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
Rental crisis: Affordable housing expected to be a key issue in Federal election
Melissa Clark ABC (No paywall)There are currently no short-term supports in place to help people find a rental home.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-15/affordable-housing-expect…
# Video Australia, Rent, Federal Government, Housing affordability, Housing market.The Sydney suburbs where rents have risen, and fallen, most in a year
Tawar Razaghi Domain (No paywall)Sydneysiders are paying more to rent a house in nine out of 10 suburbs than they were a year ago, as new figures reveal some locations have spiked more than 40 per cent. Houses in Elanora Heights had the largest jump of 45.7 per cent – or $400 – in the year to March 2022, reaching $1275 a week. Double Bay, which rose 41.8 per cent to $2000 and North Manly (41.2 per cent) were second and third respectively, while Vaucluse and Malabar rose more than 36 per cent each. Only 26 suburbs saw a decrease in house rents. ... The Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) CEO, Dr Cassandra Goldie, said people on lower incomes were being priced out of major cities and some regional areas. “Those relying on income support payments and unable to access social housing, have few housing choices and are often forced to live in situations that are unsuitable, unsafe, inaccessible or isolated from services and jobs,” she said. “Rent assistance is just $73 a week for a single person and hasn’t been increased in real terms in over 20 years."
https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/the-sydney-suburbs-where-re…
# NSW, Rent, Housing affordability, Housing market.Short-term support for renters lacking in campaign pledges so far
ABC (No paywall)The Coalition and Labor are promising to address the housing supply problem, but while there's immediate help for first home buyers, for renters there are long-term promises, but no short-term support to help people find a place to call home. (ABC News)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlQlgAxNwT0&ab_channel=ABCNews%2…
# Video Australia, Rent, Federal Government, Housing affordability, Housing market.Aussie industry where bullying, assault and mental health issues are rife
Sarah Sharples news.com.au (Paywall)The real estate world is now classified as high risk after the Victorian Coroner's office found that the annual suicide rate within the industry was 13 per 100,000 people.
https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/at-work/aussie-industry-whe…
# Australia, Health, Landlords and agents, Work, employment.Rent crisis sweeping across our suburbs sending costs soaring
Gemma Acton (No paywall)Rents have soared for houses and units across Australia, with price hikes in some capital cities of more than 20%. The main reason is a record low number of available properties. A crisis that experts predict will only get worse. (7 News)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca397as5NYM&ab_channel=7NEWSAust…
# TUNSW in the media, Video Australia, Rent, Housing market.Should I stay or should I go?
Geoff Thompson ABC (No paywall)After two major floods in little more than a month, Lismore is facing an existential crisis. Should residents stay or go — and where?
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-17/after-lismore-floods-nort…
# NSW, Housing market, Minimum habitability standards, Personal stories, Planning and development.Pensioner says he has nowhere to go after developer buys up Queensland homes to make way for apartments
Eden Gillespie The Guardian (No paywall)Sandwiched between high-rise blocks stands a nearly 100-year-old Queenslander that has served as a pensioner’s home for the past decade. Now, the 65-year-old is being evicted by a developer to make way for yet another tower. “I’ve lived there for 10 years, it’s become home,” Bernie Maloney says. “It’s disappointing to get tossed around.” ... In January, property developer Goldfields Group bought Maloney’s home and three of the other remaining Queenslanders on the street. ... He’s also won the support of the Brisbane Renters Alliance, who have launched a civil disobedience campaign to resist forced evictions. “We are now living through a housing crisis. 10,000 Brisbanites are homeless, over 50,000 Queenslanders are on the public housing waiting list [and] over 15,500 Queensland children are victims of housing stress,” a spokesperson from the Brisbane Renters Alliance said.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/17/pensioner…
# Australia, Eviction, Homelessness, Housing market, Landlords and agents.Public housing revamp to squeeze North Richmond estate
Rachel Eddie The Age (Paywall)The public housing estate in North Richmond will be redeveloped to squeeze another 800 homes on the site, potentially doubling the population in one of Melbourne’s most densely populated estates. Leaked briefing notes seen by The Age show the Andrews government plans to add the social and affordable homes while improving services and safety at the site, which surrounds Victoria’s first safe injecting room, as part of its $5.3 billion Big Housing Build.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/public-housing-revam…
# Australia, Public and community housing, Affordable housing, Estate renewal.