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
Councillors announce social housing rent increase
Roland Sebestyen BBC (No paywall)Rent for council tenants in Sheffield is set to go up after councillors approved an increase. From April, rent for all council dwellings will rise by 2.7%, while the service charge for sheltered housing, burglar alarm charges and furnished accommodation charges will go up by 1.7%. Sheffield City Council's strategy and resources policy committee approved the changes on Wednesday. The committee heard the additional revenue would generate more than £5m in the year to April 2026, with some of the extra income being used to fund repairs, fire and gas safety works and tackling damp and mould issues.
# Hot topic International, Public and community housing.Rising rents force small businesses out of historic downtown Grapevine
CBS News (No paywall)Rising rents are forcing several small businesses in historic downtown Grapevine to close, raising concerns about the future of Main Street's unique charm.
https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/video/rising-rents-force-small-bus…
# Video International, Rent.Rent caps needed as part of reforms, says Corbyn
James W Kelly & Helen Drew BBC (No paywall)Rent controls should be introduced among other planned reforms to help tackle spiralling costs for London's tenants, Jeremy Corbyn has said. The government has said it is "transforming rights" with its Renters' Rights Bill, which includes bans on no-fault evictions and bidding wars, limiting rent rises to once a year and allowing tenants to challenge excessive increases. But the former Labour leader, who now represents Islington North as an independent, told BBC London the reforms would still allow landlords to make "excessive profits" and leave tenants "exploited". The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) said reforms must be fair for both renters and landlords.
# Hot topic International, .What the new residential tenancies law means for renters
Stephanie Ockhuysen 1News (No paywall)After the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill passed its third reading in Parliament in December, changes to tenancy laws are taking place from this month. The Government says the bill aims to encourage more rental properties onto the market. In a statement at the time of the bill passing, Housing Minister Chris Bishop said from 2017 to 2023 rent had risen by $170 per week, the social housing waitlist had increased by about 20,000 families, and thousands of families were living in emergency housing motels. He said the changes are part of the Government’s plan to fix New Zealand’s housing crisis. "The suite of sensible pro-tenant and pro-landlord changes in the Bill passed into law by Parliament will give landlords confidence to re-enter the market and tenants more ability to secure a rental home – including for their beloved household pet.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2025/01/24/what-the-new-residential-tena…
# Hot topic International, Eviction, Public and community housing.Calls for Govt intervention as pensioners stretched to cover rent
Henry McMullan 1News (No paywall)Two charities are calling for the Government to step in and help pensioners struggling to pay the rent as research shows it is getting harder for people to afford housing. A recent Massey University study shows a single pensioner on a "no frills" budget had a weekly spend of $564.25 in the provinces and $687.84 in metro areas. The pension for those living alone was currently $519.47, meaning receivers were often spending more than they were earning in a given week. The study also examined how much savings on average was required for retirement.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2025/02/04/calls-for-govt-intervention-a…
# Hot topic International, .Affordable housing plans spark parking concerns
Ruth Lucas BBC (No paywall)Plans for new affordable housing have sparked concerns over parking conditions in the area. Bracknell Forest Council's planning committee approved plans to demolish 63 garages on land at the rear of Shepherds Lane in Bracknell, Berkshire, to build three two-storey homes and five bungalows in their place. Twenty parking spaces would also be provided for future residents. Councillor Peter Frewer said the proposed development would "create parking issues more than anything else". The affordable homes would be run by provider Abri, which merged with Silva Homes last year. Each one would have a private garden and a footpath, linking Shepherds Lane and St Anthony's Close, would be created.
# International, Rent.Tasmanian renters are coughing up thousands more a year
Alison Foletta Mercury (Paywall)Hobart is one of three capital cities to buck the national rent trend of rents rising under 0.5 per cent. While some capital cities had a decline in rent, Hobart’s rent increased by 1.5 per cent, well above the national average of 0.4. Overall still a concerning sign according to Tenants Union of Tasmania principle solicitor Ben Bartl. “It is extremely concerning that rents in Tasmania have risen over the last year with the average renter paying around $1200 more per annum compared to twelve months ago,” he said.
https://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/tasmanian-renters-ar…
# Hot topic Australia, Rent.Climate change is forcing us to rethink our sense of ‘home’ – and what it means to lose it
Talia Fell and Codie Condos Distratis The Conversation (No paywall)The Los Angeles wildfires are causing the devastating loss of people’s homes. From A-list celebrities such as Paris Hilton to an Australian family living in LA, thousands of houses have been destroyed, leaving their owners shocked and grieving. And climate science points towards figures that suggest more such events are waiting. These events strip away precious memories created over many years, and sometimes over lifetimes. They prompt us to ask: what does it mean to lose the place I care most deeply about?
https://theconversation.com/climate-change-is-forcing-us-to-reth…
# Must read International, Disasters.