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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

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Key topics

Housing people with a hoarding disorder - what should a best practice approach look like?

Robert Mowbray Thu, 31/12/2020 - 12:00
Tenants' Union of NSW (No paywall)

Robert Mowbray, Older renters' Policy Officer at the Tenants' Union, looks at the ways in which hoarding disorder impacts on people's lives and the particular risks renters with a hoarding disorder face. What does a 'best practice' approach to supporting renters with this mental health condition look like? And who can and should be meeting this challenge directly? He challenges Department of Communities and Justice Housing to review the additional terms of its Residential Tenancy Agreement and remove the 'hoarding' clause which is a blot on its copybook! Check his blog (This Renting Life)

https://www.tenants.org.au/blog/housing-people-hoarding-disorder…

# Must read NSW, Discrimination, Public and community housing, Disability, Health, Older people, State Government.

The Sydney apartment tribes reshaping the harbour city

Matt O'Sullivan Mon, 04/01/2021 - 12:00
The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)

University of NSW's City Futures Research Centre embarked on a project to map the socio-economic make-up of people in Sydney's apartments. Its findings dispel common perceptions of the social fabric of Sydney's apartment dwellers. Bill Randolph, head of City Futures argues it has resulted in many apartment towers built in recent decades failing to cater for the people who end up living in them. "The bulk of the stock is two-bedroom, investment-grade units. And the majority of apartments are owned by investors," he said. The mapping identified about five groups living in the city's apartments.

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/the-sydney-apartment-tribes-…

# TUNSW in the media, Research alert NSW, Housing market, Landlords and agents, Planning and development.

Discussions underway to ban no-cause evictions in ACT

Lucy Bladen Sun, 27/12/2020 - 12:00
Canberra Times (Paywall)

Renters in the ACT are set to get greater protections as discussions begin to ban no-cause evictions in the territory. ACT Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury said he had commenced discussions with stakeholders on how to implement a ban in an "effective" and "reasonable way".

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6999718/no-cause-rental-e…

# New policy announcement Australia, Rent, No-grounds evictions.

'I find it horrific': Tenants in limbo over public housing revamp plan

Megan Gorrey Mon, 28/12/2020 - 12:00
The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)

More than 100 public housing tenants in inner-city Glebe have been plunged into uncertainty as the Berejiklian government pushes to demolish their homes for a new development with hundreds of private apartments. The government wants to force residents from the Franklyn Street estate, near Broadway shopping centre, and rebuild it with 425 dwellings, 70 per cent of which would be private residences and the remainder social housing.

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/i-find-it-horrific-tenants-i…

# Hot topic NSW, Public and community housing, DCJ Housing, Estate renewal, State Government.

Five ways landlords can find a tenant in a tough rental market

Melissa Gerke Mon, 04/01/2021 - 12:00
Domain (Paywall)

f you think it’s harder to rent out your property than ever before, you’re not imagining it.
Not only are there fewer international migrants renting due to border restrictions, but many short-term rentals have converted to long-term. Tenants are spoilt for choice, with vacancy rates in Sydney and Melbourne continuing to rise. There were 21,800 vacant rental listings in Sydney and over 27,000 in Melbourne at the end of November.

https://www.domain.com.au/advice/five-ways-landlords-can-find-a-…

# Australia, Housing market, Landlords and agents.

Sydney's investor-grade towers crush their tenants and kill the city's soul

Elizabeth Farrelly Sat, 02/01/2021 - 12:00
The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)

I love cities, especially Sydney, and especially their ancient inner cores. I support density and renewal. But not like this. Even by comparison with the seventies, this new wave of solid, cheek-to-cheek concrete egg-crates spreading across Sydney feels positively cruel. Read her opinion piece.

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/sydney-s-new-investor-grade-…

# NSW, Housing market, Planning and development.

'I eat two meals a day': The suburbs and towns that will hurt the most in JobSeeker cut

Katrina Curtis, Shane Wright and Lanie Tindale Mon, 28/12/2020 - 12:00
The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)

Tourist regions and outer suburbs will take the biggest hit when the coronavirus supplement is cut by another $100 a fortnight from January 1. The reduction in the payment means the 2 million people on JobSeeker unemployment benefits, Youth Allowance, parenting payments and other welfare will have a collective $205 million a fortnight less to spend.

https://smh.com.au/politics/federal/i-eat-two-meals-a-day-the-su…

# Hot topic Australia, Affordable housing, Coronavirus COVID-19, Federal Government.