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
Aboriginal housing built and set to let
Lyn Turnbull (No paywall)The Aboriginal Housing Company (AHC) has delivered on its promise to build 62 affordable homes for rent to Aboriginal families as the first stage of the Pemulwuy Project. (South Sydney Herald)
https://southsydneyherald.com.au/aboriginal-housing-built-and-se…
# NSW, Aboriginal renters, Students.Greens split over heritage
(No paywall)The Inner West Council narrowly decided against listing Marrickville’s Church of Christ as heritage last month, instead supporting its transformation into affordable housing’. Check out page 15, December 2020 issue of Inner West Independent
# NSW, Affordable housing, Heritage listings.New city public housing developments
Geoff Turnbull (No paywall)Geoff Turnbull writes: ‘LAHC has announced two new public housing redevelopments in the City of Sydney. It has put proposals for the redevelopment of Franklyn Street Glebe and Explorer Street South Eveleigh out for pre-lodgement consultations until December 11 (see the communitiesplus.com.au website). LAHC expects the two sites together will deliver 850 new dwellings with about 250 social housing units.’ (South Sydney Herald)
https://southsydneyherald.com.au/new-city-public-housing-redevel…
# Hot topic NSW, Public and community housing, Affordable housing.Government slashes public housing
Rida Babar (No paywall)The government has announced that public land in Glebe and Everleigh will soon be opened up for private development rather than for social and affordable housing. Check out page 7, December 2020 issue of Inner West Independent
# Hot topic NSW, Public and community housing, Affordable housing.Shelter NSW e-bulletin
(No paywall)Check out Shelter NSW’s December 2020 e-bulletin here. This edition includes stories on ‘Social Housing Renewal – are the People of NSW getting a good deal? ‘ (with a specific look at what’s happening in Glebe and Everleigh) and ‘Rental Stress - still the main experience of very-low and low oncome households
https://mailchi.mp/shelternsw/shelter-nsw-december-2020-ebulleti…
# Must read NSW, Campaigns and law reform.Perth renters thrown lifeline as “perfect storm” housing crisis looms
Peter de Kruijff The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Rental tenants in Western Australia who fear being kicked out on the street once a COVID-19 eviction moratorium lifts in March have been thrown a lifeline from the state government. A $30 million residential rent relief grant scheme will be expanded so landlords can receive a one-off payment equal to 75 per cent of rent arrears from the emergency pandemic period, worth up to $4000.
For an update on eviction moratoriums around the globe, click: [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mD6BfXDwtcVO4CNnw-ba3NRodoAuxZqMoOI_T67IAw0/edit#]
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/western-australia/perth-renters-…
# Must read Australia, Eviction, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19.Is There Such a Thing as a Humane Eviction?
Ellen Barry The New York Times (No paywall)From the United States ... As a bulge of evictions looms, a Massachusetts sheriff is searching for ways to soften the blow … [but] the tenants in the third-floor apartment had 30 minutes to leave.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/18/us/evictions-pandemic.html?ca…
# Hot topic International, Eviction, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19.London homelessness pressures reaching “worst-ever levels”, councils warn
Nathaniel Barker Inside Housing (Paywall)From London ... Nearly 90,000 children from the capital are set to spend Christmas in temporary accommodation, boroughs have warned.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/london-homelessness-pressur…
# International, Homelessness.