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
New wave of rental stress and homelessness three months after COVID moratorium lifted, report says
Claire Moodie and Rhiannon Shine ABC (No paywall)Tricia Ray-Kepa has managed to turn a rundown 3 x 1 rental on a noisy thoroughfare in Perth into a charming home, despite its shortcomings. It is packed with vintage furniture, art and plants, but it is badly needing repairs and there is no air conditioning so it can be boiling in the summer. ... But, about a month ago, the couple got a nasty shock. "My real estate [agent] called and he just said 'Tricia, are you going to stay or are you going to go?'," Mrs Ray-Kepa said. "He said, 'because we're going to lift the rent, $100 a week extra'. "I suddenly felt very stressed and anxious." ... Mrs Ray-Kepa is one of scores of tenants who have flooded legal and financial services since the state's COVID-19 rental moratorium - which prevented landlords from increasing rent or evicting tenants - ended in March.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-07/wave-of-rental-stress-hit…
# Australia, Rent, Housing market.Healthy Homes: 'Significant' heating problem found as standards take effect
Charlie Dreaver (No paywall)From New Zealand ... The government's admitted to a "significant" problem with one part of the Healthy Homes Standards, the day they come into effect. It relates to the heating landlords have to install in apartments and new builds. As of today, private landlords must ensure their rental properties comply with the standards within 90 days of any new tenancy. There's been a major problem with the heating assessment - resulting in landlords buying heat pumps and heaters that are too large for the property. (RNZ)
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/445934/healthy-homes-signif…
# International, Rent, Minimum habitability standards.Community title makes its way to Western Australia
Poppy Johston The Fifth Estate (No paywall)Western Australia now has a new type of tenure that proponents say will deliver greater housing diversity, enhanced common spaces and even open the door to shared sustainability infrastructure. Similar to a strata scheme, the newly introduced community title scheme entrusts lot owners with shared ownership and responsibility for common areas on the property. Community title schemes differ from strata schemes by allowing the subdivision of a single piece of land into up to three tiers of schemes called community titles schemes. Strata titles, by contrast, allow only one scheme to be created on a single parcel of freehold land.
https://thefifthestate.com.au/innovation/residential-2/community…
# Australia, Housing market, Planning and development.Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast rents surge to record heights: Domain Rent Report
Sarah Webb Domain (No paywall)A sea-change surge has pushed the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast rental markets to the brink of breaking with median weekly prices soaring to record heights as industry experts warn the boom that’s left some locals homeless is far from over.
https://www.domain.com.au/news/gold-coast-sunshine-coast-rents-s…
# Australia, Rent, Housing market.Desperate mum left out in the cold
(Paywall)Knocked back from more than 100 rentals and a single mum was forced to give up her children as she found herself one step away from living on the streets of Mount Gambier. (Adelaide Now)
https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/messenger/mount-gambier/single-mu…
# Australia, Homelessness, Women.Rest room: tiny Vancouver ‘micro studio’ combines bedroom and toilet
Helen Sullivan The Guardian (No paywall)From Canada ... An ad for a “micro studio” posted on Craigslist this month described the apartment – which includes new flooring, a window and a single bed, but does not include a kitchen – as “ideal for a single individual looking to live downtown at an affordable rate, and who does not need much space”. The 160-square-foot (15 sq metre) apartment’s layout means there is little differentiation between the toilet and the bedroom – they are a few steps apart, and in direct line of sight, without a door. All this for just C$680 (US$550) a month, hot water and electricity included. Pets are not allowed.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/06/rest-room-tiny-van…
# International, Rent, Affordable housing, Housing market.‘Computer says no’: NSW Planning Minister says rules are stifling good design
Angus Thompson The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)NSW Planning Minister Rob Stokes says urban development is suffering from a “computer says no” approach partly owing to a history of corruption, in responding to wide-ranging criticism over the flexibility of his city building overhaul. ... n a rare convergence, the NSW government is facing criticism from the development and environmental lobbies, among a list of other entities, for the lack of prescriptiveness in its watershed Design and Place state planning policy, that promotes principles rather than box-ticking when it comes to creating neighbourhoods.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/computer-says-no-nsw-plannin…
# NSW, Planning and development, State Government.Young Renters: We hear you!
Tenants' Union of NSW and Youth Action NSW Tenants' Union of NSW (No paywall)Today we launch "Young renters: We hear you!" - a report from the Tenants' Union and Youth Action NSW that digs into the issues facing renters under 30 and raises up their voices. "A lack of respect underpins a lot of the problems we see in the rental market, as rental situations are seen as largely transactional." Vanessa Song, a young renter who took part in our roundtable discussions. There's a link so that you can download the full report. We received coverage in a news item called 'Young renters afraid to ask for repairs' at: [https://7news.com.au/news/urban-planning/young-renters-afraid-to-ask-for-repairs-c-3325327] Thanks also to Hack on triple j for covering our report in an audio which asks 'Will we be renting for life?' and starts at the 19:55 minutes mark at: [https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/hack/13426570]
# Must read, TUNSW in the media NSW, Rent, Young people.