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
‘Riddled with it’: Secret Covid-19 outbreak in housing tower
Candace Sutton news.com.au (No paywall)A Covid-19 outbreak in a housing commission tower in Sydney’s inner suburb of Redfern has been kept quiet by NSW Health, with fearful locals locked up in a building some say is “riddled with” the virus. The infected block at 57 Morehead Street, Redfern, known as “Lawson”, is one of three massive towers in which thousands of residents have been told to get tested and self-isolate. But locals say it is impossible to isolate in any of the buildings – nicknamed “the three sisters” – because of limited access via just a few lifts. Meanwhile residents are confined to their tiny flats by order of a letter shoved under their doors which commands them to keep their doors shut and avoid the lifts, entries and exits. The outbreak began around August 31 and cases have been identified in the apartment block for 13 days, a letter given to residents said. The letter, obtained by news.com.au, says “due to his exposure no visitors or new residents are permitted to come to 57 Morehead Street Redfern for the next 14 days”. However, the address is not listed among any NSW Health online locations of concern. You can check out the same story on the ABC at: [https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-16/sydney-news-redfern-tower-outbreak/100464546] and on Flat Chat at: [https://www.flat-chat.com.au/redfern-blockdown/]
https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/riddled-with-it-secret-…
# Hot topic NSW, Public and community housing, Coronavirus COVID-19, Homes NSW, Health.Australia’s house prices are disconnected from reality – and the RBA wants you to know it isn’t to blame
Greg Jericho The Guardian (No paywall)Amid the insanity of house prices soaring, the head of the Reserve Bank has had enough of being blamed. With the latest data showing house prices going up faster than ever before, the head of the Reserve Bank has placed the blame squarely in the hands of the federal and state governments.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/grogonomics/2021/sep/16/aus…
# Australia, Federal Government, Housing market, State Government.Open Letter on the Lockdown of Common Ground Sydney Residents
(No paywall)Legal and human rights groups condemn the inappropriate policing and unlawful searches imposed on residents of Common Ground in Camperdown. We stand in solidarity with the residents in lockdown. (Legal Observers NSW)
https://legalobserversnsw.org/2021/09/10/open-letter-on-the-lock…
# TUNSW in the media NSW, Public and community housing, Coronavirus COVID-19, Human rights.Changes to notice periods in England from 1 October
(No paywall)The UK Government has confirmed to Propertymark that notice periods will return to their pre-COVID lengths. ... Moving forward, the UK Government intend to retain the power to implement any similar measures again in the future should the public health situation worsen. To this end, legislation has been tabled that retains the ability for the UK Government to reapply longer notice periods until 25 March 2022 as a backstop. (Propertymark)
https://www.propertymark.co.uk/resource/changes-to-notice-period…
# International, Eviction, Rent, Landlords and agents.Government brands squalid housing conditions ‘unacceptable’ after ITV documentary
Tim Clark Inside Housing (Paywall)The documentary 'Surviving Squalor: Britain’s Housing Shame' ... revealed the disturbing conditions some social housing tenants have been exposed to, and showed homes owned and managed by a number of councils, as well as housing associations including L&Q and Clarion. The conditions included leaks which led to near-fatal ceiling collapses, rodent infestations, persistent and chronic mould and fungus – in some cases within the homes of tenants who have breathing difficulties. [A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government]spokesperson said: “It is completely unacceptable for people to be living in the unsafe homes we have seen in this investigation and we are committed to doing all we can to support tenants. You can view the documentary at: [https://www.itv.com/hub/surviving-squalor-britains-housing-shame/10a1795a0001]
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/government-brands-squa…
# Video International, Public and community housing, Repairs, Mould.More Australians are retiring with a big mortgage. Should they use superannuation to pay it off?
Catherine Taylor ABC (No paywall)While rising house prices are pushing home ownership out of reach for younger generations, paying down a mortgage is a growing problem for those at the other end of the property ladder: retirees are increasingly leaving the workforce with mortgage debt which was far from the norm among middle income Aussies even a decade ago. ... [Rachel Ong ViforJ, Professor of Economics at Curtin University] says. "The pension, super and voluntary savings are the three pillars of the retirement income system but home ownership has become a fourth pillar. That's because of how important it is in supporting people's well-being in retirement." Yet as more and more Australians retire with healthy superannuation balances, the allure of using that money to pay down a mortgage is strong. But is it a good idea? ... Ong ViforJ says. "The appropriate policy response is to deal with high house prices but in order to do that you have to bring in measures that will bring prices down."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-14/retirement-mortgage-use-s…
# Australia, Federal Government, Housing affordability, Housing market, Older people.Aboriginal elders warned of Wilcannia COVID-19 dangers a year ago, inquiry told
Sarah Gerathy ABC (No paywall)Aboriginal elders in Wilcannia say they warned authorities a year ago that overcrowding in the town would be disastrous if COVID-19 ever hit the community, an inquiry is told. More than one-in-six residents in the remote, predominantly Aboriginal far west NSW town have now been infected after the virus spread rapidly in overcrowded homes that house large families.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-13/parliamentary-inquiry-cov…
# NSW, Coronavirus COVID-19, Families, Health, Race and ethnicity.Restoring confidence in apartment buildings is vital for city living
Editorial The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)More than two years after the Opal and Mascot towers debacles forced NSW to confront a problem long ignored, the fight to restore public confidence in the integrity of apartment buildings is far from over. Ensuring that a focus remains on cleaning up the construction industry and improved planning is critical to safeguarding the growing number of people who reside in apartments. It will also help tackle housing affordability and enhance city living. ... In a similar vein, the state needs to urgently step up its investment in social housing.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/restoring-confidence-in-apar…
# NSW, Public and community housing, Strata, Coronavirus COVID-19, Housing affordability, Housing market, Minimum habitability standards, Planning and development.