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
Developers forced to fix defects after commissioner wields new powers
Matt O'Sullivan The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Developers have been slapped with orders to fix serious defects in apartment buildings and townhouses, as the NSW Building Commissioner signals he will not hesitate using his strongest powers to stamp out shoddy work in the construction industry. Almost six months after his powers came into force, commissioner David Chandler has issued prohibition orders in the past week to developers of four buildings in Sydney and Forster, north of Newcastle, stopping them gaining occupation certificates until defects have been fixed.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/developers-forced-to-fix-def…
# NSW, Housing market, Minimum habitability standards.COVID stamp duty holiday reveals big problems in the housing market
Michael Ball The Conversation (No paywall)The UK housing market has been affected by the pandemic, but in ways that were not anticipated at the outset. Initially, forecasters thought that the sharp reduction in economic activity could lead to a housing market crash. That didn’t happen. Parts of the market have instead been buoyant while others languish. Forecasting is tricky, but the result of the government’s temporary stamp duty cut raises some perennial issues about market efficiency and fairness.
https://theconversation.com/covid-stamp-duty-holiday-reveals-big…
# International, Coronavirus COVID-19, Housing market, Tax.The Sydney suburbs where it’s cheaper to buy than rent
Kate Burke Domain (Paywall)Record low interest rates and sluggish property price growth have made mortgage repayments more affordable than rent across Sydney suburbs, new analysis shows.
https://www.domain.com.au/news/the-suburbs-where-its-weekly-mort…
# NSW, Rent, Home ownership, Housing market.Government extends eviction ban until end of March, but loopholes for landlords to remain
Jon Stone (No paywall)In the United Kingdom ... The government will extend its eviction ban for another month, ministers have announced – but loopholes for landlords will stay in place. Most renters will now be protected from bailiffs until 31 March after another decision made just a week before the lapse of the current period.
But campaigners point to exemptions that are already seeing many of those worst hit by the pandemic summoned to court for possession hearings and facing homelessness. Under exemptions introduced at the start of 2021, landlords can now evict tenants who accrue six months of arrears in rent – even if it has been built up during lockdown.(Independent)
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/eviction-ban-exte…
# International, Eviction, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19, Homelessness.Loosening the mortgage belt: household interest payments at a 35-year low
Matt Wade The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)The share of household income being used to pay interest on debt has fallen to the lowest level in 35 years, freeing up tens of billions of dollars a year to be spent in other ways.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/loosening-the-mortga…
# Australia, Housing market.Labor launches new campaign highlighting aged care horror stories
James Massola The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Australia’s “fundamentally broken” aged care system - and its impact on grandparents, parents and children - will be highlighted in a new campaign federal Labor will launch on Monday. The campaign consists of a series of short videos and amounts to a pre-emptive strike against the Morrison government on the eve of the Aged Care Royal Commission’s final report.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/labor-launches-new-campa…
# Hot topic Australia, Federal Government, Older people.Why Sydneysiders didn’t abandon living in the city during the pandemic
Caitlin Fitzsimmons The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)For many Sydneysiders, the COVID-19 pandemic has made them more committed than ever to their home town. First-home buyers and families upgrading to bigger digs have boosted home lending and sent auction clearance rates to a 20-year high across the city, in a sign Sydneysiders are doubling down on city or suburban life.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/why-sydneysiders-didn-t-aban…
# NSW, Coronavirus COVID-19, Home ownership, Housing market.Ikea-owned modular builder in talks with multiple councils over deals
Lucie Heath Inside Housing (Paywall)From the United Kingdom ... The modular housing firm owned by Swedish furniture giant Ikea is in talks with several councils over potential developments.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/home/home/ikea-owned-modular-bui…
# International, Public and community housing, Home ownership, Housing market.