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
Calls for legislated human right to housing as rental market fails low-income Australians
Matt Johnson The New Daily (No paywall)Decades of inaction on housing policy could be fixed and homelessness alleviated if the federal government legislated a human right to housing, a new report has argued. ... Dr Chris Martin, from the UNSW City Futures Research Centre, said enshrining a human right to housing could rectify issues surrounding the security of housing, particularly for renters. By aligning tenancy laws with a legislated human right, it could mark the end of no-grounds terminations and ensure state-level tribunals factor in a tenant’s human rights in any adjudication.
And in cases where an eviction is warranted, the tribunal would have to ensure the tenant is not left homeless by the decision, Dr Martin said.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/property/2021/03/15/right-to-…
# Must read Australia, Rent, Homelessness, Housing market, Human rights.High Court rules councils can lawfully house people with NRPF during pandemic
Lucie Hearth Inside Housing (Paywall)Councils can lawfully provide emergency accommodation to people not usually eligible for homelessness assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic, a High Court judge has ruled. Housing charity Shelter, which supported a former asylum seeker who was denied emergency accommodation by Brighton & Hove Council last autumn, said the ruling will remove any doubt local authorities have over their legal powers to support rough sleepers during the coronavirus crisis. The case involved Timon Ncube, a former asylum seeker who found himself sleeping on the streets last September after his claim for asylum was refused.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/high-court-rules-counc…
# Hot topic, Legal significance International, Coronavirus COVID-19, Homelessness.‘Getting closer’: Planning Minister intervenes on Waterloo estate plan
Megan Gorrey The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)The NSW Planning Department is taking charge of the proposal to overhaul Waterloo’s public housing estate after the City of Sydney and the state’s social housing agency failed to reach an agreement over controversial plans to redevelop the site. ... On Wednesday, the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment said it had taken responsibility for plans to redevelop the southern section of the site, known as Waterloo South. ... Shelter NSW’s senior policy officer Cathy Callaghan agreed it was “disappointing” the statement had not mentioned Waterloo’s “very significant and long-standing social housing community”.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/getting-closer-planning-mini…
# Hot topic NSW, Public and community housing, Estate renewal, Planning and development, State Government.Why withdrawing super cash for housing is a dumb idea
Noel Whitaker The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)The prize for the most ill-conceived idea of the year might well be calls for first-home buyers to be allowed access to part of their superannuation for a house deposit. Not only would it drive up house prices, the plan has other major faults: It subverts the purpose of super, it has tax problems, and it fails to account for the extraordinary effect of compounding.
https://www.smh.com.au/money/super-and-retirement/why-withdrawin…
# Must read Australia, Federal Government, Home ownership.100,000 more affordable homes
(No paywall)Scotland’s 20-year vision for housing ... Plans to deliver 100,000 affordable homes over the next decade are set out today in a 20-year housing strategy. Recognising the importance of everyone having a safe and affordable home that meets their needs, Housing to 2040 – Scotland’s first long-term housing strategy – outlines what the Scottish Government wants housing and communities to look and feel like for the people of Scotland, with actions on how to get there. (Scottish Government)
# International, Public and community housing, Rent, Affordable housing.More borrowers tipped to fall behind on mortgages as support schemes expire
Clancy Yeates The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Credit rating agency Moody’s warns a growing number of borrowers will struggle to meet their mortgage payments in the coming months, as COVID-19 emergency support schemes come to an end.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/more-borrowe…
# Australia, Coronavirus COVID-19, Federal Government, Home ownership, Housing market.Ballina MP Tamara Smith supports call for fairness
David Lowe (No paywall)A deputation of courageous residents of residential land lease communities around Ballina have joined local MP Tamara Smith in calling for changes to the Act governing their communities, in the face of increasing exploitation and inequity. (The Echo)
https://www.echo.net.au/2021/03/ballina-mp-tamara-smith-supports…
# NSW, Land lease communities, Regional NSW, State Government.Midlands authority to charge premium council tax on thousands of empty homes
Dominic Brady Inside Housing (Paywall)From the United Kingdom ... Birmingham Council will begin charging twice as much council tax on homes that have been sitting empty for more than two years in an attempt bring the properties back into use. The changes will come into force in April and see owners of properties that have been empty for more than two years but less than five years pay 100% of their council tax plus an additional 100% premium, effectively doubling the rate paid. ... [for those] which have been empty for more than five years but less than 10 years ... these will be charged a 200% premium on top of their annual bill. The largest premium being introduced, for those unoccupied for more than 10 years, will have a premium of 300% to pay.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/midlands-authority-to-…
# Must read International, Homelessness, Housing market, Local Government, Tax.