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
This is what $1 million will get you in Hobart's hot property market
Tamara Glumac and Ros Lehman ABC (No paywall)While many inside and outside Hobart's property market are viewing with disbelief "gobsmacking" house prices, a new report is shedding light on another reason home ownership is out of reach for many in the island state. The Core Logic report shows Tasmania has had the biggest gap between wage increases and house price growth in Australia in the past 20 years.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-20/wages-gap-in-hobart-hot-p…
# Australia, Housing market.‘We are essentially full’: Councillors unite to oppose luxury housing for seniors
Andrew Taylor The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)A plan to build “prestige boutique scale” housing for the elderly has provoked a backlash from residents and local Liberal and Labor politicians in one of Sydney’s wealthiest suburbs, amid claims young residents are being forced out of the area.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/we-are-essentially-full-councill…
# NSW, Housing affordability, Housing market, Local Government, Older people, Planning and development, Young people.Hong Kong proposes 10,000 public housing units to be built on Fanling Golf Course
(No paywall)Hong Kong’s development chief on Friday revealed a drastically-revised plan that would see up to 10,000 public housing flats to be built on part of the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling, more than double the number previously proposed. (The Standard)
https://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking-news/section/4/183180/Ho…
# International, Public and community housing.Tenant News
Tenants' Union of NSW (No paywall)'Renting Matters!' podcasts, Moratorium ends, transition period begins, 'No grounds evictions', The real housing crisis, The emergency in the regions, 'Build Back Better' ... and lots more news
https://us3.campaign-archive.com/?u=29c79d2825cb376b3f0b06385&id…
# NSW, Aboriginal renters, Public and community housing, Rent, Starting a tenancy, Strata, Campaigns and law reform, Climate change, Coronavirus COVID-19, Estate renewal, Housing market, Regional NSW.Introductory Remarks to Parliamentary Inquiry hearing: Housing affordability and Supply in Australia, 17 November 2021
Bill Randolph and Hal Pawson City Futures (No paywall)... Adequate housing supply is a key component of a healthy housing market. But we would argue that the causes of housing unaffordability are complex and call for consideration of both housing supply and housing demand and the underlying drivers on both sides of the market. Boosting home ownership is a key objective that we fully support. But, as argued in our recent report, ‘Housing – Taming the Elephant in the Economy’, Australia’s home ownership system has transformed from its historic function of spreading wealth into a modern day system that concentrates wealth and drives growing inequality. Over-preferencing existing home owners and investors has increasingly excluded young adults from access. ... The Australian Government could play an important role in supporting such diversity. Not only by reforming key tax settings, but also through influencing urban development. [You will find a link to the submission by City Futures in the third paragraph of this article.]
https://blogs.unsw.edu.au/cityfutures/blog/2021/11/introductory-…
# Must read Australia, Rent, Home ownership, Housing affordability, Housing market, Tax.November 2021 News
Shelter NSW (No paywall)Check out the latest housing news from Shelter NSW ...
Sydney. What kind of city do we want?
Regional Housing Taskforce recommendations released
Shelter NSW AGM 2021
Shelter NSW CEO speaks to NSW Parliamentary Committee about social and affordable housing – and ‘meanwhile use’
Sydney Alliance Local Organising for Council Elections
One of NSW’s largest councils one big step closer to an affordable housing contribution scheme
'Housing and Homelessness: The Local Landscape' - City of Newcastle invites you to a forum
Houses are not bananas - the regional housing crisis
Shelter NSW CEO, John Engeler, elected Chair of National Shelter
Housing policy should address climate change, not exacerbate it
Sydney Social Housing - 'Two Point Perspective' Podcast
Hands Off Glebe Community 'Picket'
Sydney Olympic Park 2050 – Have Your Say
https://mailchi.mp/shelternsw/shelter-nsw-november-ebulletin?e=9…
# NSW, Campaigns and law reform.What’s needed to help older tenants age in public housing?
Debbie Faulkner, Julia Verdouw, Peta Cook, Selina Tually, Edgar Liu, Bruce Judd, Helen Barrie and Veronica Coram AHURI (No paywall)The proportion of public housing tenants aged 55 or older across Australia has risen from 20 per cent in 2006 to 37 per cent in 2016, resulting in the need for changes to public housing policy and practice, new AHURI has revealed. Read more, with a link to the full publication, at: [https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/369]
https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/news/What%E2%80%99s-needed-to-…
# Research alert Australia, Public and community housing, Older people.‘Why are we living in such conditions?’: Crown Heights tenants on why they’re striking
Ben Verde (No paywall)From New York ... For Doila George, a resident of 1392 Sterling Place, the final straw came in March when her window jammed, making it unable to close — and adding yet another opening to her dilapidated apartment, which features holes in her kitchen ceiling that send floods of rainwater splashing onto the floor. For months, she tried to get in touch with her building’s management company to get the problems in her apartment fixed, but received no responses and no repairs. In July, she decided she’d had enough. When she mailed her rent for the month, she included with it a letter informing the management company that it would be the last rent she would be paying until her repairs were made. She is yet to receive a response. (Brooklyn Paper)
https://www.brooklynpaper.com/crown-heights-tenants-strike-nov-2…
# International, Rent, Repairs, Campaigns and law reform, Housing market, Landlords and agents.