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.
Our main email newsletter, Tenant News is sent once every two months. You can subscribe or update your subscription preferences for any of our email newsletters here.
See notes about the Digest and a list of other contributors here. Many thanks to those contributors for sharing links with us.
We love sharing the news and hope you find it informative! We're very happy to deliver it for free, but if you find it valuable, can you help cover the extra costs incurred by making a donation?
Archive
Mowbray renter struggles to afford winter energy bills without solar
Brinley Duggan (No paywall)The resident of a Mowbray community housing residence provided by the state government says more can be done to help reduce daunting electricity bills. Jean Crawford rents a two-bedroom unit in a complex at Mowbray and said she had been locked in a perpetual cycle of trying to keep herself healthy and abiding by her yearly budgeted cost for electricity. ... Ms Crawford recently overcame an ongoing battle to have rotted insulation in house replaced, and she said the simple energy saving solution had already been noticeable, but the installation of solar panels and subsequent reduction of her electricity bill, for example, would change her life. (The Examiner)
https://www.examiner.com.au/story/7461075/hard-to-buy-food-inves…
# Australia, Public and community housing.China's property sector stalked by Evergrande default fears as developer misses third deadline
ABC (No paywall)Debt-saddled Chinese property firms took heavy fire in bond markets on Tuesday, after the poster child of the sector's woes, Evergrande Group, missed its third round of bond payments in as many weeks and others warned of defaults.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-13/china-property-sector-sta…
# International, Housing market, Landlords and agents.Low deposit boost helps first-timers jump on property ladder
John Collett The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)New figures show almost 33,000 first home buyers – about 10 per cent of the category’s demographic – have been helped to get a foot on the property ladder with federal government deposit assistance over the past two years.
https://www.smh.com.au/money/investing/low-deposit-boost-helps-f…
# Australia, Federal Government, Home ownership.China developers’ bonds, shares hit again by Evergrande contagion worries
Andrew Galbraith The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)At 4.06pm: Shares and bonds of Chinese property companies fell further on Wednesday after China Evergrande Group missed a third round of interest payments on its dollar bonds in three weeks, and as others warned of defaults. In the clearest sign yet of global investors’ worries of spreading debt contagion ...
https://www.smh.com.au/business/markets/asx-futures-higher-boq-r…
# International, Housing market, Landlords and agents.How do you raise mortgage rates without actually raising them?
Greg Jericho The Guardian (No paywall)The hope is new borrowing rules will take some steam out of the housing market without giving the rest of the economy a whack.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/grogonomics/2021/oct/12/how…
# Australia, Housing market.After renting for years, Tama Waipara still keeps expecting the landlord to come round
Sharon Stephenson (No paywall)From New Zealand ... Tama Waipara (Rongowhakaata/Ngāti Porou) is the artistic director and chief executive of Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival. He’s also a singer/songwriter who is about to release his fourth album. Tama lives in Gisborne. This is the first house I’ve ever owned, which is great after renting so many weird and wonderful places over the years. (Stuff)
https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/300416650/after-renting…
# Video International, Home ownership, Personal stories.Father of six buys new home only to be driven into caravan by mould
Declan Gooch and Emma Pedler ABC (No paywall)When Joe Treagus bought a new house on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula a year ago he did not expect to end up living with his wife and six kids in a caravan. Mould has infiltrated the front wall of the house and the ensuite and, with its smell permeating every room, Mr Treagus felt he could not put his family – including a week-old baby – at risk.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-12/sa-family-driven-out-of-n…
# Australia, Home ownership, Mould.Brisbane's only inner-city caravan park is closing up shop after 65 years
The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Newmarket Gardens Caravan Park in Brisbane's inner city is closing its doors after more than 60 years.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/brisbanes-only-inner-city-carava…
# Video Australia, Land lease communities.