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
‘Frozen in time’: Heritage The Rocks precinct up for sale, potential development
Jenny Brown (Paywall)The mostly late Victorian agglomeration of terraces – nine currently tenanted – come under the custodianship of the NSW government Department of Planning, Industry and Environment. And, although this sales pitch looks like a final rousing flurry in the four-year selling campaign of 189 other department-owned properties from 2014-18 that occurred around proximate Millers Point, this is not the first time the Longs Lane grouping has come to market. ... A department spokesman says the precinct was marketed in late 2019, but paused at the beginning of the pandemic. (commercialrealestate.com.au)
https://www.commercialrealestate.com.au/news/frozen-in-time-heri…
# NSW, Heritage listings.‘Inefficient’ to fund aged care through superannuation: Retirement review chairman
Rachel Clun and Jennifer Duke The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)The chairman of a historic review into the retirement sector wants more people to be forced to pay for their own aged care but has rejected an industry push to reserve a portion of superannuation for these costs.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/inefficient-to-fund-aged…
# Australia, Federal Government, Older people.Growth much better than expected: RBA
Colin Brinsden The New Daily (No paywall)Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe says the Australian economy is in striking distance of recovering to its pre-pandemic levels after materially better than expected growth results. ... The governor said low interest rates are one of the factors contributing to the rise in housing prices. “I would like to reiterate that the RBA does not target housing prices, nor would it make sense to do so,” he said. “There are various tools, other than higher interest rates, to address these concerns, leaving monetary policy to maintain its strong focus on the recovery in the economy, jobs and wages.”
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/property/2021/03/10/growth-re…
# Australia, Federal Government, Housing market.A look at Germany’s growing housing shortage
(No paywall)Affordable housing in German cities is increasingly hard to find. What went wrong and can it be fixed? (International Union of Tenants)
https://www.iut.nu/news-events/germany-podcast-a-look-at-germany…
# Video International, Affordable housing.Non-binary renter has to 'straightwash' themself to appeal to landlords
Geraden Cannb (No paywall)From New Zealand ... In March 2018, home ownership was at its lowest in almost 70 years. Since then the median price has almost doubled and rent is up by a quarter. Stuff’s Off the Ladder series talks to those priced out of the market. Before flat viewings, Rae Ahern takes off their jewellery, hides their dyed hair and changes their clothes. The Wellingtonian, who is non-binary, says they and their girlfriend have to “straightwash” themselves to appeal to landlords in an overcrowded market. (Stuff)
https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/housing-affordability/3…
# International, Discrimination, Rent, Landlords and agents.Government issues COVID-19 guidance for people in overcrowded housing
Nathaniel Barker Inside Housing (Paywall)From the United Kingdom ... The government has for the first time released coronavirus guidance aimed specifically at people living in overcrowded or shared housing. ... It includes suggestions for letting air into the home, cleaning, handling food and the use of bathrooms. Landlords are advised to close non-essential indoor communal space in buildings where social distancing is not possible and to pay increased attention “to any potential defects in sanitary plumbing systems in residential blocks, such as unexplained odours". You will find the 'guidance' at: [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-shared-and-overcrowded-housing-reducing-the-risk-of-infection]
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/government-issues-covi…
# Hot topic International, Coronavirus COVID-19, Health, Home.$1,400 stimulus checks and vaccine funds: what the Covid relief bill contains
Lauren Gambino The Guardian (No paywall)The US House on Wednesday passed the huge $1.9tn coronavirus relief and economic stimulus package ... One of the main elements of the bill is 'Rental, mortgage and food assistance": The legislation also includes a number of other provisions that would provide assistance for food and housing, including money for low-income Americans to afford rent and pay their utilities, and aid to homeowners struggling to pay their mortgages because of the pandemic.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/mar/10/us-covid-stimulu…
# Hot topic International, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19, Home ownership.Waterloo South proposals – stacking Lego blocks
Geoff Turnbull (No paywall)The proposals for the future of Waterloo South produced by the City of Sydney Council (CoS) and Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC) are now public. CoS decided it needed to match LAHC’s number of units (yield). As a result, Waterloo South will become the densest residential development in the CoS local government area with 3,300 units within 12 hectares, which includes over two hectares of parks and new streets. The dispute is no longer about how many units go into the development, it’s now about how and where to stack the Lego blocks ... [read on]. (The South Sydney Herald)
https://southsydneyherald.com.au/waterloo-south-proposals-stacki…
# NSW, Public and community housing, Estate renewal, Local Government, Planning and development.