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
Powerful debts on energy bills are tipping Australians “off a cliff”
Katrina Curtis The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Debts from unaffordable power bills are tipping Australians into long-term financial hardship because the system supposed to help them pay the money off instead sets many up for failure, an energy watchdog warns.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/powerful-debts-on-energy…
# Australia, Utilities water energy internet.NSW Premier rejects student quarantine
Michael Fowler The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says her state will not adopt a proposal under consideration by the Victorian government for thousands of international students to be chartered into Australia and quarantined in student accommodation from January.
https://www.smh.com.au/education/nsw-premier-rejects-student-qua…
# Australia, Coronavirus COVID-19, Students.Not in our backyard: Affluent councils oppose Andrews' public housing plans
Paul Sakkal The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Mayors representing residents in some of Melbourne's wealthiest suburbs including Toorak and Hawthorn have attacked an Andrews government decision to fast-track the planning process for new public housing that could be built in spite of residents' concerns.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/victoria/not-in-our-backyard-aff…
# Australia, Public and community housing, Affordable housing, Local Government.Don't transport Melbourne planning woes to regions: liveability professor
Rachel Eddie and Benjamin Preiss The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Rachel Eddie and Benjamin Preiss write: ‘Governments must intervene now to stop Melbourne’s planning woes being replicated in regional Victoria, a liveability expert has warned, as the pandemic prompts more city dwellers to consider a tree change.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/victoria/don-t-transport-melbour…
# Australia, Planning and development.Property booming, but in wrong direction for rural dwellers
Nicola Philp The Sydney Morning Herald (No paywall)Working from home and flexible working arrangements have become the norm by necessity and so we see a growing number of people questioning the daily commute and high-density living of the city. Accordingly, house sales in rural areas have gone bananas and prices are skyrocketing as cashed-up people buy either a new life or a bolthole …
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/property-booming-but…
# Australia, Coronavirus COVID-19, Housing market, Regional NSW.Homeless services turn away 260 people daily due to lack of accommodation
Luke Henriques-Gomes The Guardian (No paywall)Almost 300,000 people sought help from a homelessness agency in past year, with over 55s the fastest growing cohort, new report shows.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/dec/11/homeless-…
# Australia, Homelessness, Older people.Homelessness and family and domestic violence
SBS (No paywall)A report has revealed 40 per cent of Australians helped by specialist homelessness agencies last financial year previously dealt with family and domestic violence.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/40-per-cent-of-those-helped-by-homel…
# Australia, Domestic violence, Homelessness.Home ownership and super are far more entwined than you might think
Deborah Ralston The Conversation (No paywall)When the government’s retirement incomes review of which I was a part examined superannuation, the age pension and voluntary savings, home ownership had a surprisingly important role. … Non-homeowners, on the other hand, are among those most likely to experience poverty in retirement. … Boosting rent assistance would help, but it is only part of the solution. Other parts of the solution include increasing the supply and affordability of housing, creating a market in longer-term rental contracts, and boosting access to public housing …
https://theconversation.com/home-ownership-and-super-are-far-mor…
# Australia, Rent, Federal Government, Home ownership, Older people.