, Minimum habitability standards.Make landlords get a licence and punish them for unsafe homes, renters’ unions tell councils
Jon Stone (No paywall)From the United Kingdom ... Councils have been told to stop giving a free pass to landlords renting out dangerous homes – amid mounting evidence they are taking a "soft touch approach". Tenants unions are leading calls to bring in landlord licensing schemes and step up enforcement of existing ones, after it emerged that some local authorities have issued zero fines. 3.2m renters live in dangerous or unhealthy conditions across the country according research by the housing charity Shelter – with broken windows, damp and mould common in Britain's dilapidated rented housing stock. While councils have the power to require licences for people who let out homes and to hold them to a certain standard, many do not use it or do little enforcement. (Independent)
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/landlord-licence-…
# International, Rent, Repairs, Housing market, Local Government, Minimum habitability standards, Mould.