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
Housing unlocked in Cooma, creating blueprint for housing delivery across regional NSW
(No paywall)Families, people in need and local workers in Cooma are set for more housing options with up to 140 housing lots to be developed between the Monaro Highway and Polo Flat Road, thanks to the NSW Government. Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said the Government land will be repurposed with the capacity to deliver more than 200 homes. “The land unlocked in Cooma has the potential to deliver hundreds of dwellings allowing families to enter the housing market, ease local housing stress, keep tradies on the tools on Snowy 2.0, and create new jobs when construction begins on these homes,” Mr Toole said. “The blocks will be a mixture of single dwellings, duplexes, social and affordable housing as well as key worker housing and will serve as a blueprint to unlock more government-owned land across regional NSW to ease housing stress.” (Department of Planning, Industry & Environment)
https://www.dpie.nsw.gov.au/news-and-events/articles/2022/housin…
# NSW, Aboriginal renters, Public and community housing, Affordable housing, Housing market, Regional NSW.Housing fears damaging young people's mental health and affecting life decisions such as whether to have children, research suggests
Shamaan Freeman-Powell (No paywall)From the United Kingdom ... Four out of five young people worried about their future housing prospects say it is having an impact on major life decisions such as having children, according to research. A new report published by Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTV) suggests that bleak housing prospects are damaging young people's mental health and negatively affecting their life choices. For many young people, the idea of owning their own property is a dream - not a reality. (Sky News) You can read the same story in Grainne Cuppe's article entitled '"Bleak" housing prospects damaging young people’s mental health, report says' in 'Inside Housing' at: [https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/bleak-housing-prospects-damaging-young-peoples-mental-health-report-says-74200]
https://news.sky.com/story/housing-fears-damaging-young-peoples-…
# International, Families, Health, Home ownership, Housing market, Young people.Khan calls for register of foreign-owned UK properties to tackle money laundering
Lucie Heath Inside Housing (Paywall)The London mayor is urging the government to set up a register of UK properties owned by companies and individuals that are based overseas, in a bid to tackle international money laundering. ... Many of these properties are also left empty at a time when thousands of Londoners are struggling to find a place to live, Mr Khan added. According to Land Registry data, collated by Transparency International, nearly quarter of a million properties in the UK are registered to overseas buyers, compared with fewer than 88,000 in 2010.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/khan-calls-for-register-of-…
# International, Housing market, Landlords and agents.‘Correction’: The banks are predicting the biggest housing crash in decades. But will they be right?
Matthew Elmas The New Daily (No paywall)There has been a big change in the outlook for house prices in the past week – two of Australia’s major banks are now predicting the biggest crash in decades. After two years of rapidly rising prices, most home owners have gained more wealth from their property than their jobs since COVID-19 started, with house prices skyrocketing more than 25 per cent in 2021 alone. But Commonwealth Bank and National Australia Bank now argue this record-shattering run is about to unravel into the biggest housing crash of our generation. Economists at both banks are predicting a 10 per cent fall in house prices next year, on the back of an expected interest rate hike by the Reserve Bank.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/property/2022/02/09/banks-hou…
# Australia, Coronavirus COVID-19, Housing market.Research reveals rental trends
Amy hall SBS (No paywall)New research led by the University of Adelaide is providing the first real insight into who rents in Australia, why they rent, and what condition the properties they rent are in. It’s hoped that the Australian Rental Housing Conditions Dataset can help in the fight to improve conditions for tenants. ... Leo Patterson Ross says it’s clear that the minimum standards for who can rent out a property and the condition that it’s leased in need to be lifted across the country.
https://www.sbs.com.au/language/english/audio/research-reveals-r…
# TUNSW in the media, Audio Australia, Rent, Minimum habitability standards.Should you hide the bump? What to consider when buying a home
Emily Stewart ABC (No paywall)Applying for a home loan can be daunting at the best of times. But when you throw pregnancy and parental leave into the mix, getting the loan you want can seem even more unattainable. That was the case for ABC journalist Ashlynne McGhee – who recently had her pre-approval withdrawn when the bank found out she was on maternity leave. So, here's the lowdown on what your rights are and what can help you get approved.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-10/home-loan-bank-pregnancy-…
# Australia, Discrimination, Home ownership, Women.A new browser extension helps Australian house hunters check NBN availability
Zac Crellion The New Daily (No paywall)Ever found yourself eyeing up an online property listing and asked yourself whether the place has access to the NBN? Perhaps you work from home and don’t want your voice to become a garbled mess midway through an important Zoom meeting if you move in. Well, there’s a browser extension for that.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/property/2022/02/09/real-esta…
# Australia, Utilities electricity water gas, Housing market.Australians install record amounts of rooftop solar despite lockdown, supply chain pressures
Daniel Mercer ABC (No paywall)Border lockdowns and supply chain disruptions caused by COVID-19 have failed to slow the huge uptake of rooftop solar in Australia, with householders installing record amounts of new capacity last year.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2022-02-08/record-amounts-of-r…
# Australia, Utilities electricity water gas, Housing market.