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
How to make your rental feel like home without losing your bond
Yasmin Jeffery ABC (No paywall)So, you're in a rental. That doesn't necessarily mean you have to settle for living in a home that isn't your aesthetic. Here's how to negotiate apartment upgrades – big and small.
https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/how-to-get-permission-for-rental…
# Australia, Rent.Welsh government commits to building 20,000 low-carbon social rent homes
Dominic Brady Inside Housing (Paywall)The Welsh government has vowed to build 20,000 new low-carbon social homes for rent and improve building safety in its five-year ‘Programme for Government’. The Labour government, led by first minister Mark Drakeford, has proposed a number of policies which it says will create a “fairer, greener, stronger and ever more successful Wales”. It said for the first time transport, planning, housing and energy policies will be informed by the government’s legally binding target of reaching net zero by 2050. Part of the Programme for Government includes the commitment to build 20,000 new low-carbon social rent homes.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/welsh-government-commi…
# International, Public and community housing, Utilities water energy internet.State government windfall tax stalls plans for new suburb
Damien Ractliffe, Patrick Elligett and Michael Fowler The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)A plan to turn Sandown Racecourse into a suburb the size of Wangaratta has stalled as a result of a new state government tax that would cost the site’s owners hundreds of millions of dollars.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/victoria/state-government-windfa…
# Australia, Housing market, Tax.Residential property developers shift to boutique, low-density projects in the wake of COVID
Allison Worrall (No paywall)Residential developers have shifted their focus to lower-risk projects such as smaller apartment blocks, townhouses and housing estates, while high-density developments continue to fall out of favour, according to a new Knight Frank report.
https://www.commercialrealestate.com.au/news/residential-propert…
# Australia, Coronavirus COVID-19, Planning and development.Market frenzy slows as more properties and affordability constraints ease buyer demand
Kate Burke Domain (No paywall)Sydney’s runaway property price growth looks set to lose steam over the cooler winter months, as affordability constraints and an increase in the number of homes for sale take some of the heat out of the city’s property market.
https://www.domain.com.au/news/market-frenzy-slows-as-more-prope…
# NSW, Housing affordability, Housing market.‘We don’t want a Chatswood’: Critics attack plan for tall towers in Edgecliff
Andrew Taylor The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Towers up to 89 metres high could be built adjacent to heritage areas in Sydney’s eastern suburbs under plans that critics say will impact nearby residents and fails to take into account the COVID-19 pandemic. The draft strategy for Edgecliff Commercial Centre, which runs along New South Head Road from Rushcutters Bay Park to Edgecliff station, proposes up to 500 new apartments and 6750 square metres of additional commercial floor space.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/we-don-t-want-a-chatswood-critic…
# NSW, Local Government, Planning and development.Soaring house prices: an economic threat eating away the future
Shane Wright The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)On 'Einstein’s test of madness' ... Australia’s runaway house prices are making the national economy less stable and lowering productivity, according to research which warns home ownership is now out of reach for anyone under the age of 35 as governments repeat failed policy fixes. Special research led by UNSW finds the property market is now a “triple threat” to the nation’s economic future with the ongoing surge in prices creating economic instability, diverting money away from more productive pursuits and affecting the lending policies of the nation’s major banks. ... Governments have pumped money into various policies aimed at first-home buyers including the NSW which plans to offer a $25,000 grant, replacing existing stamp duty concessions. ... [The UNSW research] suggests such an approach would do nothing to make homes more affordable. ... ”In responding to housing economics evidence, Australian housing policy actions seem to perfectly meet Einstein’s test of madness, in repeating the same actions and expecting different results,” the researchers said. A federal royal commission into Australia’s housing future was required, they recommended, given how few “coherent policies” were in place across the country to deal with all the factors behind the surge in house prices. For an article on the same report by Jack Derwin of Business Insider Australia, go to: [https://www.businessinsider.com.au/australia-property-prices-royal-commission-risks-intervention-2021-6]. Check out the City Futures Research Centre webpage at: [https://cityfutures.be.unsw.edu.au/research/projects/housing-and-economy-scenarios-australia-2025-and-2045/]
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/soaring-house-prices-an-…
# Must read Australia, Rent, Federal Government, Home ownership, Housing affordability, Housing market, State Government.How much money do you need to retire? The answer depends on one big thing
Rhiana Whitson ABC (No paywall)Yumi Lee is 56 and should be looking forward to retiring in the next decade. But after years out of the workforce and time working overseas, she has less than $10,000 in superannuation. ... Yumi's not alone in worrying about her retirement. ... And if you're a woman, you're more likely to be worried about having a comfortable retirement than a man would. ... So why are we all so worried about not having enough? Well, it could have something to do with the super companies' messaging, but it also might have something to do with whether or not you're a homeowner. Let's dive into that a little deeper. ... The retirement income estimates used by Treasury and super funds are based on a retiree owning their own home and retiring at the average age of 65. In other words, if you're renting in the private market or retire involuntarily before the age of 65, you're more likely to end up in poverty. You read that correctly. [Read the full article]
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-15/retirement-superannuation…
# Australia, Rent, Home ownership, Older people, Women.