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
Housing experts fear mass evictions across the North once coronavirus pandemic ends
Jonathan Walker (No paywall)From the United Kingdom ... Housing experts in the North fear there will be a wave of evictions once the coronavirus pandemic comes to an end. Private landlords have been barred from evicting tenants during the pandemic, but the Northern Housing Consortium has predicted "an upsurge in evictions will begin once the Governments temporary measures have ceased". And it warned "illegal evictions and targeted harassment of tenants" is taking place now, as landlords try to get round the current rules. And Iain Malcolm, former leader of South Tyneside Council, said housing officers "have very real concerns about a potential spike in evictions due to rent arrears" once the current restrictions end.(ChronicleLive)
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/housing-exp…
# Hot topic International, Eviction, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19.Renters in England set to be allowed to keep 'well-behaved pets'
BBC (No paywall)From the United Kingdom ... People living in rented homes in England could automatically be allowed to keep "well-behaved" pets under new measures announced by the government. Housing Minister Chris Pincher said the new "model tenancy agreement" will stop landlords banning all animals. It is not legally binding, but ministers hope landlords will adopt it. You can also read this story at: [https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/government-changes-model-tenancy-agreement-to-allow-pets-69351]
# Hot topic International, Rent, Pets.Austin May Use Money Cut From Police Budget To Buy Permanent Supportive Housing
Meg O'Connor (No paywall)From the United States ... [Austin] City Council will decide whether to buy two hotels and use funds diverted from its police budget to set up wraparound services for the homeless people who will live there. (The Appeal)
https://theappeal.org/austin-police-budget-homeless-housing/
# Hot topic International, Homelessness, Local Government.Housing affordability: Record house prices reignite worries for home buyers
Elizabeth Redman and Tawar Razaghi Domain (Paywall)A stunning rise in house prices has reignited worries about housing affordability, with experts warning workers on moderate incomes will find it harder to reach home ownership than ever. ... “For essential workers and aspiring first-home buyers, the hurdles are harder than ever,” University of Sydney urban planner Professor Nicole Gurran said.
https://www.domain.com.au/news/housing-affordability-record-hous…
# Hot topic Australia, Affordable housing, Home ownership.Why are Australian home prices rising again and can it last?
Jessica Irvine The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Australia’s Teflon-coated property market appears to have proved itself again. Despite the country’s first recession in nearly three decades, Aussie home values – including houses and apartments – ended 2020 a solid 3 per cent higher, according to CoreLogic data. According to another report, the Domain House Price index released on January 28, the nation’s median detached house price hit a record high of $852,940 in the December quarter. Sydney’s median house price tapped $1,211,488 – a record peak – and Melbourne’s hit $936,073. All this, despite the steepest decline in population growth in decades thanks to international border closures – something that should, in theory, reduce demand for housing. Read on ...
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/why-are-australian-h…
# Australia, Coronavirus COVID-19, Housing market.The West Australians paying off their mortgage by renting out their campervans
Marta Pascual Juanola The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)West Australians are making tens of thousands of dollars renting out old campervans and caravans sitting idle in their backyards to locals holidaying at home.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/western-australia/the-west-austr…
# Australia, Coronavirus COVID-19, Short-term holiday letting.Forget the tree change: Why cities are more important than ever
Tawar Razaghi Domain (Paywall)Since the pandemic hit, tree changes have been in the spotlight, but cities will be key for innovation and social tolerance in a post-COVID-19 world, experts say.
https://www.domain.com.au/news/forget-the-tree-change-why-cities…
# Australia, Coronavirus COVID-19, Planning and development.Don't make us move in a pandemic, plead tenants in 'dire' council housing
Harriet Grant The Guardian (No paywall)From the United Kingdom ... Families living in temporary accommodation in a dilapidated former care home in south London – some for several years – are fighting moves to rehouse them miles away to make way for a new development which doesn’t yet have planning permission. Despite government guidelines urging social landlords not to put pressure on residents to move during lockdown, the families say they have been under constant stress since last summer when they discovered that plans had been drawn up for the new development.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/jan/31/dont-make-us-mov…
# International, Public and community housing, Coronavirus COVID-19, Homelessness, Human rights.