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
Australia's homelessness starts to rise again as economic support is wound back
SBS (No paywall)Less than a third of Australia's homeless people who were provided temporary hotel accommodation during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic have successfully transitioned into longer-term housing. Meanwhile, some 30 per cent of tenants who received rent variations from their landlords received deferrals rather than reductions - meaning their debts have ballooned as the economy remains in the doldrums.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/australia-s-homelessness-starts-to-r…
# Hot topic Australia, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19, Homelessness.McGowan on the hunt for new homeless facility after hostel leasing bungle
Hamish hastie The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)The McGowan government is on the hunt for a new 100-bed homeless facility in Perth’s CBD after it was revealed it didn’t actually have a lease for the Wellington Street hostel selected for the project. With the election campaign roaring back to life, WA Labor announced on Sunday it would spend $14.3 million on turning the YHA Perth hostel into a transitional and crisis accommodation facility for the homeless.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/western-australia/mcgowan-on-the…
# Hot topic Australia, Homelessness.Minister flags major extension to state’s $5.3b social housing blitz
Bianca Hall and Chloe Booker The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Thousands more social housing properties will be built over the next four years, on top of a $5.3 billion social housing construction blitz, under an ambitious 10-year strategy outlined by Housing Minister Richard Wynne.
The building initiative, which could lead to 14,500 homes being constructed in the first four years alone, is being billed as the biggest social and affordable housing program in the state’s history.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/victoria/minister-flags-major-ex…
# Hot topic Australia, Public and community housing, Affordable housing, Housing market, State Government.City of Sydney proposes fewer high-rise buildings for Waterloo revamp
Megan Gorrey The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)No more than three high-rise apartment buildings will tower over Waterloo’s revamped public housing estate, under the City of Sydney’s plans to accommodate thousands of new homes demanded by the NSW government.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/city-of-sydney-proposes-fewe…
# Hot topic NSW, Public and community housing, Estate renewal, Planning and development.Labor likely to ditch Shorten housing policies but says election platform is not yet set
Amy Remeikis The Guardian (No paywall)Expectations are growing that Labor will ditch the Shorten-era negative gearing and capital gains tax policies before the next federal election, although the shadow cabinet is pushing back against pressure to finalise its economic platform early. The shadow treasurer, Jim Chalmers, failed to endorse the previous housing affordability policy on Sunday, instead stating the party was still working through its agenda and would not be rushed into making decisions.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/feb/14/labor-lik…
# Must read Australia, Housing affordability, Housing market, Landlords and agents, Tax.Transparent wood is coming, and it could make an energy-efficient alternative to glass
Steve Eichhorn The Conversation (No paywall)Wood is an ancient material humans have been using for millions of years, for the construction of housing, ships and as a source of fuel for burning. ... In recent years, materials scientists have been experimenting with making wood transparent. Making wood see-through, and retaining its high mechanical properties, would provide a good alternative to glass from a sustainable and renewable source.
https://theconversation.com/transparent-wood-is-coming-and-it-co…
# International, Utilities electricity water gas.Housing surge is great news for asset owners while the rest are left behind
Bernard Keane and Glenn Dyer (Paywall)One of the few economic positives expected to emerge from the pandemic in 2020 was a fall in house prices, with banks forecasting a 10% decline in prices as lockdowns began, with gloomy scenarios bandied about of a 30% decline. Coupled with interest rates cut to the bare minimum, this would have represented a significant boost to housing affordability in Australia. But ... Australia's already poor housing affordability is set to worsen as property prices take off again — and asset owners and higher-income earners reap the benefits.
https://www.crikey.com.au/2021/02/11/housing-surge-is-great-news…
# Australia, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19, Housing affordability, Housing market.Demolish Packer’s Pecker and reclaim the park it was meant to be
Elizabeth Farrelly The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Annul the licence, rescind the lease, fill the Pecker with public housing, call it Packer’s Penance. Packer’s Droop. Or maybe, simply, Sirius II. There’s justice in that, as reversals go. Better still, demolish. Tell them we’ll have our park back. Reckon that sounds fair.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/demolish-packer-s-pecker-and…
# NSW, Public and community housing, State Government.