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
Time and cost of building a house blows out due to construction boom
Tawar Razaghi Domain (No paywall)The time it takes to build a house is blowing out due to the country’s ongoing construction boom, with reports some builders are increasing the build price to avoid making a loss, and devastated home owners walking away from contracts altogether.
The country has seen a mammoth construction boom since the pandemic hit with government incentives such as the federal HomeBuilder scheme and other state-based new build grants boosting activity. While it has substantially increased business for builders across the country, the huge take-up in new house construction has left home owners with delayed building times and higher than expected costs. Builders who signed up home owners months ago for house and land packages are now facing unforeseen supply shortages and increased material costs, leaving them with longer build times and a blowout in prices.
https://www.domain.com.au/news/time-cost-of-building-a-house-blo…
# Australia, Coronavirus COVID-19, Federal Government, Housing market.Refinancing with cash back could be worth it. Here’s how the maths stack up
Matthew Elmas The New Daily (No paywall)Home owners could save more than a thousand dollars over two years by refinancing to a loan that offers a cash sweetener.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/dollars-and-sense/2021/08/17/…
# Australia, Home ownership.The tale of Alan and Annie: living in affordable housing and retiring from paid work
Robert Mowbray Tenants' Union of NSW (No paywall)‘What happens to an affordable housing tenant when they retire?’ The Tenants' Union of NSW isn't sure of the answer to this question. So, Robert Mowbray - the Tenants' Union's Older Renters Policy Officer - went to do a bit of digging.
https://www.tenants.org.au/blog/tale-alan-and-annie-living-affor…
# NSW, Eviction, Rent, Affordable housing, Housing affordability, Older people, Transfers and relocations.August 2021 News
Shelter NSW (No paywall)Check out the latest housing news from Shelter NSW:
Shelter NSW welcomes two new Policy Officers!
Planning submissions - Housing SEPP, Macquarie Park, Elizabeth Street Redfern, Blackwattle Bay
Parliamentary Inquiries - addressing homelessness and infrastructure contributions
Shelter’s Regional Plan up and running - research project launched and Hunter region conference
Shelter NSW August Members Meeting and Special General Meeting
https://mailchi.mp/shelternsw/shelter-nsw-august-2021-ebulletin?…
# NSW, Campaigns and law reform.The mysterious benefactor who is changing lives for the homeless
Julie Power The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Who was the late Dr Dianne Houghton? Not much is known about the reclusive general practitioner other than she lived frugally, loved dogs, and worked with those in need in developing countries and in Sydney during the AIDS epidemic. Following a multimillion bequest, income from Dr Houghton’s estate will support a unique general practice near Sydney’s Central Station specialising in the health needs of the homeless, regardless of where they live or immigration and Medicare status.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/the-mysterious-benefactor-wh…
# Must read NSW, Public and community housing, Health, Homelessness.Welsh housing associations partner with faith groups to build homes on church land
Lucie Heath Inside Housing (Paywall)Five housing associations and one consortium have been chosen to participate in the next phase of the Faith in Affordable Housing Project that is run by Housing Justice Cymru, Wales’ only non-denominational Christian housing charity. The project attempts to transform surplus church land and buildings into affordable rented housing. To date, it has delivered almost 100 affordable homes. It was launched in 2016.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/welsh-housing-associat…
# International, Affordable housing, Housing market.The poor pay more: How housing problems are costing our kids
Qiuyi Tan (No paywall)In a paper published in the New Zealand Population Review, University of Otago researcher Louisa Choe writes that "the poor pay more in all forms, not only in financial costs but also in opportunity costs and security... almost always receiving a lesser return on their investment. In other words, the poorer you are, the more things cost." It's a poverty penalty that is discounting the young women's physical and mental wellbeing to the point of "evicting" them from their childhoods, Choe argues, calling for policies specifically targeting young people's housing needs. (NZ Hearld)
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/the-poor-pay-more-how-housing-prob…
# Research alert International, Health, Housing market, Women, Young people.Bidding wars break out for rentals in lettings hotspots
Melissa York (No paywall)From the United Kingdom ... The only thing worse than being gazumped on a home you want to buy is being gazumped on a home you need to rent. Bidding wars may be commonplace in Britain’s frenzied sales market, but they are becoming the norm in lettings too. The post-pandemic landscape has changed. Landlords are selling to make the most of record house prices or they have pivoted to letting their properties on a short-term basis on platforms such as Airbnb to escape taxes, regulations and make money out of the staycation boom. The result? Fewer properties available to let long-term and tenants are having to outbid each other on the monthly rent to find a place to live. (The Times)
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/bidding-wars-break-out-for-re…
# International, Rent, Housing market, Short-term holiday letting.