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
The housing crash that didn't happen
Hilary Harper ABC (No paywall)For months, economists and banks have warned about a significant fall in house prices. After years of boom, it looked as though Australia's housing bubble would burst — heartening news for prospective new home owners, but nail-biting for those with a mortgage. But low interest rates and government incentives mean it has become the housing crash that didn't happen. Listen to ABC Life Matters.
https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lifematters/the-ho…
# Audio Australia, Coronavirus COVID-19, Housing market.Is the only way up? How the real estate market defied a crash amid the COVID recession
Matt Johnson The New Daily (No paywall)In the pandemic’s early days, Commonwealth Bank economists warned the real estate market could crash if the virus ran rampant in Australia. If the country endured a “prolonged” economic downturn, their forecasts said prices could fall as much as 32 per cent. So, why didn’t they?
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/property/2020/12/10/real-esta…
# Australia, Coronavirus COVID-19, Housing market.Looking at Australia's house prices you could be forgiven for wondering 'what recession?
Greg Jericho The Guardian (No paywall)The latest house price figures show that while the rest of the economy shuddered to a halt in the first half of this year, the housing market continued on its merry way. Thus far however this has had little impact on the rest of the economy, but with a surge of construction work via the homebuilder program the hope is that next year will see construction begin once again to boost the economy.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/grogonomics/2020/dec/10/loo…
# Australia, Coronavirus COVID-19, Housing market.Appalling outcomes’ for young people in Victoria once they leave the state's care
Elise Kinsella ABC (No paywall)A new report tabled in Victorian Parliament today has tracked the experiences of young people after they leave the state's care, showing high levels of homelessness, mental health concerns and contact with the criminal justice system.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-12-09/new-report-tracks-young-p…
# Australia, Health, Homelessness, Young people.The push to create more social housing
(No paywall)Some economists argue that government spending on social housing is the best way to help the economy bounce back from the pandemic while also easing a shortage of affordable housing. The Victorian Government has just announced a record $5.3 billion spend in the sector - and the New South Wales Government earmarked $812 million in its state budget. But will the Federal Government follow suit? Listen to 7:30 Report
https://www.abc.net.au/7.30/the-push-for-more-social-housing/129…
# Australia, Public and community housing, Coronavirus COVID-19.A renter’s guide to growing your own food at home
Linda Moon Domain (Paywall)Brad Barber hasn’t let leasing hold back his vision of food self-sufficiency. After travelling for years, in December 2019 the retired permaculture enthusiast settled in a beach shack at Halls Head, south of Perth. “It was just a blank canvas, totally bare,” he says. “When I moved in, I spoke to the landlord and he said, ‘go for your life’. "
https://www.domain.com.au/living/a-renters-guide-to-growing-your…
# Australia, Rent, Health, Older people.Regional rental price hike “here to stay”, as COVID-19 tree-changers snap up properties
Katri Uibu ABC (No paywall)Bec Brown didn't think it would come to this, but she and her four kids are moving into her dad's "man cave". … Ms Brown is finding herself in the midst of the "acute regional rental crisis" that has expanded beyond metropolitan areas, where some tenants are paying about $400 per week depending on the region.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-12-08/tasmania-regional-rental-…
# Australia, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19, Regional NSW.The old rate of JobSeeker left recipients with as little as $7 per day after paying rent
Evan Young SBS (No paywall)The old rate of JobSeeker was leaving some people with as little as $7 per day after paying rent, a new survey has found, as recipients brace for the government's latest winding back of the topped-up payment. Anglicare Australia’s survey of more than 600 people getting Centrelink payments from July to November also found 72 per cent of respondents skipped meals each week and one in ten were couch surfing.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/the-old-rate-of-jobseeker-left-recip…
# Australia, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19, Federal Government.