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
Glasgow man 'hasn't switched on heating for two years' after high flats refurbishment
Craig Williams (No paywall)Three of Glasgow’s best known high rise blocks have attracted international praise for their improved environmental performance. ... The project’s success attracted international attention through COP26, with more than 20 organisations from Belgium visiting to see how their environmental performance had been improved and what lessons could be learned. ... [Widower George McGavigan, 62] said: “The refurbishment has really improved the place. I haven’t switched on my heating for two years as there is just no need. It has had a huge impact on bills. I used to have mould in the bathroom and that’s gone. There is a constant air flow and it feels healthy and comfortable. It’s a great place to live.”
https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/glasgow-man-hasn…
# International, Public and community housing, Utilities electricity water gas, Climate change, Fixtures - lights, aircon etc.Greens councillor wants wealthiest eastern suburbs home owners to pay higher rates
Andrew Taylor The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)A Greens councillor in Sydney’s affluent eastern suburbs is pushing to raise the amount paid in rates by its wealthiest homeowners, with claims cheaper properties have been subsidising mansions.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/greens-councillor-wants-wealthie…
# NSW, Housing market, Tax.Mayor orders New York’s homeless camps dismantled ‘within two weeks’
Edward Helmore The Guardian (No paywall)New York mayor Eric Adams has ordered that every homeless encampment in the city should be taken down within two weeks, arguing that the situation is not only dangerous to those living there but to the city itself. “We’re going to rid the encampments off our street and we’re going to place people in healthy living conditions with wraparound services,” Adams said Friday, though he provided few details on exactly how that extra provision would be provided for them.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/mar/26/new-york-mayor-h…
# International, Homelessness.‘NIMBYism at its worst’: Developers slam council plan to help residents fight proposals
Andrew Taylor The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Rising anger over apartment towers has prompted an eastern suburbs council to employ an advocate to help residents write submissions to try to block building proposals, amid ongoing concern about overdevelopment. Waverley mayor Paula Masselos said apartment towers were being built that are “higher and fatter than our planning rules instruments”, especially in Bondi Junction.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nimbyism-at-its-worst-developers…
# NSW, Strata, Housing market, Local Government, Planning and development.Property worth $25b at risk from coastal erosion
Elizabeth Redman Domain (No paywall)Twenty-five billion dollars worth of residential property is at risk of increasing storm surges and coastal erosion, new research shows. Coastal property is more at risk than ever, after significant development in popular beach towns over the past 30 years and a rise in beachside property values, CoreLogic’s Coastal Risk Scores for Financial Risk Assessment report, released on Monday, found. Also, read Sezen Bakan's article entitled: 'Storm surges and erosion pose risk to $25 billion of property: CoreLogic' in 'The New Daily' at: [https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/property/2022/03/28/coastal-risks-house-prices/]
https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/property-worth-25b-at-risk-…
# Australia, Housing market, Planning and development.Property developers fight NSW bid to make houses more energy-efficient and climate-resilient
Peter Hannam The Guardian (No paywall)Property developers in New South Wales are fighting against the introduction of a wide-ranging planning policy aimed at ensuring houses are more energy-efficient and climate-resilient, which one environment group described as “everything you could ever dream about”. Public comment closed last month on the draft Design and Place state environmental planning policy, hailed late last year by the then planning minister Rob Stokes as “NSW’s first comprehensive design policy”. It would offer “an important opportunity to reshape the look and feel of the places we live in”. ... However, Stokes was demoted soon after he released its draft and replaced by Anthony Roberts as the new planning and housing minister. Roberts’ office declined to provide a comment on the minister’s stance but it is understood he is not a supporter.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/mar/28/property-…
# NSW, Utilities electricity water gas, Climate change, Housing market, Landlords and agents, Minimum habitability standards, Planning and development.Liberal MP’s ‘clumsy’ public housing comments expose Coalition’s broader view
Kate Shaw and Abdullahi Jama The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Victorian Liberal spokeswoman for housing Wendy Lovell’s comments this week that public housing should not be built “in the best street in Brighton” have provoked a furore. Her claim that “the children cannot mix with others” is especially alarming when you consider her oversight of the redevelopment of inner-city public housing estates, which builds private residences on public land.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/victoria/liberal-mp-s-clumsy-pub…
# Australia, Public and community housing, Planning and development, State Government.Expect rising rates on your home loan, but there are savings to be had
Jessica Irvine The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)No doubt you’ve heard the news that the next official move in interest rates will be up. It’s no longer a matter of if, but simply when this will happen. It’s entirely plausible it could happen this year. In fact, that’s what most economists expect.
https://www.smh.com.au/money/borrowing/expect-rising-rates-on-yo…
# Australia, Home ownership, Housing market.