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
What Happens When 10 Million Tenants Can’t Make Rent?
Gianpaolo Baiocchi and H. Jacob Carlson The New York Times (No paywall)From the United States ... What happens when 10 million tenants can’t make rent? Dire conditions for vulnerable tenants also mean financial distress for landlords. Things have been particularly difficult for “mom and pop” landlords, particularly those who operate in the affordable market. In an October survey of smaller landlords, 30 percent reported increased pressure to sell their property, due to fallout from the pandemic. Yet investors looking to profit from the fallout have referred to this hardship as the “greatest buying opportunity of the century.” They are already preparing to acquire these distressed properties, sitting on more than $300 billion in “dry powder” for this purpose.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/03/opinion/affordable-housing-fe…
# Hot topic International, Eviction, Public and community housing, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19, Landlords and agents.Six months to pay off rental arrears, but advocates warn a 'wave' of homelessness is fast approaching
Amelia Bernasconi , Kristy Reading and Patrick Bell ABC (No paywall)Tenants will be given a six-month transition period to pay off balances accrued during the pandemic and set up payment plans with landlords. But one regional NSW housing advocate has cast doubt on whether the new support goes far enough.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-04/six-months-for-nsw-tenant…
# Hot topic NSW, Eviction, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19, Regional NSW.Why more people than ever are living alone – and what this means for the environment
Tullia Jack and others The Conversation (No paywall)Globally, households are shrinking – more and more people are living alone. In 2016, almost two thirds of all households in the EU were composed of one or two people, with shrinking households also prevalent around the world. As countries move up the human development index, households are expected to continue to shrink.
https://theconversation.com/why-more-people-than-ever-are-living…
# International, Utilities electricity water gas, Fixtures - lights, aircon etc, Planning and development.‘No way’: Calls for shut-down over Meriton development’s size
Angus Thompson The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)The size of a $3 billion development by Harry Triguboff’s Meriton in Sydney’s east has caused a neighbouring council to call for a halt to construction because of the impact of the population increase on nearby suburbs.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/no-way-calls-for-shut-down-o…
# NSW, Local Government, Planning and development, State Government.House price ‘blast-off’ rings affordability alarm bells
Noel Towell and Matt Wade The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)A year ago, as the coronavirus pandemic took hold, many experts predicted house prices across the nation would tank. But an unprecedented rollout of government stimulus, unleashed to nurse the economy through the pandemic, has turbocharged the residential real estate market.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/victoria/house-price-blast-off-r…
# Australia, Coronavirus COVID-19, Federal Government, Housing market.Does the government have what it takes to fix aged care?
Rachel Clun The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)From funding to legislation to regulation, the aged care system is broken, beset by neglect and fundamentally flawed. That’s the finding of commissioners Lynelle Briggs and Tony Pagone, QC, in the final report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety made public this week. ... But how will a government shy about tax increases fund improvements to the system and how will it tackle a complete overhaul of the way the country approaches care for our elderly?
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/does-the-government-have…
# Hot topic Australia, Federal Government, Older people.Weren't house prices meant to fall?
ABC (No paywall)A year ago, as COVID-19 spread worldwide, the smart money was on property prices taking a hit. But 12 months on, prices are rising faster than ever, with no sign of a slowdown in sight. In February, the market recorded the biggest monthly price gain in 17 years. So if the biggest disruption in a generation doesn't cause house prices to drop, could anything? And what does all the heat mean for renters trying to buy their first home? (ABC's The Signal)
https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/the-signal/house-price-ris…
# Audio Australia, Housing market.Property buyers seek spacious homes as FOMO kicks in
Melissa Jenkins The New Daily (No paywall)Property hunters are prioritising extra space to help keep the peace, as families spend more time under the same roof with more flexible working arrangements. Extra space is high on buyers’ wish lists amid the global pandemic, as people look for second living areas, home offices and larger backyards.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/property/2021/03/04/spacious-…
# Australia, Home ownership, Housing market.