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.
Our main email newsletter, Tenant News is sent once every two months. You can subscribe or update your subscription preferences for any of our email newsletters here.
See notes about the Digest and a list of other contributors here. Many thanks to those contributors for sharing links with us.
We love sharing the news and hope you find it informative! We're very happy to deliver it for free, but if you find it valuable, can you help cover the extra costs incurred by making a donation?
Archive
Revealed: the rise in housing disrepair claims
Grainne Cuffe Inside Housing (Paywall)From the United Kingdom ... “My little boy is still sharing a room with me – he’s 10 years old and has never had his own room because his is smothered with damp and rot,” says Mary, a Lambeth Council tenant. She has lived on the Leigham Court Estate for two decades. During that time she has suffered with leaks, damp, mould and cracks in the walls. The cost of keeping warm in winter has put her up to £3,000 in debt. Despite many requests for repairs, nothing was done. Two years ago, feeling she had no other option, Mary went to Citizens Advice. She met a solicitor and with his help brought a legal disrepair claim against Lambeth. The council agreed to settle and pay £10,000 in compensation. But Mary’s problems remain. In fact, she has so far refused to take the money because so many issues with her home remain outstanding. “I feel like if I take it, they might not do it,” she tells Inside Housing. “I wish – and this is the God’s honest truth – that they had used that money to fix this house.” ... New figures gathered by Inside Housing show how housing disrepair claims against social landlords have been rising over the past few years. Grainne Cuffe reveals a breakdown of the figures, why claims are on the rise and what can be done to halt this concerning trend.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/insight/insight/revealed-the-ris…
# Must read International, Public and community housing, Repairs, Local Government.At least 560 homes sit empty in Launceston and Hobart for three years, prompting call for vacant property tax
Adam Holmes (No paywall)The 'Illawarra Mercury' picks up on this story reported in the 'Housing News Digest' on 21 February 2022.
https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/7625641/the-two-cities…
# Australia, Rent, Utilities electricity water gas, Homelessness, Housing market, Landlords and agents, Tax.Rent Assistance and retirees
Daniel Herborn (No paywall)Is an increase in Rent Assistance the answer for retirees who don't own their homes? ... When CHOICE surveyed Australians about retirement, one recurring theme was that many who don't own their own homes were doing it tough. Geraldine, a retiree who rents, said she relies on public transport being free of charge at certain times, given her income level. "I most certainly cannot afford to own and run a car, and it takes me two hours to travel to my son's house," she said. ... Housing for the Aged Action Group (HAAG) works with Australians aged over 50 who are facing homelessness and housing distress. Fiona York, the group's executive officer, says they're seeing more and more people facing poverty. "We're seeing a lot of older people who are in high degrees of housing distress, paying between 70% and 100% of their income on their rent," she says. "They're basically one cheque away from being evicted." ... The Retirement Income Review made clear that Rent Assistance is too low, but experts say the review didn't go far enough in exploring possible solutions. "Although Commonwealth Rent Assistance provides additional support to retiree renters, it is far below the level that would bridge the gap in their living standards compared to home owners," the review says. ... Ben Phillips, an associate professor at ANU's Centre for Social Research and Methods, says: "In terms of 'bang for your buck', increasing Rent Assistance would be quite a sensible approach and will decrease the depth of poverty even where it doesn't shift a person out of poverty." ... Rent Assistance just part of the solution. Increasing Rent Assistance would undoubtedly help renting retirees. But there are broader issues too, such as the lack of suitable housing for older Australians and the barriers to buying a home. [Read on] (Choice)
https://www.choice.com.au/money/financial-planning-and-investing…
# Australia, Rent, Federal Government, Housing market, Older people.‘It was an agreement’: Daniel Andrews’ affordable housing plans bulldozed by peak property group
Benita Kolovos The Guardian (No paywall)It was launched with great fanfare as a “generational reform” that would fund 1,700 new social and affordable homes in Victoria each year. But just five days later, the Victorian government’s proposed social housing levy on developers is in doubt, with the premier accusing the building and property sectors of reneging on a deal to allow them to make “super profits” in exchange for paying the contribution. The levy, announced on Friday, would see all newly built developments with three or more dwellings or lot subdivisions forced to hand over 1.75% of the expected project value to a social housing growth fund from July 2024.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/feb/23/it-was-an…
# New policy announcement Australia, Public and community housing, Housing affordability, Housing market, State Government.One-third of Canadian seniors who rent or pay a mortgage are struggling to pay their bills
Alex Bierman and Yeonjung Lee The Conversation (No paywall)From Canada ... Seniors are being forced out of their homes due to rent increases. They’re having trouble finding new, affordable accommodations. And the rent for senior housing can be more than a pension pays. Our recent survey shows that these aren’t isolated incidents. Many Canadian seniors who rent or pay a mortgage are having trouble making ends meet. ... Many seniors are struggling to pay bills. Over a third of older adults who rent or pay a mortgage reported trouble paying bills, while only about 12 per cent of outright homeowners struggled with their bills. And they’re not just struggling with rent and mortgage. Seniors are also having trouble affording basic necessities, like food. We asked people about eating less than they thought they should because of a lack of money — over one-quarter of renters and almost one-fifth of people paying mortgages reported having eaten less. Meanwhile, less than 10 per cent of Canadian homeowners also reported cutting back on food.
https://theconversation.com/one-third-of-canadian-seniors-who-re…
# Research alert International, Rent, Families, Housing affordability, Housing market, Older people.Rental housing standards key to healthy cities in heatwaves
Joel Dignam (No paywall)Brisbane renter Kate Fox has moved six times in three years, always on the hunt for a habitable and healthy home. Her search intensified when she spent the 2020 summer visiting Royal Brisbane Hospital. First, for asthma attacks, as bushfire smoke filled her drafty rental apartment. Then for dehydration, as her unit reached 40 degrees Celsius inside during the heatwaves that followed. When she developed autoimmune conditions from heavy air pollution entering the vents, it was a wake-up call. (Westender)
https://westender.com.au/rental-housing-standards-key-to-healthy…
# Australia, Rent, Climate change, Health, Housing market, Minimum habitability standards.Welcome to Bellingen, where rents have almost doubled in a year
Ella Archibald-Binge ABC (No paywall)t's easy to see why people are drawn to the Bellingen Shire. Conveniently nestled midway between Sydney and Brisbane on Gumbaynggirr country, the picturesque pocket boasts a rare combination of sweeping mountains, pristine rivers and sparkling beaches. ... But the region's beauty and laid-back vibe have become a double-edged sword. With more people working from home during the pandemic, the area has become a magnet for wealthy tree-changers from cities and nearby towns like Byron Bay. In Bellingen itself, weekly rents have jumped a staggering 41 per cent in a year. On any given day, there are no rentals available. ... [Bellingen local Kerry Pearse, herself a tree-changer] chairs the local Housing Matters Action Group, formed in 2017 to drive innovative solutions to the regional housing crisis — a longstanding issue that has only been compounded in recent years. "We're trying to find ways to bring new people in, but in a way that means we retain our cohesiveness rather than a real us and them thing," she said.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-24/bellingen-rents-have-doub…
# NSW, Public and community housing, Rent, Housing affordability, Regional NSW.Challenges and opportunities for the private rented sector: An assessment of the private rented sector and its role in meeting housing need in the UK
Capital Economics (No paywall)From the United Kingdom ... Capital Economics has been commissioned by the National Residential Landlords Association to research and report upon the potential impacts of a range of government policies on private rented sector supply and government revenues
# International, Rent, Housing market.