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
The best weird property listings of 2021
Ellen Lutton Domain (No paywall)It’s fair to say 2021 was a wild year for real estate, and we’re not even talking about the crazy price rises. From houses that were built by mistake, to underwater blocks of land for sale, there were some absolute pearlers that hit the market this year, highlighting just how bonkers the property market can be, no matter where you live.
https://www.domain.com.au/news/the-best-weird-property-listings-…
# Australia, Housing market, International.Four out of five first home buyers locked out of most of Sydney and Melbourne
Caitlin Fitzsimmons The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Three in four properties in Sydney and half in Melbourne are only affordable for the highest earning 20 per cent of first home buyers. That’s based on analysis by the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation, which looked at both first-home purchase and rental affordability around Australia. It differs from other housing analysis because it looks at affordability by income segment rather than assuming an average or median income. You will find a media release and a link to this report at: [https://www.nhfic.gov.au/media-resources/media-releases/nhfic-releases-housing-affordability-analysis/]
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/four-out-of-five-fir…
# Research alert Australia, Rent, Home ownership, Housing affordability, Housing market.‘I was squatting’: why asylum seekers so often struggle to find secure housing
Stephanie Convery The Guardian (No paywall)It took Mariah six months to find her first rental in western Sydney. An asylum seeker from a west African nation, she arrived in Australia in 2018 and has been living in the community on a bridging visa ever since. Initially boarding with a family, she got a job and struck out with a friend, only to discover that the rental market wanted nothing to do with her. “Every real estate agent we applied to said: ‘You are asylum seekers, you don’t have a permanent residency, you don’t have the documents that we are asking for,’” Mariah tells Guardian Australia. “And above all, we don’t have anyone to reference or stand as witness for us.” ... Mariah’s experience is not unique. Asylum seekers routinely experience housing insecurity, homelessness, chronic financial insecurity and the constantly looming threat of eviction from formal and informal tenancies, according to a new report from Jesuit Refugee Services and the University of Western Sydney. You will find a link to the full report at: [https://aus.jrs.net/en/news/new-report-people-seeking-asylum-face-enduring-homelessness-amidst-chronic-financial-insecurity/]
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/dec/12/i-was-squ…
# Research alert NSW, Rent, Homelessness, Landlords and agents, Personal stories, Race and ethnicity.Grenfell delivers yet more horrors. But the guilty still fail to take responsibility
Kenan Malik The Guardian (No paywall)From the United Kingdom ... Lying. Refusing to follow rules. Mocking the little people. Deflecting any blame. Not just this government’s response to a Christmas party that “never took place”, but the response of successive governments to the issue of fire safety in buildings. Where the former reveals the depth of hypocrisy and contempt within elite circles, the latter exposes a culture of impunity that has had deadly consequences. Last week, the Grenfell Tower inquiry began its final phase in which it will investigate the role of government policy. Jason Beer, QC for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, declared the department “deeply sorry for its past failures” that had helped create “an environment in which such a tragedy was possible”. You might also check out Grainne Cuff's article entitled: 'Grenfell survivors slam "disingenuous" and "deeply offensive" government inquiry statement' in 'Inside Housing' at: [https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/grenfell-survivors-slam-disingenuous-and-deeply-offensive-government-inquiry-statement-73622]
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/dec/12/grenfell-d…
# International, Public and community housing, Minimum habitability standards.WA tourist town of Broome tops the nation with highest percentage of rental growth in a year
Madison Snow ABC (No paywall)Western Australia is in the grips of a rental crisis, and with a limited supply of houses and skyrocketing prices it is seeing regional towns hit hard. In an unexpected turn of events, a suburb in the small tourist town of Broome in the state's Kimberley region has topped the nation with the highest percentage of rental growth over the past year, according to Corelogic data. ... [Rankings of top 10 nationbl suburbs for rental growth] 2. Finley, NSW town in the Riverina region where the annual rental growth as been 36pc with a median rental value of $320; 6. Berrigan: NSW town in the Riverina region where the annual rental growth has been 30pc with a median rental value of $311; 8.Corowa: NSW town in the Murray region where the annual rental grown has been 30pc with a median rental value of $382; 9. North Albury: Albury suburb in the Murray region of NSW where annual rental growth has been 29pc with a median rental value of $396.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-11/broome-sees-highest-perce…
# Australia, Rent, Housing market, Regional NSW.Regulator to measure landlords on repairs and safety performance as new tenant satisfaction measures revealed
Lucie Heath Inside Housing (Paywall)In a consultation launched today, the English regulator has outlined its plans for a new Tenant Satisfaction Measures Standard as part of a series of changes it is implementing following the Social Housing White Paper. The Regulator of Social Housing is proposing 22 different tenant satisfaction measures, covering five main themes: Keeping properties in good repair; Maintaining building safety; Effective complaints-handling; Respectful and helpful tenant engagement; Responsible neighbourhood management. ... All social landlords will be expected to publish their performance on tenant satisfaction to their tenants each year. Landlords with more than 1,000 homes will be expected to submit their data to the regulator, with the RSH publishing the results each year.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/regulator-to-measure-l…
# International, Public and community housing, Landlords and agents.Rental crisis pushes young workers into tents, converted garages as options dry up
Keira Proust ABC (No paywall)Young professional couples on the NSW far south coast face the prospect of living in a tent this summer unless the critical rental crisis improves, according to local housing providers. One of those couples is Kelsie Ridley and Keiran Coe who live on the NSW far south coast. The 24-year-olds have been homeless since September, despite both having full-time jobs.
"[We're] currently living with my parents in a one-bedroom granny flat and I've been without a rental since September," Ms Ridley said.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-09/housing-crisis-pushes-you…
# NSW, Rent, Homelessness, Housing market, Regional NSW.Mates with disability move into new purpose-built 'forever' home for Christmas
Mia Knight ABC (No paywall)Longtime friends John, Malcolm and Brendan knew months ago where they wanted to set up the Christmas tree in their new house — now they'll get to do it. This week the men, who all live with an intellectual disability, were given early Christmas presents — the keys to their brand-new, purpose-built 'forever' home in Townsville. ... The Endeavour Foundation's interim CEO, David Bower, said the home built for Mr Gowns, Mr Galligan and Mr Duncanson had been specially designed to enable them to live there together for many years to come.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-08/new-home-complete-for-3-m…
# Australia, Public and community housing, Disability.