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
May 2021 News
Shelter NSW (No paywall)In this month's edition:
‘Reimagining’ the Waterloo planning approach. Yes please.
The Federal Budget – throwing fuel onto the fire
Defending public housing
Severe Overcrowding project – being led by the data and the people
Shelter NSW's response to the 'Design and Place SEPP' (Explanation of Intended Effect)
Shelter NSW submission on the draft Bays West Place Strategy
Shelter NSW submission on the Port Macquarie Draft Regional City Action Plan 2036
Sydney Alliance 'Research Bootcamp'
https://mailchi.mp/shelternsw/shelter-nsw-may-ebulletin?e=91e8d8…
# NSW, Campaigns and law reform.“Save our homes”: Protesters call on parliament to protect public housing
Allison Hore (No paywall)Residents from a number of threatened public housing communities across Sydney’s inner city came together at Martin Place today to call for their homes to be saved from the wrecking ball. The rally followed last week’s release of the NSW Government’s Housing 2041 Strategy and called for the future of a number of Inner City public housing estates to be secured. ... Speaking at the rally was Emily Valentine, a resident of the Bay Street public housing site in Glebe. “Instead of selling off public housing, the government should be building thousands of new public homes each year, providing many urgently needed jobs at the same time,” she said. “Sydney is in the middle of a housing and homelessness crisis. But instead of addressing the causes and effects of this crisis, the government is making it worse by selling off public housing properties.” ... Shelter NSW CEO John Engler says he welcomes the government’s decision to explore new housing models to meet the growing need, but says it should not come at the expense of existing public housing residents. “We all agree there should be more, not less, public housing and it should be delivered in a way that protects existing residents and their communities. Both are possible and preferred,” he said. (City Hub)
https://cityhubsydney.com.au/2021/05/save-our-homes-protesters-c…
# NSW, Public and community housing, Affordable housing, Campaigns and law reform, Estate renewal, Housing market, State Government.How a volatile rental market could impact some of the most vulnerable in our communities
Pamela Hunter Tenants' Union of NSW (No paywall)The past 12 months have had a significant impact on many tenants, particularly those who may be at risk of financial hardship or homelessness. VERTO’s Tenants’ Advice and Advocacy Service (TAAS) helps tenants to navigate these challenges every day, and with today’s unprecedented rental market conditions, it’s something we expect to see for some time to come. This volatile market has wreaked havoc in more ways than one, and it can have serious consequences for individuals and communities.
https://www.tenants.org.au/blog/how-volatile-rental-market-could…
# Hot topic NSW, Domestic violence, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19, Homelessness, Housing market, No-grounds evictions, Regional NSW.The budget’s affordability measures won’t lower Australia’s house prices. They weren’t designed to
Richard Denniss The Guardian (No paywall)There are ways to make housing cheaper for those locked out of the market, but little political will to let house prices fall. ... The government knows it must do something about housing affordability, but it obviously doesn’t want house prices to fall. So, once again, it grabbed for some announceables that sound like they should work – but government knows they won’t really do anything. Cynical huh?
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/may/12/the-budget…
# Australia, Public and community housing, Rent, Affordable housing, Federal Government, Housing market, Tax, Welfare.Generation Rent: Renting forever doesn't mean failing
Emily Hutchinson (No paywall)In a new series called Generation Rent, realestate.com.au rent specialist Emily Hutchinson debunks some of the common myths associated with renting. (real.estate.com.au) ... CEO of Tenants Union NSW Leo Patterson Ross said governments put pressure on Australians to purchase property, reinforcing a sense if failure if they do not. “People feel pressure to buy property because of two key reasons: firstly, Australia chooses to maintain unstable, unfair tenancy laws that prevent renters from feeling the same sense of being settled and secure; secondly, we have set up a system that transfers wealth from the community to the property owner” ... [Read on ...] (realestate.com.au)
https://www.realestate.com.au/news/generation-rent-renting-forev…
# TUNSW in the media Australia, Rent, Home ownership, Housing market, Young people.Social housing, homeless left out in the cold
Michael Fotheringham The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)As Australia navigates social and economic recoveries from COVID-19, housing markets across the country are showing strain. House prices are surging across the nation, and rental vacancies are at record lows. No single policy intervention will provide a silver bullet to solve Australia’s housing affordability and availability challenges – a concerted and co-ordinated strategy would be required, and housing is not a major focus of this Budget.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/social-housing-homeless-left-out…
# Australia, Public and community housing, Rent, Federal Government, Homelessness.Medical professionals fear debilitating mould-related illnesses go undiagnosed, call for further research
Steve Vivian ABC (No paywall)For nearly three years, Sue Phoo didn't know why her health was unravelling. ... But in 2016, Ms Phoo was suffering from extreme fatigue, depression, respiratory issues, a lack of concentration and no one could work out why. ... Ms Phoo's dietician, Richard Sager, told her she might have a biotoxin illness known as chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS). "CIRS, which is often associated with water-damaged buildings where you get this exposure to mould, means your immune system is not genetically able to get rid of the toxins that have accumulated in your body," Mr Sager said. [Read on ...]
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-12/severe-mould-illnesses-ci…
# Australia, Health, Mould.Building safety, planning and renters reform plans confirmed in Queen’s Speech
Dominic Brady Inside Housing (Paywall)From the United Kingdom ... A briefing document on the measures included a reference to a Renters Reform Bill. It said the government will publish a consultation response on banning ’no fault’ evictions under this bill later this year. This policy was first announced in April 2019. It also said it will “explore the merits of a landlord register” and publish a white paper in the autumn detailing its reforms with legislation to follow “in due course”.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/building-safety-planni…
# International, Eviction, Public and community housing, Rent, Housing market, No-grounds evictions.