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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See notes about the Digest and a list of other contributors here. Many thanks to those contributors for sharing links with us.
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Archive
How we bought our rental from our landlord
Koren Helbig ABC (No paywall)For almost four years, we dreamed of buying our rundown little rental house. Then, just as my partner Carmelo and I had given up and bid on another place, the sale unexpectedly fell into place. (ABC Everyday)
https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/how-we-bought-our-rental-from-ou…
# Australia, Rent, Home ownership, Landlords and agents, Personal stories.The Sydney suburbs expert buyers and sellers have their eyes on
Kate Burke Domain (No paywall)Sydney’s rapidly rising property prices are tipped to slow in 2022, with buyers facing less competition as more homes hit the market. Most buyers have an area in mind for their next purchase, whether guided by proximity to family, friends or good schools, affordability or the best appreciation potential. But with hundreds of suburbs to choose from it can also help to get a little inspiration from further afield.
https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/the-sydney-suburbs-expert-b…
# NSW, Home ownership, Housing market.‘Missed the boat’: Is the dream of a holiday home over?
Tawar Razaghi Domain (No paywall)Average Sydney families still dreaming of snapping up a summer home on the cheap may have “missed the boat”, as staggering figures reveal a dramatic price rise for properties in popular NSW holiday spots.
https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/missed-the-boat-is-the-drea…
# NSW, Housing market, Regional NSW.Home owners hit with rate hikes as bank funding costs rise
Sezen Bakan The New Daily (No paywall)Paying off your mortgage is getting more expensive, with Westpac becoming the latest of 17 banks to hike their fixed rates this year.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/property/2022/01/21/fixed-rat…
# Australia, Home ownership, Housing market.How much it costs to buy a home in Australia’s top holiday spots
Elizabeth Redman Domain (No paywall)Buyers who have the means have been chasing holiday homes or a more permanent move throughout the pandemic, especially in Queensland, amid lockdowns and a shift to working from home. Ultra-low interest rates have supported demand, while a property boom that increased homeowners’ equity enabled plans to move or buy a second home.
https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/how-much-it-costs-to-buy-a-…
# Australia, Coronavirus COVID-19, Housing market.Inner West Council to grant land access to Iglu student accommodation
Dabiel Lo Surdo (No paywall)Inner West Council announced yesterday a proposal to grant an easement over the Darrell Jackson Gardens to the controversial Iglu student accommodation building site in Summer Hill. ... Inner West councillors initially rejected the development application by Iglu Pty Ltd to open its sixth Sydney student accommodation, after concerns were raised that the proposal was “not compatible” with the flood hazard of the land. (City Hub)
https://cityhubsydney.com.au/2022/01/inner-west-council-to-grant…
# NSW, Housing market, Students.January 2022 News
Shelter NSW (No paywall)This is a big year in politics – with a Federal election due by May and several by-elections set for NSW. In both arenas, the issue of ‘housing affordability’ gets a lot of airtime; unfortunately minus the cut-through recognition of the systemic (but reversible) flaws embedded in policy settings. We thank the indefatigable policy thought leaders and academics who take the inconvenient truths about the housing crisis to parliamentary inquiries, forums and the media. Check out the latest housing news from Shelter NSW ...
https://mailchi.mp/shelternsw/shelter-nsw-january-2022-ebulletin…
# NSW, Public and community housing, Rent, Campaigns and law reform, Health, Homelessness, Housing market, Planning and development, State Government.Powerful Free Steam Game Captures The Consequences Of Housing Inequality For People Of Color
Isaiah Colbert (No paywall)Dot’s Home is a 2D point-and-click narrative game where a 20-year-old named Dorothea “Dot” Hawkins is sent back in time through her family lineage thanks to a mysterious key. To return to the present, Dot must sway her family as they make a multitude of crucial housing decisions in the 50s, 90s, 2010, and in 2021. These branching decisions have major implications for her future housing situation, as well. Along the way, Dot discovers how prevailing systems within housing authorities have plagued not only her family but also many BIPOC that live in the U.S. (Kotaku)
https://kotaku.com/powerful-free-steam-game-captures-the-consequ…
# International, Families, Housing market, Race and ethnicity.