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
If politicians can’t fix the housing crisis, can the people do it for them?
Peter Hartcher The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Australia is an entire continent that is failing to build enough homes for the population of a mere city, but the federal government’s plan to fix the crisis has hit a brick wall. That wall is political intransigence. Specifically, it’s the Coalition and the Greens. They’ve combined to block the Albanese government’s housing fund bill in the Senate.
It’s the only one of the government’s major legislative initiatives that has been frustrated by the parliament. As usual, the Coalition objects that the government is doing too much. And as usual, the Greens complain that the government is doing too little.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/if-politicians-can-t-fix-the-hou…
# Hot topic Australia, Federal Government, Housing affordability, Planning and development.Push to set up new independent advocate for tenants amid ongoing rental affordability woes
Rory McClaren ABC (No paywall)For more than two decades, PK and her family have lived in rental properties.
Her greatest challenge has been dealing with an ongoing feeling of insecurity and a lack of support when things have gone wrong.
"I think that agents are generally, obviously, they are working for the landlord," she said.
"And that's not really a place you can go to with any confidence if there are major problems."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-06-12/push-to-set-up-independen…
# Hot topic Australia, Campaigns and law reform, Housing market, State Government.SA push for new renter's advocate
Angus Randall ABC (No paywall)South Australia could soon have an independent rental advocate under reforms put forward by the Greens.
There are many groups that can assist individual renters, but an advocate would essentially lobby the government on behalf on all renters.
https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/worldtoday/sa-push-for-new…
# Hot topic, TUNSW in the media, Audio Australia, Campaigns and law reform, Housing affordability, State Government.Tenants forced to consider sharing rooms as rental crisis bites
Lucy MacDonald ABC (No paywall)Rates are the highest they've been in a decade, rents are rising, and Australia's reserve bank governor wants to see more people living in share houses.
But what do younger Australians, who are already living in share houses, have to say about the matter?
And what is the renting situation like for those at the coal face?
Alivia has been living in her rental in Launceston, Tasmania, for about a year.
The rent has just gone up again and she says the conditions aren't great.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-06-11/tenants-forced-to-conside…
# Hot topic Australia, Share houses, Housing affordability, Personal stories.Byron Bay Shire chases 60-day cap for holiday rentals in effort to solve housing crisis
Jessica Wang news.com.au (No paywall)Despite the fact his district is one of Australia’s major tourist hot spots, Byron Shire Mayor Michael Lyon says the impact of short-term rentals is causing more harm than good, with the council looking to place a 60-day annual cap on all short-term rentals in the area.
The cap is tipped to be in place by June 2024, with the hope operators will move to renting their properties full time, in a bid to address the region’s rental crisis.
While short-term rentals in Byron generated $189m in 2022, Mr Lyon says businesses were struggling to employ workers in the area, due to a lack of long-term accommodation.
https://www.news.com.au/travel/australian-holidays/nsw-act/byron…
# Hot topic Australia, Campaigns and law reform, Housing market, Short-term holiday letting.Angry notes left in mailboxes of Victoria town of Lorne amid Airbnb, housing crisis
Alex Turner-Cohen news.com.au (No paywall)A mysterious group are targeting the suburbs they blame for Australia’s rental crisis and over the weekend they hit a new affluent area.
A mysterious group are targeting the suburbs they blame for Australia’s rental crisis and over the weekend they hit a new affluent area.
During the long weekend, the organisation, known only as ‘Your Concerned Friends’, left letters at multiple holiday houses in Lorne, a coastal town outside of Melbourne.
In the letters, they called on the owners of holiday homes in the area to give away their property for free to struggling locals.
https://www.news.com.au/finance/real-estate/renting/angry-notes-…
# Hot topic Australia, Rent, Housing market, Short-term holiday letting.Labor guarantees minimum $500m each year for housing in bid to win Greens support
Paul Karp The Guardian (No paywall)Housing minister says work for social and affordable homes can begin as soon as future fund is established but Greens say it should begin now.
Labor has guaranteed a minimum of $500m will be paid out of the Housing Australia Future Fund every year in a last-ditch bid to win Greens support for the bill to help build social and affordable housing.
The housing minister, Julie Collins, wrote to the crossbench on Monday offering a “guaranteed fixed disbursement” of $500m from 2024-25, with a new power for the treasurer and finance minister to increase the amount by regulation, making it a floor not a ceiling.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jun/13/labor-gua…
# Must read, Hot topic Australia, Federal Government, Housing affordability, Planning and development.Mandatory solar installation for landlords proposed to reduce tenant expenses
Oliver Peterson 2GB (No paywall)There are calls for landlords to face mandatory solar installation for tenants in an effort to bring down the cost of living for renters.
Better Renting Executive Director Joel Dignam spoke with Oly Peterson on 6PR’s Perth Live.
“We think that all people should be able to benefit from solar,” Mr Dignam said.
https://www.6pr.com.au/mandatory-solar-installation-for-landlord…
# Hot topic, Audio Australia, Rent, Housing market, Landlords and agents.