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
Young homeless people avoid 'unwelcoming' Perth CBD, putting strain on suburban services
James Carmody ABC (No paywall)The challenge of supporting vulnerable people on Perth's streets is becoming more complex, as one care agency reports an exodus of younger homeless people out of the CBD. Social services provider Anglicare WA said vulnerable young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness have reportedly been relocating to Perth's outer suburbs like Midland and Armadale.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-30/youth-homelessness-suppor…
# Australia, Homelessness.When official interest rates rise, how much will your mortgage payments go up?
Clancy Yeates The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)The potential for higher interest rates is one of the hottest topics in financial markets. Ultra-cheap debt has inflated the prices of assets from houses to shares, so any sign that borrowing money might become more expensive earlier than expected is big news.
https://www.smh.com.au/money/borrowing/when-official-rates-rise-…
# Australia, Housing affordability, Housing market.Tel Aviv overtakes Hong Kong, Paris and Zurich as most expensive city to live in
Martin Farrer The Guardian (No paywall)Tel Aviv has been ranked the world’s most expensive city to live in thanks to the rapid rise in inflation that has pushed up the cost of a whole range of goods and services across the world in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. ... with Sydney up one to 14, and Melbourne up two to 16.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/01/tel-aviv-overtakes…
# International, Housing market.Social housing is ‘springboard into homeownership’, says housing minister
Lucie Heath Inside Housing (Paywall)From the United Kingdom ... The housing minister [Christopher Pincher] has said social housing is “not just a safety net, but also a springboard into homeownership and future prosperity” ... Speaking at the Homes UK conference, Christopher Pincher discussed the government’s latest £11.5bn Affordable Homes Programme, which is set to deliver 120,000 homes over a five-year period. Roughly half of the homes will be for social and affordable rent, with the rest being affordable homeownership tenures – the majority of which will be for shared ownership. The shared ownership homes must conform to the government’s new shared ownership model, which allows people to buy an initial share in their home as little as 10%, which can be increased in 1% increments. “That ensures that social housing provides not just a safety net, but also a springboard into homeownership and future prosperity for those that want it. And I think that is levelling-up in action,” he said with reference to the new model.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/social-housing-is-spri…
# International, Public and community housing, Home ownership.Residents of G15 landlord go on service charge strike as bills skyrocket
Lucie Heath Inside Housing (Paywall)From the United Kingdom ... Residents of a large G15 housing association are refusing to pay their service charge bills in response to their monthly payments increasing by up to 500%.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/residents-of-g15-landl…
# International, Public and community housing, Utilities electricity water gas, Campaigns and law reform.Small business rent relief extended
ABC (No paywall)Small businesses struggling to get back on their feet after the COVID-19 lockdowns will continue to receive rent relief over the Christmas and New Year period. NSW Treasurer Matt Kean said many small businesses were still not back to their pre-COVID turnover and rent was one of their biggest costs. ... Eligible businesses with a turnover of less than $5 million will be able to claim rent relief until January 13 next year.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-02/small-business-rent-relie…
# NSW, Rent.National property boom running out of steam
Sezen Bakan The New Daily (No paywall)The pandemic property boom is running out of steam in Sydney and Melbourne but surging ahead in Brisbane and Adelaide.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/2021/12/01/house-prices-growt…
# Australia, Housing market.The houses you can buy for less than $1 million in the major capitals
Tawar Razaghi Domain (No paywall)Houses for less than a million dollars are becoming harder to come by as the median price in almost every capital city broke new records this year.
https://www.domain.com.au/news/the-houses-you-can-buy-for-less-t…
# Australia, Housing affordability, Housing market.