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
No space for culture: ‘matchbox housing’ leaves residents unable to honour customs in a South African town
Sinenhlanhla Memela and Philippa Irvine The Conversation (No paywall)In South Africa, urban planning is influenced by western-centric and colonial planning, including social housing, building technologies, architectural form, master plans, zoning, and land tenure systems. The colonial and apartheid planning policies and practices from the 1930s gave European settlers the sole rights to live, work and be educated in urban areas, where they had complete freedom of movement. On the other hand, the presence of African people in urban settlements was strictly controlled through pass laws, spatial segregation, and systems of land tenure that restricted them from living in towns and cities.
https://theconversation.com/no-space-for-culture-matchbox-housin…
# International, .The death of the living room: ‘It’s hard to invite people over – not everyone wants to sit on a bed’
Leah Harper The Guardian (No paywall)ithout a living room, your world becomes quite small,” says Georgie, a 27-year-old climbing and outdoor instructor. When she moved into a house-share with four strangers in 2023, she wasn’t worried about the lack of a living room. “I kind of thought it would be fine – I didn’t have that many options, and the house was by far the cheapest.” The property she rented was in Leeds, and what had once been a lounge had gradually been turned into an inaccessible storage space. To make things worse, the kitchen was tiny: “By the time you put a table against the wall, you couldn’t sit or stand without getting in the way of the sink or the oven.”
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/nov/26/the-death-o…
# International, .What new pet bonds mean for renters, as they are now in effect
Caron Copek Stuff (No paywall)New rules take effect for tenants with pets from December 1. Politicians who made changes to the Residential Tenancies Act said it gives tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property. “These reforms are a win-win for tenants and landlords and are a pawsitive step forward,” Housing Minister Chris Bishop said. The minister went quite hard on the animal puns. “Pets are part of the family for many households. Around 64% of Kiwi homes include at least one. Anyone who’s tried to find a pet-friendly rental knows how ruff it can be.”
https://www.stuff.co.nz/home-property/360904185/what-new-pet-bon…
# International, Pets, Rent.European Commissioner Jørgensen: Housing crisis needs 'holistic approach'
Euro News (No paywall)In an interview with Euronews, EU Housing Commissioner Dan Jørgensen calls upon investors, authorities and market players to work together to find a solution for an emergency impacting more and more EU citizens. In order to help tackle the housing crisis, the European Commission is working on proposals that would boost the construction of new homes, loosen state aid rules and remove bureaucratic barriers. “What we are trying to do is to have a holistic approach,” European Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jørgensen said on Euronews’ flagship interview programme The Europe Conversation.
https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/11/28/eu-commissioner-ho…
# International, Rent.Bay Area nonprofit wants to create permanent housing for homeless inspired by Texas community
Max Darrow CBS News (No paywall)In Santa Clara County, there is hope for a new community to help house the homeless, following a unique strategy currently being used in Texas. Aside from a few remaining traces of life, the once bustling, enormous homeless encampment at Columbus Park is now quiet. That reality is admittedly, kind of odd, to Ray Solnik. "It's gone," he said. "It has just disappeared, which feels weird." But necessary, he says, for a new reality to take shape.
https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/seeds-of-hope-bay-area…
# International, Rent.Man £450 short on rent after housing allowance
Helen Drew BBC (No paywall)A man left unable to work after a life-changing car crash faces a £450 shortfall in his rent every month, despite receiving Local Housing Allowance. The crash 18-years-ago left Steve Mikellides with severe spinal injuries, and the scar across his torso is a "daily reminder of the accident". Mr Mikellides, a former sales executive, lives alone in a privately rented flat in Thornton Heath, south London, but rising rents mean his benefits fall far short of covering his costs. The government says it is "tackling the impact of rising rents", but the Local Housing Allowance has been frozen on and off for years, meaning it has not kept pace with the market.
# Hot topic International, .Tenants left with no loo for 58 days win rent back
Cameron Blackshaw BBC (No paywall)Residents of a shared property in south-east London had to urinate in a bath or use the lavatories at a nearby furniture superstore for 58 days because their landlord did not fix a broken toilet, a tribunal has heard. The five tenants also had to put up with a faulty ventilation system that was so noisy it kept them awake at night and caused mould. They applied for rent repayment accusing the landlords of not holding the correct licence to run the Greenwich property and were given £5,300 back.
# International, .The impact of NSW building reforms
Cat Woods Law Society Journal (No paywall)These housing reforms are part of a broader housing and infrastructure agenda, accompanied by the Transport Oriented Development Program, Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy, Infill Affordable Housing Bonus, and the Renewable Energy Planning Framework. The Environmental Planning and Assessment (Planning System Reforms) Bill 2025 (NSW) (the Bill) introduces a raft of substantial amendments to the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 to streamline how housing projects are assessed, approved and coordinated in NSW.
https://lsj.com.au/articles/the-impact-of-nsw-building-reforms/
# NSW, Rent.