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
Outasite: Land Lease Communities Magazine Issue 7 July 2021
Tenants' Union of NSW (No paywall)This issue includes the following articles:
Light at the end of the tunnel?
Review overview
Reckless retaliation?
Community by definition
Damage, loss and abandonment
Unstable ground
Local government complications
An independent voice
Interference with sale of home
Age restriction rule allowed
Retirement upheaval update
Contempt
David vs Goliath
Palm Lake Resort appeal dismissed
https://files.thenoticeboard.org.au/outasite/2021-Outasite-7-fin…
# NSW, Land lease communities, Campaigns and law reform.Experts say public housing the key element to stop ex-prisoners re-offending
Norman Hermant ABC (No paywall)It happens about 65,000 times a year in Australia: A prisoner is discharged from jail or prison. When they're released, fewer than half expect to head to a home or an apartment of their own. About a third of offenders enter prison after being homeless. For others, the prospects of finding and affording a rental as an ex-prisoner are slim. ... A new report has found there's a simple way to give ex-prisoners ... a better chance to stay out of jail: public housing. Check the report at: [https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/361/_nocache?utm_source=ZohoCampaigns&utm_campaign=AHURI%20News_%20Martin%20358_%2019.08.2021&utm_medium=email]
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-23/public-housing-key-elemen…
# Research alert Australia, Public and community housing, Health, Housing market.TQ News August 2021
(No paywall)Get all the latest news from Queensland ... [Penny Carr, CEO Tenants Queensland writes:] 'Well what an eventful time it has been since the last Tenants Queensland Member Newsletter! The Queensland State Government has officially recommenced the rental reforms process, but there are a number of issues with their draft legislation, not the least being their proposal to allow unfair evictions to continue. Even though there are some good reforms around issues such as keeping of pets and domestic& family violence provisions, the changes don't go far enough. You can read more about this [in the newsletter] and find out how to help us improve the conditions for Queensland renters. (Tenants Queensland) For previous newsletters, go to: [https://tenantsqld.org.au/about-tuq/tenants-queensland-annual-report/]
https://tenantsqld.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Member-News…
# Australia, Rent, Campaigns and law reform.Rent controls to be introduced after deal between politicians
Graham Norwood (No paywall)From Scotland ... Rent controls are to be introduced into part of the UK as a result of a deal between two political parties. The Scottish National Party fell just short of an overall majority in the last elections to the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, with 64 MSPs; so now it has entered into a pact with the Green Party, which was seven MSPs and which will give the combined forces a easy majority on major issues. In a document outlining issues with the support of both parties, published over the weekend, it says an objective of the Scottish Government will be to “implement an effective national system of rent controls, enhance tenants’ rights” as well as delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032". (Letting Agent Today) You may wish to check out the report dated June 2018 from Shelter Scotland at: [https://scotland.shelter.org.uk/professional_resources/policy_library/rent_regulation_review]
https://www.lettingagenttoday.co.uk/breaking-news/2021/8/rent-co…
# International, Eviction, Rent.Wilcannia families struggling to isolate in overcrowded housing
Keira Jenkins SBS (No paywall)Families in Wilcannia living in overcrowded homes are struggling to isolate, while the peak health body for Aboriginal people is demanding the Federal government fix remote housing. ... Barkindji man Ronnie Murray is trying to protect his community. His family is among many in Wilcannia trying to follow the health advice and isolate to stop the spread of COVID-19. But with 10 people in his house, the overcrowding is making it almost impossible. (NITV The Point)
https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/2021/08/24/wilcannia-familie…
# NSW, Aboriginal renters, Coronavirus COVID-19, Federal Government, Housing market.Airbnb to help house up to 20,000 Afghan refugees
Alex Hern The Guardian (No paywall)From the United States ... Airbnb will help house up to 20,000 Afghan refugees, the company has announced, as part of its Airbnb.org charitable arm. The company will coordinate with Airbnb hosts who want to offer their homes to refugees for free, or at a discounted rate, with the charitable organisation picking up the rest of the bill, as well as any other operational expenditures. Same story on the BBC at: [https://www.bbc.com/news/business-58315378]
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/aug/24/airbnb-help-h…
# International, Race and ethnicity, Short-term holiday letting.What if housing never becomes affordable?
ABC (No paywall)Everyone knows Australian house prices are completely bananas, but understanding why stumps even the experts. o will the current trends continue? And if so, where does that leave renters? Today on The Signal, we ask why our housing market is so weird, and explore one counterintuitive idea about how to improve it. (ABC The Signal)
https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/the-signal/australian-hous…
# Audio Australia, Rent, Home ownership, Housing affordability, Housing market.Why housing evictions must be suspended to defend us against coronavirus
Sophia Maalsen, Chris Martin, Dallas Rogers and Emma Power The Conversation (No paywall)Here's a story from last year that we're running again ... The COVID-19 pandemic is a double crisis affecting public health and the economy. And both aspects are playing out in our housing system – in our homes. More and more of us are being directed to stay home, to work from home, or to socially isolate at home. Our homes are the “first line of defence against the COVID-19 outbreak”, as the UN’s Special Rapporteur on Housing puts it. But, depending on how our housing system responds, it could make the double crisis worse.
https://theconversation.com/why-housing-evictions-must-be-suspen…
# Hot topic NSW, Eviction, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19, Federal Government, Health, International, State Government.