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
Regions hit hard as rents increase nationally
Jake McKee (No paywall)From New Zealand ... Renting a home is getting more expensive, particularly in Hawke's Bay, where rent prices have increased 20.4 percent, according to a Massey University report. Its latest Rental Report showed a 9.4 percent rent increase nationally in the year to June. ... Renters United spokesperson Ashok Jacob said the national situation was "unacceptable". He said issues related to, and stemming from, rent affordability, among others, were not going to improve until there price interventions in the housing market by government. (RNZ)
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/457811/regions-hit-hard-as-r…
# International, Rent, Housing market.The suburbs where average wage earners can afford to buy property
Kate Burke Domain (No paywall)Average wage earners are being forced to look further and further afield to get onto the property ladder as sluggish growth in incomes fails to keep pace with rapid property price gains.
https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/the-suburbs-where-average-w…
# Australia, Housing affordability, Housing market, Regional NSW.Inheritance: the major life event no politician wants to mention
Ross Gittins The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)More people are receiving significant inheritances these days. They’re getting bigger and will get bigger still. We worry that houses are becoming unaffordable, but the other side of ever-rising house prices is that inheritance has become an important event in most people’s lives. ... Last week’s report from the Productivity Commission was “the first comprehensive research report on wealth transfers” ... The report explains that rising house prices are just the main reason inheritances are getting bigger.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/inheritance-the-majo…
# Australia, Families, Housing market, Tax.Home renters are some of Australia’s unhappiest people, according to Finder’s Consumer Sentiment Tracker
Sam Murden (No paywall)A new survey suggests that renters are some of Australia’s unhappiest people. The survey of over 30,000 respondents, conducted by Finder’s Consumer Sentiment Tracker, analysed the financial positions of renters and homeowners. It found that renters reported lower levels of happiness and more severe levels of money stress compared to homeowners.
https://www.realestate.com.au/news/home-renters-are-some-of-aust…
# Australia, Rent, Health, Home ownership.Economists warn house prices in Australia will explode if buyers can dip into super
The Guardian (No paywall)Allowing Australians to use their superannuation to buy a home would cause another “price explosion”, property economists have warned. Australians using superannuation savings to buy a home would also be worse off in retirement, report says. ... A McKell Institute report released on Wednesday models the effect on the housing market should Australians be given access to super for a home deposit. You can read their report at: [https://mckellinstitute.org.au/research/reports/mortgaging-our-future/]
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/dec/15/economist…
# Australia, Home ownership, Housing market, Welfare.For whom the housing market bell tolls
Michael Pascoe The New Daily (No paywall)Wisdom has it that nobody rings a bell for the top of the market – but those with keen ears heard a certain tinkling around Sydney property last weekend. Some closer to the ground were picking up vibrations before that. There were warnings three months ago that the Sydney housing market rocket was running out of fuel.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/2021/12/15/michael-pascoe-hou…
# NSW, Housing market.NZ report card 2021: from COVID to housing and happiness, it was a tale of two countries
Alexander Gillespie The Conversation (No paywall)The global good and bad news from New Zealand, ... the most negative trends involved housing and poverty. In the year to June, average house price growth (already high by international standards) was clocked at 25.9%. Good for some, maybe many, but terrible for the young and others locked out of the housing market by extreme prices.
https://theconversation.com/nz-report-card-2021-from-covid-to-ho…
# International, Families, Housing market, International.Inquiry into population, migration and agglomeration
Chris Leishman, Nicole Gurran, Amity James and Christian A. Nygaard AHURI (No paywall)This Inquiry final research report investigates agglomeration economies and their ability to alter the economic productivity of cities, together with what are the key drivers of population growth and mobility in Australia. ... Policy options include ... expanding affordable rental supply in Australia’s inner urban areas together with the development of diverse and affordable rental housing in regional areas. Check out AHURI News at: [https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/news/Cities-that-concentrate-people-and-knowledge-have-increased-productivity]
# Research alert Australia, Affordable housing, Housing market, Planning and development.