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
High rents in Victoria's Western District leave families with $80 a fortnight for food
ABC (No paywall)As the community development worker with the Salvation Army, every week Mark Thomas is on the road delivering food hampers throughout Coleraine, Casterton and Hamilton. ... Mr Boulder has heard about the lives of the people that he delivers food hampers to, who have told him the basic costs of living in western Victoria were now simply too high. "The cost of rent has gone up, and fuel prices have hit hard, and food prices have made it worse," Mr Boulder said. "And living costs, food prices are higher in Coleraine. "After paying rent, my clients have got about $80 left to buy food for the fortnight.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-24/families-with-80-dollars-…
# Australia, Rent, Families.Property market continues to cool as clearance rates soften
Sarah Webb Domain (No paywall)The nation’s red-hot property market has finally cooled, with soft auction clearance rates collected across the country for the second week in a row, amid reports buyer inspection numbers also dipped. Despite a strong start to the year in Sydney and Melbourne, both cities have since slid from clearance rates in the 80s to register 68.3 and 67 per cent respectively – with the national average mirroring the downward trend at 68.6 per cent.
https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/property-market-continues-t…
# Australia, Housing market.Sydney and Melbourne house prices running out of puff
Sezen Bakan The New Daily (No paywall)The year is still young, but there are early signs that several Australian capital cities will see a downturn in house prices by the end of 2022.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/property/2022/03/21/house-pri…
# Australia, Housing affordability, Housing market.Own an investment property? It may be time to diversify
Craig Sankey The New Daily (No paywall)Many residential properties have performed very strongly recently, but the following factors need to be considered ... [read on]
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/property/2022/03/20/investmen…
# Australia, Housing market, Landlords and agents.Flipping heck! This house sold for $500,000 more in three months
Tawar Razaghi Domain (No paywall)Economist at the Housing Industry Association Angela Lillicrap said the property type was becoming more popular due to houses becoming less affordable. “Everybody wants a detached house, but at some point they become unaffordable, so a semi-detached house, like a duplex, is the next option,” Ms Lillicrap said.
https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/flipping-heck-this-house-so…
# NSW, Housing market.Inquiry says first home buyers should be able to use super savings as loan security
Nour Haydar ABC (No paywall)First home buyers should be allowed to use their super savings as security for a home loan and states should ditch stamp duty in favour of a land tax, according to a parliamentary inquiry into housing affordability in Australia. Committee chair Jason Falinski disputed the need for the federal government to review a number of tax concessions it offers, saying they were not a major factor contributing to high prices. In a dissenting report, Labor MPs rubbished the committee's findings, saying the inquiry failed to address the structural problems within the housing market. ... The committee also recommended that state and territory governments gradually replace "inefficient" stamp duty, which is paid at the point of sale, with a broad-based land tax which is paid annually.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-18/housing-affordability-inq…
# Australia, Federal Government, Home ownership, Housing affordability, Housing market, Planning and development, Tax.Could rent control help to ease Australia's housing crisis?
Michelle Gately ABC (No paywall)Families are living in tents, caravans, cars, hotels or sleeping rough as Australia's rental crisis continues to worsen. With flooding in Queensland and New South Wales wiping out thousands of homes and rising fuel costs adding to household budget pressures, rental affordability won't change in a hurry. While there's no easy solution, industry experts believe government intervention is needed, but to what extent? One suggestion is rent control, a measure that divides opinion. UNSW researcher Chris Martin believes the right form of regulation is needed in the short-term to improve rental affordability and keep people in their homes. "It's been off the agenda in Australia for far too long and governments have been afraid of it," he said.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-17/could-rent-control-help-t…
# Hot topic Australia, Rent, Housing affordability, Housing market, Landlords and agents.March 2022 News
Shelter NSW (No paywall)In this month's edition:
Reimagining the economics of public housing estate renewal and the role of government - new research
Planning matters - Shelter NSW submissions
Newtown boarding house fire - Residents Hardship Fund established
Healthy Homes For Renters - Better Renting Summer report launch!
Shelter NSW at the AHURI National Housing Conference 2022
WelcomeMat 2.0 – improved online affordable housing portal now open
March 29 is Budget Night – email the Federal Treasurer
National Shelter appoints new CEO - Emma Greenhalgh
https://mailchi.mp/shelternsw/shelter-nsw-march-2022-ebulletin?e…
# NSW, Boarders and lodgers, Public and community housing, Affordable housing, Campaigns and law reform, Estate renewal, Federal Government, Health, Housing market, Planning and development.