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
The economics (not) of 22 new public housing units in Glebe… or asset stripping
Mike Brown The Fifth Estate (No paywall)Hot on the heels of the marvellous success of the Sirius building sale – from tawdry public housing to sparkly new luxury-housing – the Franklyn Street public housing estate in Glebe is next in line to be, errr, “renewed”!!!! In a deal with the private sector, the existing 108 dwellings would be demolished and replaced with 425 dwellings, of which “up to” 130 would be allocated back to public housing – a maximum of 22 additional dwellings, but possibly less, maybe none. The estate is much loved by its long-term residents, who (strangely) are devastated at the prospect of losing their much-loved homes of some 30 years within the next year or two.
https://www.thefifthestate.com.au/innovation/residential-2/the-e…
# NSW, Public and community housing, Affordable housing, Home ownership, Planning and development.Number of families becoming homeless increased by nearly 30% between spring and summer last year, government data shows
Lucie Heath Inside Housing (Paywall)The number of households with children that became homeless increased by 28% in England last summer despite measures to prevent evictions during the COVID-19 crisis. ... The increase was driven by a rise in the number of single-mother households becoming homeless, with 6,050 single-mother households being owed a relief duty between July and September, compared with 4,770 in the previous three months. ... Commenting on the statistics, Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: ... “Too many people have suffered too much. The government cannot continue to fail its citizens by allowing homelessness to rise through inaction. There is only one exit strategy that will end this crisis for good, and that is rapid investment in genuinely affordable social homes.”
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/number-of-families-becoming…
# Hot topic International, Coronavirus COVID-19, Homelessness, Women.Building for a better tomorrow: Policies to make housing more affordable
OECD (No paywall)Check out this report from our friends at the International Union of Tenants. Check other news at [https://www.iut.nu/news/]
https://read.oecd-ilibrary.org/view/?ref=1060_1060075-0ejk3l4uil…
# Must read International, Housing affordability.The fight for Franklyn Street
Allison Hore City Hub (No paywall)Rose has lived in her public housing unit in Glebe for the past two decades. One day she went outside and found an A4 flyer laying in the street showing concept art for a proposed new development on the site of her home. That’s the first time Rose heard about the government’s plans to bulldoze her estate on Franklyn Street in Glebe, and the start of what has already been an exhausting fight for the building’s future. Looming over Franklyn Street is the wrecking ball. Read on ... For more on the Glebe rally, check out the link at: [https://www.facebook.com/222442954504022/posts/3698678906880392/]
https://cityhubsydney.com.au/2021/01/the-fight-for-franklyn-stre…
# Must read NSW, Eviction, Public and community housing, State Government.Why are Australian home prices rising again and can it last?
Jessica Irvine The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Australia’s Teflon-coated property market appears to have proved itself again. Despite the country’s first recession in nearly three decades, Aussie home values – including houses and apartments – ended 2020 a solid 3 per cent higher, according to CoreLogic data. According to another report, the Domain House Price index released on January 28, the nation’s median detached house price hit a record high of $852,940 in the December quarter. Sydney’s median house price tapped $1,211,488 – a record peak – and Melbourne’s hit $936,073. All this, despite the steepest decline in population growth in decades thanks to international border closures – something that should, in theory, reduce demand for housing. Read on ...
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/why-are-australian-h…
# Australia, Coronavirus COVID-19, Housing market.Housing affordability: Record house prices reignite worries for home buyers
Elizabeth Redman and Tawar Razaghi Domain (Paywall)A stunning rise in house prices has reignited worries about housing affordability, with experts warning workers on moderate incomes will find it harder to reach home ownership than ever. ... “For essential workers and aspiring first-home buyers, the hurdles are harder than ever,” University of Sydney urban planner Professor Nicole Gurran said.
https://www.domain.com.au/news/housing-affordability-record-hous…
# Hot topic Australia, Affordable housing, Home ownership.Austin May Use Money Cut From Police Budget To Buy Permanent Supportive Housing
Meg O'Connor (No paywall)From the United States ... [Austin] City Council will decide whether to buy two hotels and use funds diverted from its police budget to set up wraparound services for the homeless people who will live there. (The Appeal)
https://theappeal.org/austin-police-budget-homeless-housing/
# Hot topic International, Homelessness, Local Government.Renters in England set to be allowed to keep 'well-behaved pets'
BBC (No paywall)From the United Kingdom ... People living in rented homes in England could automatically be allowed to keep "well-behaved" pets under new measures announced by the government. Housing Minister Chris Pincher said the new "model tenancy agreement" will stop landlords banning all animals. It is not legally binding, but ministers hope landlords will adopt it. You can also read this story at: [https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/government-changes-model-tenancy-agreement-to-allow-pets-69351]
# Hot topic International, Rent.