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
Melbourne is getting closer to overtaking Sydney in population – what does it mean for both cities?
Elias Visontay The Guardian (No paywall)The southern capital is now the closest it has been since 1930 to overtaking Sydney as Australia’s most populous city. Sydney grew by 57,100 people to 5.4 million residents over the 2019-20 financial year, an increase trumped by the 80,100 residents Melbourne added in the same period to bring its population to 5.2 million, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics last week.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/apr/04/melbourne…
# Australia, Housing market, Planning and development.Across the UK, environmental protest is surging. So why don't we hear about it?
Ros Coward The Guardian (No paywall)From the United Kingdom ... It’s not surprising that politicians downplay and “localise” such protests as lacking national significance. Given the government’s “build, build, build” agenda, it’s best not to let voters know that what’s happening to other communities will soon happen to them. But why isn’t the media paying more attention, especially outlets with environment correspondents? There were a few headlines about “greedy” Eton selling 500 acres of unspoilt countryside on the edge of the South Downs national park for 3,000 houses, but most environmental protests go unreported. So cumulative issues about the suburbanisation of the countryside, the scale of the loss of open space, and the catastrophic failure to protect our biodiversity, are simply not addressed.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/apr/04/uk-environ…
# International, Housing market, Planning and development.Liberal senator backs redeploying of superannuation early access scheme
Jennifer Duke The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg wants the Morrison government to redeploy an emergency scheme introduced at the height of pandemic letting workers withdraw $20,000 from their superannuation for other purposes such as first home deposits.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/liberal-senator-backs-re…
# Australia, Home ownership, Housing market.Renters in danger of losing their homes unless government injects financial aid, MP's warn
Ashley Cowburn (Paywall)MPs are demanding the government urgently address the crisis in rent arrears by introducing a package of financial support to those who have fallen behind on payments during the pandemic. (The Independent)
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/rent-arrears-covi…
# Hot topic International, Eviction, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19.Sydney median house price surges $100,000 in three months
Jennifer Duke The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Sydney’s median house price has risen $100,000 since the new year began as property values defy a global pandemic, leaving investors and first-home buyers battling it out at auctions. ... Major banks, economists and analysts now suspect the boom could slow rapidly due to expectations regulators may put their foot on the brakes to stop the market from overheating.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/sydney-median-house-pric…
# NSW, Coronavirus COVID-19, Home ownership, Housing market.House price growth soars to three-decade high
The New Daily (No paywall)House prices are growing at their fastest monthly pace in 32 years with Sydney properties leading the pack with a 3.7 per cent increase in March. The CoreLogic national home value index recorded a 2.8 per cent rise in March, with strong growth conditions across the country.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/property/2021/04/01/property-…
# Australia, Housing market.'Smokescreen of Covid': can Tasmania's early election obscure the crisis in housing and health?
Adam Morton The Guardian (No paywall)The afternoon before the Tasmanian premier, Peter Gutwein, announced the election, his government released two bits of information that revealed the depth of major problems facing the state. One showed public hospital waiting lists had skyrocketed to record levels. The number of people waiting for an outpatient appointment now tops 51,000 – nearly a tenth of the island state’s population and up 11% in just six months. The other illustrated a similar jump in the number of people waiting for public housing. It now sits at more than 3800 – 9% more than a year ago.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/apr/04/smokescre…
# Australia, Public and community housing, State Government.Amended Glebe proposal a “great win” for social housing advocates
Allison Hore (No paywall)Social housing advocates are celebrating a “huge win” following the announcement a new development proposed for Glebe would be fully set aside for social housing. The proposed housing development which will spread across two sites in Glebe, 17-31 Cowper Street and 2A-2D Wentworth Park Road, has been amended to now deliver 100 percent social housing. (Inner West Independent)
https://cityhubsydney.com.au/2021/03/amended-glebe-proposal-a-gr…
# NSW, Public and community housing, Campaigns and law reform, Estate renewal, State Government.