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.
Our main email newsletter, Tenant News is sent once every two months. You can subscribe or update your subscription preferences for any of our email newsletters here.
See notes about the Digest and a list of other contributors here. Many thanks to those contributors for sharing links with us.
We love sharing the news and hope you find it informative! We're very happy to deliver it for free, but if you find it valuable, can you help cover the extra costs incurred by making a donation?
Archive
Young buyers face 'perfect storm' in the housing market
Anna Levy ABC (No paywall)Young people looking to buy their first property are facing stiff competition - and online 'bidding' platforms might be making it harder. High demand, limited supply and low interest rates have led to what experts call a perfect storm for the housing market, with prices reaching record highs. (Triple J Hack)
https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/housing-affordabili…
# Hot topic Australia, Home ownership.How clean does your rental property need to be when you move out?
Patrick Wright ABC (No paywall)When Stephen Grace moved out of his rental home in Sydney's Marrickville last year, he went out of his way to make sure it was left clean and tidy. The 26-year-old spent more than $350 getting the house professionally cleaned by a contractor recommended by the agent, and another $160 to steam clean the carpets. But after he dropped the keys back, he got an email from the agent, pointing out marks on the wall. It ended up costing him another $250, and it left a sour taste in his mouth. (ABC Everyday)
https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/how-clean-does-rental-property-n…
# TUNSW in the media NSW, Bond.Calls for legislated human right to housing as rental market fails low-income Australians
Matt Johnson The New Daily (No paywall)Decades of inaction on housing policy could be fixed and homelessness alleviated if the federal government legislated a human right to housing, a new report has argued. ... Dr Chris Martin, from the UNSW City Futures Research Centre, said enshrining a human right to housing could rectify issues surrounding the security of housing, particularly for renters. By aligning tenancy laws with a legislated human right, it could mark the end of no-grounds terminations and ensure state-level tribunals factor in a tenant’s human rights in any adjudication.
And in cases where an eviction is warranted, the tribunal would have to ensure the tenant is not left homeless by the decision, Dr Martin said.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/property/2021/03/15/right-to-…
# Must read Australia, Rent, Homelessness, Housing market, Human rights.‘Bloody appalling’: NSW government yet to spend $300m in rental relief
Megan Gorrey The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)The Berejiklian government has spent about $10 million of $220 million in rental relief promised almost a year ago for residential tenants in NSW who were struggling to pay their rent because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Labor and tenants’ advocates are pushing for the unused funds to help renters and landlords, as federal government support payments aimed at salving the financial impact of the crisis wind back this month.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/bloody-appalling-nsw-governm…
# Hot topic, TUNSW in the media NSW, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19, State Government, Welfare.High Court rules councils can lawfully house people with NRPF during pandemic
Lucie Hearth Inside Housing (Paywall)Councils can lawfully provide emergency accommodation to people not usually eligible for homelessness assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic, a High Court judge has ruled. Housing charity Shelter, which supported a former asylum seeker who was denied emergency accommodation by Brighton & Hove Council last autumn, said the ruling will remove any doubt local authorities have over their legal powers to support rough sleepers during the coronavirus crisis. The case involved Timon Ncube, a former asylum seeker who found himself sleeping on the streets last September after his claim for asylum was refused.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/high-court-rules-counc…
# Hot topic, Legal significance International, Coronavirus COVID-19, Homelessness.Why withdrawing super cash for housing is a dumb idea
Noel Whitaker The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)The prize for the most ill-conceived idea of the year might well be calls for first-home buyers to be allowed access to part of their superannuation for a house deposit. Not only would it drive up house prices, the plan has other major faults: It subverts the purpose of super, it has tax problems, and it fails to account for the extraordinary effect of compounding.
https://www.smh.com.au/money/super-and-retirement/why-withdrawin…
# Must read Australia, Federal Government, Home ownership.‘Getting closer’: Planning Minister intervenes on Waterloo estate plan
Megan Gorrey The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)The NSW Planning Department is taking charge of the proposal to overhaul Waterloo’s public housing estate after the City of Sydney and the state’s social housing agency failed to reach an agreement over controversial plans to redevelop the site. ... On Wednesday, the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment said it had taken responsibility for plans to redevelop the southern section of the site, known as Waterloo South. ... Shelter NSW’s senior policy officer Cathy Callaghan agreed it was “disappointing” the statement had not mentioned Waterloo’s “very significant and long-standing social housing community”.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/getting-closer-planning-mini…
# Hot topic NSW, Public and community housing, Estate renewal, Planning and development, State Government.After years of discrimination, many LGBTQ people are 'terrified' of going into aged care
Norman Hermant ABC (No paywall)When Geoffrey Ostling first considered going into aged care, Australians were voting on marriage equality. Living in his own home — with multiple staircases — had become too hard for the 73-year-old gay man and so he began looking for an alternative. He said he visited at least 10 homes, but none was right for him. "They were all pretty horrible ... ' [Read on]
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-18/lgbtqia-aged-care-experie…
# Australia, Discrimination, LGBTIQ+, Older people.