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
Crisis accommodation is failing women fleeing domestic violence. Here’s how to fix i
Anastasia Powell The Conversation (No paywall)Every day in Australia, thousands of people call a family violence crisis support line. Often, it’s someone experiencing family violence who fears for their safety and needs support to leave immediately. These calls are made from shopping centre car parks, from the house of a trusted friend, from doctors’ offices and police stations. At the other end of the line, a family violence worker asks some questions to assess the risk, then a plan is made to support the victim to find a safe place to stay.
https://theconversation.com/crisis-accommodation-is-failing-wome…
# Australia, Domestic violence.Nurses face rental stress as rising rents push essential workers to the brink in NSW
Angelique Opie 7 News (No paywall)Heather Halliday is a nurse on a first year salary and has just been kicked out of her long-term rental in Fletcher, near Newcastle in NSW. “It feels like a huge kick in the guts,” she said. “I think I stopped breathing and held my breath for a moment just trying to process it.” Now being forced to look elsewhere for a place, the mum-of-two fears the uncertainty of not being able to find one, along with the cost. “We could be looking at another $100 to $400 a week extra, so be looking at over $1000 to want to stay in this area.” she said. Swiki Dhakal’s rent has climbed more than $100 a week. The Hornsby nurse says moving to a more affordable suburb is not an option for her and her partner, who is a social worker.
https://7news.com.au/news/nurses-face-rental-stress-as-rising-re…
# Must read, Hot topic, TUNSW in the media Australia, .Home ownership is slipping out of reach. It’s time to rethink our fear of ‘forever renting’
Dorina Pojani The Conversation (No paywall)A wide range of voices in the Australian media have been sounding the alarm about the phenomenon of “forever-renting”. This describes a situation in which individuals or families are unable to transition from renting to home ownership, due to rising property values and wages that can’t keep up. Forever-renting is often framed as a terrible condition that should be avoided at all costs – that renting is only acceptable in the short term, as an individual or family saves for a down-payment. The underlying implication is that the ultimate goal in life for just about every Australian should be to own a house – or at least a condominium unit.
https://theconversation.com/home-ownership-is-slipping-out-of-re…
# Must read Australia, Rent.Long-term funding failure for legal assistance organisations
Andy Kollmorgen CHOICE (No paywall)Around 800,000 Australians who couldn't afford to hire a lawyer received free or low-cost support from legal assistance organisations in 2022–23. Without this, the outcome of their dealings with the legal system would almost certainly have been much worse. But a report released in May last year confirmed what legal assistance centres across Australia had known for a long time – there would have been many more who needed legal help but couldn't get it. Despite years of campaigning by legal assistance advocates, the level of government funding has been chronically insufficient.
https://www.choice.com.au/shopping/consumer-rights-and-advice/yo…
# Hot topic Australia, .Bellingen's affordable housing project is complete
Jasmine Kassis ABC (No paywall)"After 2 years without a home, 62 year old Barbara Phillips is finally walking into her fully furnished apartment for the first time. A lifelong Bellingen local, Barbara works as a local postie in the heart of town. She is one of 23 successful rental applicants that has been accepted into an affordable housing project in the mid north coast town."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12-03/bellingens-affordable-hou…
# Video Australia, .Kimberley leaders sceptical of WA government, opposition housing focus amid chronic overcrowding
Rosanne Maloney ABC (No paywall)Nathan McIvor says he feels no sense of relief when the West Australian government announces more money for social and affordable housing because it rarely helps remote communities in the state's north. When the WA government announced its re-election pitch this week, more social and affordable housing was front and centre. But Mr McIvor, chief executive of Djarindjin Aboriginal Corporation, said the community, 200 kilometres north of Broome, was not eligible and had not had new homes for decades. Instead, as the Djarindjin population grows, the community has been dealing with severe overcrowding in almost every household.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12-07/wa-election-housing-polic…
# Australia, Aboriginal renters, Rent.‘Pathetic’: Landlord’s wild response to renter after clothesline breaks
news.com.au (No paywall)A landlord has been slammed online over their “pathetic” response to a tenant’s broken clothesline. The tenant had submitted a maintenance request after discovering their clothesline had come crashing down in the rain while their clothes were still hanging. Photos shared on Reddit show the clothesline - which was anchored to the back fence of the property - broken in half after seemingly snapping from one of the frames. Photos also show parts of the line, including a bolt, appeared aged and discoloured. However, when the tenant submitted a request to have the clotheslines repaired, they were told it was their responsibility to fix the line, as the owner believed the problem lay with the weight of the wet clothes.
https://www.news.com.au/finance/real-estate/renting/pathetic-lan…
# Must read Australia, Rent, Repairs.Regional Queensland rents in December 2024 quarter rise to Brisbane prices
Nicholas Finch news.com.au (No paywall)Rental prices in regional Queensland have skyrocketed to the same level as in Brisbane, with the median advertised rate in the city and the bush now $630. Weekly rents in Brisbane rose five per cent in the year to December while regional Queensland prices spiked 8.6 per cent, making it the most expensive regional area in the country to rent. Real estate analyst REA Group’s latest Group Market Insight reveals Brisbane was one of only two capital cities that had a rise in rental prices over the final quarter of 2024.
https://www.news.com.au/finance/real-estate/regional-queensland-…
# Australia, Rent.