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
“Covid created an opportunity”: Lisbon to turn tourist flats into homes
Ashifa Kassam The Guardian (No paywall)From Portugal ... Initiative offers landlords the option of renting their properties to the city for a minimum of five years.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/01/covid-created-an-o…
# International, Coronavirus COVID-19, Short-term holiday letting.Airbnb founders set for bonanza as terms set for bumper IPO
Anirban Sen and others The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Airbnb said on Tuesday (US time) it is aiming for a valuation of up to $US34.8 billion ($47.2 billion) in its initial public offering (IPO), in what would cap a stunning recovery in its fortunes after the US home rental firm's business was heavily damaged by the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/airbnb-founders-set-fo…
# International, Coronavirus COVID-19, Short-term holiday letting.‘“No win, no fee” lawyers targeting tenants of “soft touch” social landlords
Nathaniel Barker Inside Housing (Paywall)Social housing tenants are being targeted by unscrupulous lawyers seeking to profit from new legislation intended to raise standards in rented homes, experts have warned.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/no-win-no-fee-lawyers-targe…
# Legal significance International, Public and community housing.Cladding subcontractor agrees Grenfell work was ‘shocking’ and ‘unacceptable
Jim Dunton (No paywall)From United Kingdom ... The Grenfell Tower Inquiry hearings resumed in London today. Images from the expert witness report of Fire Engineer Dr Barbara Lane reveal incorrectly installed fire-breaks on the Grenfell Tower building. Cladding subcontractors Osborne Berry have conceded that its work on the structure was "shocking" and "unacceptable:" (Building)
https://www.building.co.uk/news/cladding-subcontractor-agrees-gr…
# International, Asbestos, lead, hazardous materials, Housing market.Housing inventory wins unanimous approval from supervisors
Joshua Sabatini (No paywall)From the United States ... San Francisco will require landlords to report rental unit information annually including how many are vacant and how much tenants are paying them in rent under legislation approved Tuesday. (San Francisco Examiner)
https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/housing-inventory-wins-unanimous…
# International, Rent.LRU member in Haringey was illegally evicted from her flat by YMCA North London
London Renters Union (No paywall)From United Kingdom ... Earlier this year, at the height of the pandemic, an LRU member in Haringey was illegally evicted from her flat by YMCA North London, a charity that claims to support young people. Because of public pressure on YMCA, she got her keys back. But YMCA are still trying to evict her.
# International, Eviction, Coronavirus COVID-19.Evictions have led to hundreds of thousands of additional Covid-19 cases, research finds
Annie Nova (No paywall)From the United States ... Expiring state eviction bans have led to hundreds of thousands of additional coronavirus cases, new research finds, raising alarm about what will happen when the national eviction moratorium lapses next month. (CNBC)
https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2020/11/27/evictions-have-led-to-hundre…
# International, Eviction, Coronavirus COVID-19.How unis can use student housing to solve international student quarantine issues
Christopher Ziguras and Tom Alves The Conversation (No paywall)The arrival at Darwin airport on Monday of 63 students from China, Hong Kong, Japan, Vietnam and Indonesia on a charter flight from Singapore ended an eight-month hiatus in international student arrivals in Australia. They are now in the Howard Springs quarantine facility. Quarantine capacity is a major issue, given the numbers of international students. Using student accommodation to quarantine newly arrived students is a way to increase this capacity. Our research, released today, shows this could be important for solving the quarantine issue.
https://theconversation.com/how-unis-can-use-student-housing-to-…
# Research alert Australia, Coronavirus COVID-19, Students.