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
Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven loses confidence vote over housing crisis
ABC (No paywall)Stefan Lofven, Sweden's Social Democratic prime minister since 2014, lost a confidence vote in parliament on Monday amid a housing crisis and skyrocketing real estate prices, making him the first Swedish government leader ever to lose such a motion. The vote was initiated by the small Left Party, an ally of the minority government that is not in the two-party centre-left coalition but had provided votes to pass the government's legislation. ... The Left Party said it lost confidence in Mr Lofven over a proposal to abolish rent controls on newly built properties. Sweden has strict regulations on rents aimed at maintaining affordable prices in larger cities.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-22/sweden-prime-minister-ste…
# International, Rent, Housing market.Sirius Redevelopment Launch Takes Over $400m
(No paywall)It was once home to some of Sydney’s most vulnerable, but brutalist icon the Sirius building has been reimagined as luxury residences and more than $400 million worth of sales were made at a launch event at the weekend. CBRE senior director of residential Ben Stewart said three penthouses were sold on the weekend and that there were only 17 or the building's 76 apartments remaining. ... Its penthouse sold for $35 million last week. A second penthouse was sold for $19 million to a buyer from Coogee, netting JDH Capital $54 million. The larger $35-milliopn penthouse was built as a pod on top of the pre-existing building with a floorplate of 311sq m, and sold at $112,540 per square metre. (The Urban Developer)
https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/sydneys-400m-appetite…
# NSW, Public and community housing, Housing market, State Government.NSW Budget 2021 disappoints on housing affordability measures
Kate Burke Domain (No paywall)House-hunters hoping to get into Sydney’s soaring property market could be left disappointed by this year’s state budget, with little to help more Australians onto the property ladder in the short term.
https://www.domain.com.au/news/nsw-budget-delivers-little-for-ho…
# NSW, Home ownership, Housing affordability, State Government.COVID-19 and renting: guidance for landlords, tenants and local authorities - Updated
(No paywall)From the United KIngdom ... Coronavirus (COVID19) | Rules, guidance and support : Guidance for landlords and tenants. Updated 21 June 2021 (Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government) ... And for 'Local Authorities', check out: [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-and-renting-guidance-for-landlords-tenants-and-local-authorities/guidance-for-local-authorities]
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-and-renting-…
# International, Eviction, Privacy and access, Rent, Repairs, Health.I designed the Sirius building but I wish the government had knocked it down
Tao Gofers The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)I am the architect who designed the Sirius building, and I believe the NSW government should have demolished it. Just as they demolished the dreams and aspirations of the people who designed Sirius, built Sirius and lived in Sirius. ... But Millers Point and Sirius are only one minor example of the Coalition government’s policy of resumption of existing social housing developments and relocating the tenants to distant areas. ... I have a simple question. Is it Coalition policy to move all social housing tenants and other low income people from the central council areas to distant suburbs? If so, this starts a new social order of economic apartheid.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/i-designed-the-sirius-buildi…
# NSW, Public and community housing, Housing market, State Government.NSW budget 2021-22 Winners and Losers
Maryanne Taouk ABC (No paywall)Check out two Losers': 'Homebuyers' and 'Social housing'
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-22/nsw-budget-2021-winners-a…
# NSW, Public and community housing, Home ownership, State Government.Airbnb Will Temporarily Ban U.S. Listings Where Tenants Have Been Evicted for Not Paying Rent
Whitney Kimball (No paywall)Better late than never: Airbnb is preventing landlords from renting units where tenants have been evicted for not paying rent after the U.S. Centre for Disease Control’s pandemic eviction moratorium expires on June 30th. According to an analysis by think tank the Centre on Budget and Policy Priorities, 10.4 million Americans are currently behind on rent; an April census survey found that out of nearly seven million respondents behind on rent, over three million expect that they are “very” or “somewhat” likely to be evicted within the next two months. (Gizmodo)
https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2021/06/airbnb-will-temporarily-ban-l…
# International, Eviction, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19, Short-term holiday letting.Six-month eviction notice period extended to September in Wales
Dominic Brady Inside Housing (Paywall)A six-month notice period for evictions in Wales has been extended to 30 September, the Welsh government has announced. The announcement represents a three-month extension to measures that were put in place to protect tenants from being evicted during the coronavirus pandemic. ... The Welsh government added that consideration is being given to further support that can be provided to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic on the sector.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/six-month-eviction-not…
# International, Eviction, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19.