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
Nearly 100 households are made homeless every day – 'This is what we feared'
Nadine Batchelor-Hunt (No paywall)The scale of England's homelessness crisis has been laid bare after new data released by the government reveals almost 100 households are being made homeless each day in England. The figures reveal more than 180,000 households have been pushed into homelessness since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. ... The numbers also include the first month after the ban on evictions was lifted at the end of May, and is likely to reflect the removal of restrictions on private-rented sector evictions. The ban was introduced at the beginning of the pandemic to protect renters from being made homeless after financial difficulties. On 31 May, the restrictions ended and bailiff enforcement evictions were allowed to resume. (yahoo!news)
https://au.news.yahoo.com/91-families-homeless-each-day-england-…
# International, Eviction, Coronavirus COVID-19, Homelessness, Housing market.Government pledges £66m winter help for rough sleepers
Tim Clark Inside Housing (Paywall)The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) said the extra funding will provide services such as counselling and rehabilitation to support rough sleepers with drug and alcohol problems. It said the new fund forms part of the government’s £640m drive to end rough sleeping by the end of 2024.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/government-pledges-66m…
# International, Federal Government, Homelessness.London mayor demands landlords devise evacuation plans for disabled residents
Tim Clark Inside Housing (Paywall)Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has demanded building owners in London to urgently draw up personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPs) for residents who live in unsafe blocks. In a letter to building owners, Mr Khan said he would “not wait for legislation” to improve the safety of residents of unsafe buildings, with more than 1,000 blocks in London now deemed at risk of fire, and demanded that landlords take steps to implement the changes. The call from the mayor includes all buildings owned by social landlords and local authorities in the capital. The need for PEEPs have gained extra significance in the wake of the Grenfell fire in 2017. Of the 37 disabled residents living in the tower, 15 were killed by the fire. As part of his phase one recommendations, Grenfell Inquiry chair Sir Martin Moore-Bick recommended the adoption of PEEPs for all disabled residents of high-rise buildings.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/london-mayor-demands-l…
# International, Public and community housing, Rent, Disability, Housing market, Local Government, Minimum habitability standards.Council housing remains the missing solution to the housing crisis. It is time for government to step up
Steve Hilditch Inside Housing (Paywall)From the United Kingdom ... Councils are ready to readopt their historic role as major providers of new homes at social rents, and could solve many of our housing market issues if they did. But they need a better partner in central government, writes Steve Hilditch.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/comment/comment/council-housing-…
# International, Public and community housing, Housing market.Tribunal rubber stamps illegal extension
Jimmy Thomson (No paywall)Take Flatchatter Anne-X whose two top-floor neighbours took advantage of work in the loft space on roof repairs to install additional rooms with ensuite bathrooms, all without so much as a “by your leave”. Did they compensate the owners corporations for taking over common property? Nope – because they reckoned the roof space was of no use to anyone therefore it had no value. ... So the matter went to NCAT where the Member recognised the egregious nature of the land grab but declined to order the miscreants to reinstate common property.
# NSW, Strata, Tribunal NCAT.Martin Place ‘mayor’ and homelessness activist dies
Daniella White The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Lanz Priestley, a social activist known as the “mayor of Martin Place”, has died after suffering a brain bleed last month. He was known as the leader of the “tent city” in Sydney’s Martin Place in 2017, when he and dozens of other homeless people were evicted from the site.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/martin-place-mayor-and-homel…
# NSW, Homelessness, Personal stories.Nigerian high-rise building collapse in Lagos leaves three dead and dozens missing
ABC (No paywall)A 21-storey luxury apartment building under construction in an upscale area of Nigeria's largest city, Lagos, has collapsed, killing at least three people and leaving dozens more missing.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-02/nigeria-building-collapse…
# International, Housing market, Minimum habitability standards.‘It’s endemic’: Nearly two-thirds of audited real estate agents underquote
Henrietta Cook The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Almost 60 per cent of real estate agents recently audited by the state’s consumer watchdog have been hit with fines for underquoting, with the industry put on notice as property sales ramp up following lockdown.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/victoria/it-s-endemic-nearly-two…
# Australia, Housing market, Landlords and agents.