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
Solar panels on established public housing could save eager tenants like Dianne more than $500 a year
Daniel Miles ABC (No paywall)Not much has changed in the 25 years Dianne Marcus has lived in her two-bedroom, government-owned home in Churchill.
It's a modest home in a decent neighbourhood and, as public housing tenants, it comes with a tightly-controlled reduced rent.
On one hand, Ms Marcus feels lucky to have a roof over her head in the current climate. She knows she's one of the lucky ones in the Gippsland region.
But on the other hand, she has a gripe to take up with her landlord.
She's doing everything she can to save money and would love to have solar panels installed on her roof to help bring down her bills.
But her landlord — essentially, the state government — isn't on board.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-02/solar-panels-public-housi…
# Australia, Public and community housing, Utilities water energy internet, Climate change.Rental authority accused of failing to prosecute law-breaking landlords and protect tenants
Owen Jacques ABC (No paywall)Queensland's powerful rental regulator prides itself on making "renting work for everyone" but, as the housing crisis drags on, it has been accused of going soft on law-breaking landlords.
The Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA) is the key body that enforces legislation designed to protect the state's 1.8 million renters by investigating illegal behaviour and resolving disputes.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-31/rta-accused-giving-away-t…
# Must read Australia, Campaigns and law reform, Landlords and agents, State Government.There’s nothing wrong with raising kids in apartments - let’s embrace it
MIchael Koziol The Sydney Morning Herald (No paywall)The new boss of the state’s planning department, Kiersten Fishburn, lives in a 49-square-metre terrace with two children. As she told an industry lunch on Thursday: “Just imagine what every evening in my house is like.”
Fishburn puts her money where her mouth is on higher-density housing. “I’m proud to live in a dense area and I think it’s great for people,” she said. “Density is actually a social good, as well as environmental. But it has always been a challenging sell in the Australian context.”
https://www.smh.com.au/national/there-s-nothing-wrong-with-raisi…
# NSW, Families, Planning and development.Rent hike restrictions and an end to urban sprawl mulled in housing overhaul
Josh Gordon The Age (No paywall)Landlords would be able to lift rent only once every two years and may face a cap on the increase under sweeping housing reforms aimed at boosting security for younger Victorians locked out of the market.
Premier Daniel Andrews has warned that Victoria must stop the urban sprawl on Melbourne’s fringes, promising an anticipated planning overhaul would increase density and quality housing in middle suburbs, as well as provide renters with added security.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/rent-hike-restrictio…
# Hot topic Australia, Rent, Campaigns and law reform, State Government.Calls for property websites to list accessibility features as people with disabilities struggle to find rentals
Scott Wallen ABC (No paywall)Rachel Kayrooz needs to move from her newly marked-up rental in Queensland's south-east, but can't find anywhere accessible to go.
The community worker has functional neurological disorder (FND), which makes her susceptible to seizures, and needs a home with space to manoeuvre her walker.
It also needs to be affordable.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-19/rental-accessibility-for-…
# Australia, Starting a tenancy, Campaigns and law reform, Disability.‘I’ve found the missing housing – half a century’s worth’
Michael Pascoe The New Daily (No paywall)You know all the handwringing about the housing crisis, the claims that “it’s complicated” and that “there’s no silver bullet” and the broad resignation of not having a solution?
Well, I’ve found the missing housing and know what the real solution is – if any government cares.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/2023/07/22/michael-pascoe-mis…
# Australia, Public and community housing, Federal Government, State Government.Government must support renters in cost of living crisis, almost 30 organisations urge
Evie Breese The Big Issue (UK) (No paywall)Leading housing and poverty organisations have called on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to push through legislation that would prevent hundreds of renters from being evicted a week.
The Big Issue has joined almost 30 organisations including Shelter and tenant union Acorn to write to the prime minister demanding answers on why the government has failed to move the Renters Reform Bill forward in parliament before the summer recess, which will set it back precious months during the cost of living crisis.
https://www.bigissue.com/news/housing/government-must-support-re…
# International, Eviction, Campaigns and law reform, No-grounds evictions.Portugal’s bid to attract foreign money backfires as rental market goes ‘crazy’
Sam Jones The Guardian (No paywall)By 7.30 on a summer night, Lisbon’s steep, beautiful streets are beginning to fill with visitors taking selfies in the soft light, trailing from bar to bar and wrestling with the nightly conundrum of where to have dinner.
Margarida Custódio, who sits at home with her three-year-old daughter, Pilar, has more pressing matters on her mind. Like so many people in Portugal, where rental prices make a mockery of the low salaries, Custódio lives through a monthly agony when it comes to covering the costs of her flat. Despite a good job in human resources, she earns €930 (£795) a month after tax – of which €700 goes on rent.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/29/portugals-bid-to-a…
# Hot topic International, Housing affordability, Housing market, Short-term holiday letting, Strong communities.