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.
Our main email newsletter, Tenant News is sent once every two months. You can subscribe or update your subscription preferences for any of our email newsletters here.
See notes about the Digest and a list of other contributors here. Many thanks to those contributors for sharing links with us.
We love sharing the news and hope you find it informative! We're very happy to deliver it for free, but if you find it valuable, can you help cover the extra costs incurred by making a donation?
Archive
‘Throwing petrol on a bonfire’: Property prices tipped to soar if super used for deposits
Jennifer Duke The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)The nation’s biggest superannuation lobby group has warned capital-city property prices will soar, locking young people into inflated mortgages, if a Coalition backbench push to give first-home buyers early access to their superannuation for a home deposit gets the go-ahead.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/throwing-petrol-on-a-bon…
# Hot topic Australia, Federal Government, Home ownership, Housing affordability.Aged care, death and taxes after the royal commission
Anna Howe The Conversation (No paywall)The Governor General was handed the report of the aged care royal commission on Friday. It will be made public in the coming week.
https://theconversation.com/aged-care-death-and-taxes-after-the-…
# Australia, Federal Government, Older people.Instead of Eviction, Landlords and Tenants Talk It Out
Emily Nonko (No paywall)In Philadelphia, face-to-face mediated chats help both parties get what they need. ... Before Janaya Lewinski leads a mediation session as part of Philadelphia’s Eviction Diversion Program, she wants to know as much as possible about the tenant, the details of their living situation and why they’ve fallen behind on rent. Are there underlying issues with the landlord, like a bathroom that’s long needed repairs? Had they been struggling to cover a rent increase, or has an emergency derailed their ability to pay? (reasons to be cheerful)
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/instead-of-eviction-landlords-…
# International, Rent, Landlords and agents.No incentive for landlords to make homes green as just 12 per cent apply for Green Homes Grant
Jasmine Anderson (No paywall)From the United Kingdom ... The Government should encourage landlords to make environmental repairs through the Green Homes Grant by legalising minimum energy efficiency ratings, a renting campaign group has urged. (inews.co.uk)
https://inews.co.uk/news/environment/green-homes-grant-landlords…
# International, Rent, Utilities water energy internet.Australia's governments must be held accountable for the homelessness crisis
Connie Georgatos (No paywall)THE CAMPAIGNS TO END homelessness must be relentless. It is up to us to make governments respond to the will of the people. In December 2014, the Federal Government defunded Homelessness Australia, the peak advocacy body. Homelessness Australia operates on a voluntary basis – credit to them – and has not employed personnel. (Independent Australia)
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/austr…
# Australia, Federal Government, Homelessness.'My Old Apartment' Wants Renters To Know If Their Landlords Illegally Hiked Rent
Maija Kappler Huffington Post (No paywall)From Canada ... Have you ever rented an apartment that seemed expensive, and wondered what the people who lived there before you were paying? Advocates on Prince Edward Island think you have a right to know.
https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/my-old-apartment-pei_ca_6032…
# International, Rent, Landlords and agents.Concerns raised over 'squalid' Serco asylum seeker housing in Derby
Diane Taylor The Guardian (No paywall)From the United Kingdom ... A council is arranging an urgent inspection of asylum seeker accommodation in Derby after concerns were raised about conditions there. Photos of the property seen by the Guardian show part of the kitchen ceiling missing, rubble in the base of a shower, cracked and missing tiles, rusted pipes and plaster missing from walls where wallpaper has peeled off. The garden is strewn with litter and discarded furniture.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/feb/25/concerns-raised…
# Hot topic International, Human rights, Minimum habitability standards.‘The current definition of affordable housing is unacceptable’: introducing the first ever bishop for housing
Martin Hilditch Inside Housing (No paywall)From the United Kingdom ... The Church of England’s first ever bishop for housing, Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, has big plans to drive change in the church and society as well as give the word ‘affordable’ some meaning again. ... 'the primary issue with the housing sector is not just a lack of housing, but instead a lack of truly affordable housing, particularly for those on low incomes' ... a good home needs to be safe, stable, sociable (a place where people can feel part of a community), satisfying and sustainable.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/insight/insight/the-current-defi…
# International, Public and community housing, Affordable housing.