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
40 organisations publish open letter welcoming Minister's announcement, concerned stronger protections required
Tenants' Union of NSW (No paywall)NSW community sector sign on today to Open Letter welcoming Minister Anderson's announcement of a transition plan to support renters over the next 6 months, but calling for stronger protections and additional financial support
https://www.tenants.org.au/tu/news/40-organisations-publish-open…
# Must read, Hot topic, TUNSW in the media NSW, Eviction, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19, Homelessness.Sunak’s budget was great for estate agents, but it did nothing for generation rent
Polly Toynbee The Guardian (No paywall)From the United Kingdom ... t the wicked heart of both household and national finances is housing. It is the great social divide, the chasm between the perilously insecure and the asset-rich. Housing burns away private renters’ ability to live on their pay, while every year the wealth of homeowners swells. Members of the lucky boomer generation who bought their houses in the 1970s have reaped huge unearned profits. Yet Conservative chancellors keep throwing petrol on the flames.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/mar/04/sunak-budg…
# Hot topic International, Rent, Affordable housing, Home ownership, Housing market, Landlords and agents, Tax.‘Dire’ outcome for thousands of renters as end of eviction moratorium looms
Rachel Wells Domain (Paywall)enant advocacy groups and welfare organisations are concerned for thousands of Victorian renters as the state government’s ban on evictions and rental increases, introduced at the beginning of the pandemic, is set to expire at the end of the month.
The end of the key protections for Victorian renters, introduced to prevent them from being evicted for the non-payment of rent due to rising unemployment and reduced incomes amid the coronavirus pandemic, coincides with the scheduled finish of JobKeeper payments, also set for March 28.
https://www.domain.com.au/news/dire-outcome-for-thousands-of-ren…
# Hot topic Australia, Eviction, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19, State Government.Are we seeing a sustainable housing market recovery?
Hal Pawson City Futures (No paywall)At the start of the pandemic, when it became clear that extensive economic disruption lay ahead, there was alarm about the possible housing system damage that could result. In Australia, one of our largest banks projected a possible 32% hit to house prices. Most other forecasts at this time anticipated a major downturn in property prices and construction. In fact, after only a short pause, house price inflation has come back with a roar in the later months of 2020 and into 2021. Forecasters are now projecting a general increase of at least 5% over the coming year with some predicting 10-20% over the next 2 years.
https://blogs.unsw.edu.au/cityfutures/blog/2021/03/are-we-seeing…
# Australia, Coronavirus COVID-19, Federal Government, Housing affordability, Housing market.How to inject fresh thinking into Australia's housing conversation
Geraldine Doogue ABC (No paywall)Since the Menzies era, home ownership has been the cornerstone of the ‘Australian dream', but for many it’s becoming just that – a dream. It’s a social issue, but also an economic one, so how can we bring housing back to the centre of economic policy-making, particularly at a federal level? (Saturday Extra)
https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/maki…
# Audio Australia, Home ownership.Why more people than ever are living alone – and what this means for the environment
Tullia Jack and others The Conversation (No paywall)Globally, households are shrinking – more and more people are living alone. In 2016, almost two thirds of all households in the EU were composed of one or two people, with shrinking households also prevalent around the world. As countries move up the human development index, households are expected to continue to shrink.
https://theconversation.com/why-more-people-than-ever-are-living…
# International, Utilities water energy internet, Fixtures - lights, aircon etc, Planning and development.Six months to pay off rental arrears, but advocates warn a 'wave' of homelessness is fast approaching
Amelia Bernasconi , Kristy Reading and Patrick Bell ABC (No paywall)Tenants will be given a six-month transition period to pay off balances accrued during the pandemic and set up payment plans with landlords. But one regional NSW housing advocate has cast doubt on whether the new support goes far enough.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-04/six-months-for-nsw-tenant…
# Hot topic NSW, Eviction, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19, Regional NSW.What Happens When 10 Million Tenants Can’t Make Rent?
Gianpaolo Baiocchi and H. Jacob Carlson The New York Times (No paywall)From the United States ... What happens when 10 million tenants can’t make rent? Dire conditions for vulnerable tenants also mean financial distress for landlords. Things have been particularly difficult for “mom and pop” landlords, particularly those who operate in the affordable market. In an October survey of smaller landlords, 30 percent reported increased pressure to sell their property, due to fallout from the pandemic. Yet investors looking to profit from the fallout have referred to this hardship as the “greatest buying opportunity of the century.” They are already preparing to acquire these distressed properties, sitting on more than $300 billion in “dry powder” for this purpose.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/03/opinion/affordable-housing-fe…
# Hot topic International, Eviction, Public and community housing, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19, Landlords and agents.