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
Citizens Advice Scotland warns of impending crisis for private renters
(No paywall)From Scotland ... New data has been published which highlights an increase of renters in the private sector who have been struggling to make ends meet throughout the pandemic, with concerns that this could lead to more rent arrears and even evictions after Covid-linked support is withdrawn. (Scottish Housing News)
https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/article/citizens-advice-scot…
# International, Eviction, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19, Homelessness, Housing market.Camden secures first injunction against Landlord to stop illegal eviction of tenants
(No paywall)From the United KIngdom ... Camden Council has become the first local authority to secure an anti-social behaviour injunction against a Landlord in order to protect private tenants from illegal eviction and harassment. The Council secured the injunction against Mohammed Ali Abbas Rasool ... at The Royal Courts of Justice on June 23, 2021. Working in partnership with the Met Police, Camden brought the case against Mr Rasool after repeated attempts to illegally evict and harass tenants at a property he owns in Kilburn. As a result of a disclosure request made by the Council to the Police, the Court also heard of similar reports made against Mr Rasool by tenants in other boroughs. The hearing proceeded without Mr Rasool, who did not attend Court, with the Judge granting the injunction in his absence. The injunction includes an exclusion zone around the property, which will remain in force until May 14, 2022, and Mr Rasool can be arrested if he enters the exclusion zone. The Council’s Rogue Landlord Taskforce is continuing to support the residents of the Kilburn property by ensuring that the order is upheld, assisting with access to their own legal advice and instructing the leaseholder to make fire safety improvements to the property. The Council’s Private Sector Housing Service is also investigating the safety and management of other properties operated by Mr Rasool in Camden. (Nearly Legal and Camden Newsroom)
https://nearlylegal.co.uk/2021/08/misc-notice-periods-evictions-…
# International, Eviction, Privacy and access, Landlords and agents.Rental stress set to worsen as lockdowns drag on
Nila Sweeney (Paywall)More than two-thirds of tenants across the country face rental stress and lockdowns are likely to make things worse, particularly for renters in NSW and Queensland, a survey from ME Bank finds. The proportion of renters spending more than two-fifths (41 per cent) of their income on rents had jumped by 8 percentage points to 68 per cent in the past six months to June, with tenants in both the capitals and regions struggling to keep up with rising rents. (Financial Review)
https://www.afr.com/property/residential/rental-stress-set-to-wo…
# Australia, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19, Housing affordability, Housing market, Regional NSW.A drop in new home loans in June is no sign Australia’s house prices will return to reality
Greg Jericho The Guardian (No paywall)Investor housing loans remain at near record levels, with strong growth across states and territories. Great tables and graphs. Check the table entitled 'The annual growth of home loans remain very strong' for 'Owner occupied' and then 'Investor'. Check the graph 'The value of investor housing loans is at near record level'. Check the table entitled 'The strong growth in home loans is widespread' for 'Owner occupied' and then 'Investor'.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/grogonomics/2021/aug/05/a-d…
# Australia, Home ownership, Housing market, Landlords and agents.Social housing plea with rent now unaffordable for essential workers across most Australian regions
Rachel McGhee ABC (No paywall)"There are lots and lots of people living homeless who are living in overcrowded dwellings, who are living in relatives [or] friends houses, couch surfing, boarding houses, crisis accommodation centres — all classified as being homeless." New research from housing advocacy group Everybody's Home found COVID essential workers in the care and services sector are at increasing risk of homelessness. The group's spokesperson Kate Colvin said 87 of Australia's 104 geographic regions have become unaffordable for people in these jobs, with rent in these areas costing at least a third of their weekly income.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-05/qld-homelessness-week-hou…
# Hot topic Australia, Affordable housing, Homelessness, Housing market.The plans that would have turned Sydney into Paris under the Southern Cross
Julie Power The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)If the late Sir John Sulman’s plans to create a Paris Down Under had been realised, Sydney would have been lined with grand boulevards including one that would have swept down to Circular Quay.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/the-plans-that-would-have-turned…
# History NSW, Housing market, Planning and development, Sydney.Church of England mulls setting up own housing association
Lucie Heath Inside Housing (Paywall)The Church of England is considering setting up its own housing association as part of an effort to do more to tackle the housing crisis in the country. ... Ben Preece Smith, diocesan secretary of Gloucester, said a housing association could be set up to help the Church fulfil the recommendations set out in a recent report commissioned by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Published in February, the 'Coming Home: Tackling the Housing Crisis Together' report said the Church must make more of its own land to facilitate the development of “genuinely affordable housing”. ... In January, the Church of England appointed Bishop of Loughborough, Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, to be its first ever bishop for housing. As part of this role, Bishop Guli will lead the efforts to implement the recommendations of the Coming Home report.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/church-of-england-mull…
# International, Public and community housing, Affordable housing, Housing market.'Slap in the face’: Lobbyists fume at Biden eviction reversal
Katy O'Donnell (No paywall)President Joe Biden’s stunning decision to revive the eviction ban in response to intense pressure from progressives has left one of Washington’s most influential business coalitions feeling angry and betrayed on the sidelines of power. Biden’s move to reinstate a federal eviction moratorium Tuesday after letting it lapse days earlier marked a huge political loss for the National Association of Realtors and its housing industry allies, who each year shower candidates in both parties with millions of dollars in contributions and often get their way in big policy fights. (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/08/07/lobbyists-influence-hou…
# International, Eviction, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19, Housing market.