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
Stories from the frontline of Australia’s rental crisis
Liam Heitmann-Ryce-LeMercier The Saturday Paper (Soft Paywall)Thomas is 21. He’s a retail manager from Perth who recently moved to Melbourne for better career opportunities. Crossing the continent, he was struck by the sharp contrast between the rental markets of the two cities. “The rental process in Perth is relatively simple, in terms of documentation and references, making it easier to secure a place when you’re finally selected from an over-saturated pool of applicants,” he says. “I was shocked at how invasive some of the requirements were in Melbourne by comparison. I couldn’t help but wonder how property managers and real estate offices are storing my private information – if they were hacked, cyber criminals would have access to all of my banking information, employment history and personal ID.”
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/economy/2024/11/09/stor…
# Hot topic Australia, Rent.Ending homelessness is possible
Natasha Mitchell ABC (No paywall)It needs strong leadership and good coordination. But most of all, it needs public opinion to rise up and push policy makers to tackle this crisis. Canada can teach us a lesson in how to do that. Homelessness is a systemic housing problem – not caused by mental health issues or drug abuse.
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/bigideas/ending-homelessn…
# Audio Australia, .Study shows Australian renters willing to pay more to secure indefinite leases
Rachel Clayton ABC (No paywall)Chris Little has mastered the art of packing up his life. For the 49-year-old father of two, folding away clothes has become a familiar ritual — not just because of his young daughters but because of the constant moves. "This is the fifth house I've lived in this area in the last 10 years," he said. "It's a pain having to move every 12 months, two years, three years. "I've had three notices given by the landlords that they intend to sell or their children are going to move into the property. And each time I've moved out, [the property] has been rented out again at a large price."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-12/renters-willing-to-pay-mo…
# Must read Australia, Rent.‘Solid start’: Property industry leaders grade Albanese government's housing agenda
Benn Dorrington realestate.com.au (No paywall)The federal government has been under pressure to solve the country’s housing challenges – everything from making home ownership and renting more affordable to helping shelter vulnerable Aussies. Under its housing agenda, the government has committed $32 billion to helping Australians to build, rent and buy, and to reach its target of seeing 1.2 million new homes built. Housing affordability and cost of living will continue to be high on the agenda, with the next federal election less than a year away.
https://www.realestate.com.au/news/solid-start-property-industry…
# Hot topic, TUNSW in the media Australia, .Want to slash social housing waitlists? We should allow tenants to swap homes
Andrea Sharam and Debbie Faulkner The Conversation (No paywall)There are 184,100 people on social housing waiting lists around the country, reflecting the impact of declining homeownership and escalating private rents. However, building new social housing takes a lot of time and money. The Australian government’s $2 billion social housing plan, for example, will deliver only around 4,000 new homes. But even for people with roofs over their heads, it doesn’t necessarily mean they live in the best house for their circumstances. Their homes could be too big, too small, or have yard space they struggle to maintain.
https://theconversation.com/want-to-slash-social-housing-waitlis…
# Must read Australia, Public and community housing, Rent.'Should be as good as home ownership': How can Australia improve the lives of renters?
Elfy Scott, Adriana Wainstok SBS (No paywall)Australians are being forced to rent for longer, despite most saying they would prefer to own their homes for the long-term stability, ability to make modifications and freedom to own pets. A new report from independent national research network the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) has looked at the the nation's housing trends and preferences. While the majority of Australians are homeowners, that number decreased across all age brackets from 2011 to 2021 (except for Australians aged 80 years old and over).
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/would-australian-renters-be-…
# Hot topic Australia, Rent.‘It’s never going to happen’: three in five Australian renters expect to never own a home as steep rents hit
Cait Kelly The Guardian (No paywall)Kyle Ward wants to own a home. He and his wife have been saving hard, living in a cheap rental in Ipswich, south-east Queensland, for three years. Paying $365 rent a week, they were saving everything they could. Ward, 36, earns $68,000 a year and his wife, 34, is a carer for her mother. She gets the pension – just over $1,000 a fortnight. Saving was going well until their landlord decided to sell – to another investor who wanted to divide the property into individual rooms to rent out separately, he said.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/nov/12/australia…
# Hot topic Australia, Rent.Kyle found the perfect place to rent when his application was rejected... the real estate agent's reason left him stunned
Max Aldred Daily Mail (UK) (No paywall)An Aussie CEO has revealed he was rejected from the perfect rental because the real estate agent claimed he was single and too young. Kyle Hunt, 25, who juggles executive work for three companies, was eager to find a home close to work and spotted a promising listing in Melbourne last month. He arranged for a private viewing of the property and was elated to inspect it. 'I'd been looking for an apartment for three months and I finally found one in the perfect location, beautiful,' he said in a TikTok. 'And I spoke to the real estate agent over the phone, super nice, and I booked the inspection.' But the agent appeared a little apprehensive when he met with Mr Hunt.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14064279/Kyle-Hunt-rent…
# Hot topic, TUNSW in the media Australia, Discrimination, Rent, Starting a tenancy.