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
A year of crisis and resilience
Tenants' Union of NSW (No paywall)No matter what challenges this year has thrown at us, the team at the Tenants’ Union of NSW remained focused on helping people in some of the toughest moments of their lives – many who faced the risk of losing their home in the middle of the ongoing health and economic crisis. Like renters across NSW, our staff have shown incredible resilience in the face of crisis, delivering services and information online and at-home when people really needed them. The actions and impacts we have had this year are too many to mention, but our Annual Report covers the highlights ...
https://us3.campaign-archive.com/?u=29c79d2825cb376b3f0b06385&id…
# NSW, Rent, Campaigns and law reform.Australia's housing affordability crisis is an even bigger challenge for young people with a disability
Emily I'Ons ABC (No paywall)It's no secret that the costs of purchasing a home have increased rapidly, particularly in the past year. Recently described by NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet as one of the biggest challenges in a generation, many young people and first home buyers are finding themselves unable to break into a rising market, a problem being exacerbated by stagnate wages and increasing costs of living. For young people with a disability, however, purchasing a home can be an even greater financial challenge, partly because the hidden costs of having a disability can make it much more difficult to save a deposit and pay off a mortgage. While having access to secure housing is important for all Australians, for people with disabilities it can significantly increase opportunities for community participation and quality of life.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-29/housing-affordability-dis…
# Australia, Rent, Disability, Health, Home ownership, Housing affordability, Housing market.Mega Landlords: Over 22,100 homes owned by small group of very large investors
Geraden Cann (No paywall)From New Zealand ... Mega Landlords is a Stuff series about the country’s largest property owners, how successive governments allowed investors to gain astonishing wealth while leaving everyday Kiwis behind, and how little is known about who really owns New Zealand. Over 22,100 homes are owned by an elite class of large investors who each own more than 20 properties, new analysis by property data company Valocity reveals. That’s the equivalent of Invercargill or Nelson, owned by 906 people or private companies, whose portfolios continue to grow. The analysis, conducted for this Stuff series, appears to quash the long-held belief the market is predominantly made up of mum and dad investors, and reveals the vast majority of Kiwis own no investment property. (Stuff)
https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/housing-affordability/3…
# International, Rent, Home ownership, Housing affordability, Housing market, Landlords and agents.Residential (Land Lease) Communities Act 2013 Statutory Review
NSW Department of Customer Service (No paywall)The Residential (Land Lease) Communities Act 2013 (the Act) provides the regulatory framework for the management of permanent sites in residential land lease communities and outlines the rights and obligations of community operators and home owners. ... On 30 November 2020, the Department of Customer Service (DCS) released a discussion paper for an approximate 14 week public consultation period. The discussion paper asked a range of questions to elicit feedback on whether the Act effectively balances the rights and interests of home owners and operators. ... All feedback received through the public consultation has made a valuable contribution to the review and has been carefully considered and analysed. Following this analysis, this report makes 48 recommendations to improve the operation of the Act.
https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/tp/files/81194/DCS%20-%20Statu…
# New policy announcement NSW, Land lease communities.Insurers pledge to stop billing tenants for accidental property damage in 'huge win for renters'
Amy Bainbridge and Lucy Kent ABC (No paywall)Insurance companies have committed to changing their policies around landlord insurance, after consumer groups and the ABC helped to expose the issue earlier this year. In September, the ABC revealed a couple from Horsham in regional Victoria had been sent a bill for $78,000 after an accidental fire at their rental property last year. Shortly afterwards, the landlord's insurer, GIO — which is owned by Suncorp — dropped its claim for payment. However, the story and campaigning by consumer advocates has prompted wider changes.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-01/insurance-companies-to-st…
# Australia, Rent, Housing market, Landlords and agents.Mounting pressure on the Federal Government to solve the housing crisis
Raise the rate for good (No paywall)With decades of surging rents and inadequate investment in new public and community housing, it’s getting harder for people relying on income support payments to find an affordable home. A new report written by the City Futures Research Centre for the ACOSS/UNSW Poverty and Inequality Partnership with National Shelter and Mission Australia shows how the lack of investment in social and affordable housing by the Federal Government has created the current housing and rental crisis and adds to mounting pressure on the Federal Government to step in to solve it.
https://raisetherateforgood.good.do/PIPhousingreport/emailMP/
# Hot topic Australia, Public and community housing, Affordable housing, Campaigns and law reform.The Guardian view on Britain’s renters: neglected and cash-strapped
Editorial The Guardian (No paywall)... for the millions of Britons who will never come close to earning enough money to own a home, insecure rented accommodation has become a way of life. As the supply of social housing has steadily dwindled, their interests have been grievously neglected.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/dec/01/the-guardi…
# International, Rent, Housing market.Shoalhaven Homeless Hub left without a home - in the middle of an accommodation crisis
Jessica Clifford ABC (No paywall)Hundreds of homeless people could be left without basic services if the Shoalhaven Homeless Hub is unable to find an alternative premises by Australia Day. The hub has been operating in its central Nowra location since 1994, however the landlord has indicated they would like the house back next year. Supported Accommodation and Homelessness Services Shoalhaven Illawarra (SASSHI) manager Lesley Labka said the main issue was a lack of rental properties in central Nowra and high rental prices.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-11/shoallhaven-homeless-hub-…
# NSW, Rent, Homelessness, Regional NSW.