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
Thirty years of Joondalup, Perth's satellite city success story
Jessica Warriner ABC (No paywall)On the banks of Lake Joondalup, about 30 kilometres north of Perth's CBD, Joondalup's town centre was master-planned from the ground up. It's just passed 30 years since the city centre was officially opened in June 1991. So, how is the satellite city of the north holding up? The seeds for Joondalup as a major community hub were planted around 1955 – that's when the first proper plan for the Perth metropolitan area was drawn up.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-22/joondalup-perth-30-years-…
# Australia, Housing market, Planning and development.Lockdown safety net: our analysis
Jemima Mowbray and Riley Brooke Tenants' Union of NSW (No paywall)This week NSW heads into a tougher lockdown. Non-essential workers across three local government areas – Fairfield, Liverpool and Canterbury Bankstown – are restricted from leaving their LGAs for work; all non essential retail and work on construction sites has been shut down for at least two weeks; even public transport - bus, train and ferry services – will be scaled back. For many renting households, especially renters who are casual workers, this is going to have a significant impact on their income and ability to make rent and cover other essentials. ... On Tuesday (13 July), the Commonwealth and NSW Governments held a joint press conference to announce additional income supports, a 60 day stop on eviction for ‘impacted renters’, and financial support to encourage landlords to reduce rents for impacted tenants. They also committed an additional $10 million to increase the temporary accommodation available (through hotels and motels) for people experiencing homelessness during lockdown. This crucial support package arrived just in time to help soften the blow of the new restrictions commencing today. So, let’s run through in a little more detail what was announced last week.
https://www.tenants.org.au/blog/lockdown-safety-net-our-analysis
# NSW, Eviction, Privacy and access, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19, Housing market.COVID-19: Lockdown support for South Australian tenants
(No paywall)COVID-19 restrictions are in force for South Australia from 6:00 PM on 20 July. Here’s what you need to know about the lockdown and where to get tenancy support. (rent.com.au)
# Must read Australia, Eviction, Privacy and access, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19.COVID-19: Lockdown support for Victorian tenants
(No paywall)COVID-19 restrictions are in force once again for Victoria and are in place until 11:59 PM on 27 July. Here’s what you need to know about the hard lockdown and where to get tenancy support. (rent.com.au)
# Must read Australia, Eviction, Privacy and access, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19.And then there was one: the last resident of Bond Street
Harriet Sherwood The Guardian (No paywall)From London ... From his vantage point at the oriel windows of his Bond Street flat, Oli Claridge has an unrivalled view of the super-rich going about their business. ... Courtesy of a protected lease inherited from his father, Claridge is the last resident of Bond Street ... And a link at the foot of this article leads to a wealth of other stories from around the world about 'Renting property' by month of publication. Check it out at: [https://www.theguardian.com/money/renting]
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2021/jun/05/the-last-resident-…
# International, Rent, Housing market, International, Personal stories.NSW North Coast rent prices 'off the charts' as they surpass capital cities
Leah White ABC (No paywall)Rental prices on the Far North Coast of New South Wales have climbed almost 20 per cent in the past 12 months, surpassing those in all of Australia's capital cities. Figures from CoreLogic's latest quarterly review show the median rent for houses in the Richmond/Tweed region is now $699 per week. In comparison, Sydney houses are $646pw, and the national median for house rentals is just under $500pw. The head of Northern Rivers advocacy group Social Futures, Tony Davies, said skyrocketing rents were damaging the "social fabric" of the region by pricing out long-term locals and modestly-paid workers in industries like retail, hospitality, social services, and the creative arts.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-20/north-coast-rent-prices-o…
# NSW, Rent, Housing market, Regional NSW.Killer heatwave in the US is a dire warning for Australian housing
Tory Maguire The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Last week, Furnace Creek in the Mojave Desert in the US may have experienced the highest temperature ever recorded on earth: 54.4 degrees. North America’s recent heatwave has pushed the limits of its infrastructure and shelter in disturbing ways. It prompted climate and environment editor Nick O’Malley and environment reporter Miki Perkins to take a look at how Australia’s suburbs are likely to cope with increasing temperatures. (See Housing News Digest 19 July 2021) Nick joins Tory Maguire on this episode of Please Explain to discuss.
https://www.smh.com.au/please-explain/killer-heatwave-in-the-us-…
# Audio Australia, Climate change, Housing market, Planning and development, State Government.Stockland buys Halcyon for $620 million
Carolyn Cummins The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)At 12:49pm it reads: Stockland’s new chief executive Tarun Gupta has wasted little time in making his mark on the diversified business with a deal to buy the land lease operator Halcyon in a $620 million deal, as reported on 5 July. He flagged his interest in the burgeoning sector, also known as manufactured homes, when he joined in May, saying it will compliment Stockland’s profitable master-planned communities operations. ... The transaction includes the acquisition of 3,800 sites across 13 land lease communities, made up of six established land lease communities, four communities in development and three projects in planning. “This acquisition is in line with our stated strategy to grow our land lease communities and will increase the size of our portfolio to 7,800 sites,” he said. Land lease communities deliver attractive returns as the demand for high quality, affordable housing solutions grows. This demand is driven by Australia’s ageing population and baby boomers reaching retirement age.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/markets/asx-set-to-slide-tesltra…
# Australia, Land lease communities, Housing market, Landlords and agents, Older people.