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 talk about race
Jess McCabe Inside Housing (Paywall)From the United Kingdom ... One of the main actions that social landlords took in response to Black Lives Matter was simply to talk to Black, Asian and minority ethnic staff about their experiences. ... Inside Housing wrote to 100 associations across the UK to find out what actions they have taken since those BLM statements were made, and 23 responded with details about what they have done so far. The vast majority have set up a process to have a conversation about race within the organisation. So what does that conversation look like? What can the sector learn from these conversations? And can this be facilitated in a way that helps staff and organisations embed anti-racism – while acknowledging that these conversations may well be traumatic for staff?
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/insight/insight/how-to-talk-abou…
# Hot topic International, Public and community housing, Race and ethnicity.Margaret River's beauty hides homeless disaster as property prices boom
Sinead Mangan and Alex Hyman ABC (No paywall)On any given night, 290 people turn up for a feed at the Margaret River's "soupie" in Western Australia's south-west. For many people "Margs" is synonymous with good food, big surf, and fine wine. But since the pandemic hit, people in search of the good life have flooded the property market, pushing people and families out to the fringes.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-13/margaret-river-homeless-d…
# Hot topic Australia, Rent, Affordable housing, Coronavirus COVID-19, Homelessness.‘Let the games begin’: All out war between pet owners and strata bosses
Michael Koziol The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Owners’ corporations are forcing residents to carry their pets across foyers, demanding their vets’ contact details and charging new owners application fees for animals in response to recent legal changes regarding pets in apartments. Meanwhile, emboldened pet owners are openly flouting by-laws banning animals in the wake of Horizon building resident Jo Cooper’s high-profile victory against a “blanket ban” on pets at the Darlinghurst tower, which was found to be unreasonable.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/let-the-games-begin-all-out-…
# Legal significance NSW, Strata.‘Frozen in time’: Heritage The Rocks precinct up for sale, potential development
Jenny Brown (Paywall)The mostly late Victorian agglomeration of terraces – nine currently tenanted – come under the custodianship of the NSW government Department of Planning, Industry and Environment. And, although this sales pitch looks like a final rousing flurry in the four-year selling campaign of 189 other department-owned properties from 2014-18 that occurred around proximate Millers Point, this is not the first time the Longs Lane grouping has come to market. ... A department spokesman says the precinct was marketed in late 2019, but paused at the beginning of the pandemic. (commercialrealestate.com.au)
https://www.commercialrealestate.com.au/news/frozen-in-time-heri…
# NSW, Heritage listings.‘Inefficient’ to fund aged care through superannuation: Retirement review chairman
Rachel Clun and Jennifer Duke The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)The chairman of a historic review into the retirement sector wants more people to be forced to pay for their own aged care but has rejected an industry push to reserve a portion of superannuation for these costs.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/inefficient-to-fund-aged…
# Australia, Federal Government, Older people.Growth much better than expected: RBA
Colin Brinsden The New Daily (No paywall)Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe says the Australian economy is in striking distance of recovering to its pre-pandemic levels after materially better than expected growth results. ... The governor said low interest rates are one of the factors contributing to the rise in housing prices. “I would like to reiterate that the RBA does not target housing prices, nor would it make sense to do so,” he said. “There are various tools, other than higher interest rates, to address these concerns, leaving monetary policy to maintain its strong focus on the recovery in the economy, jobs and wages.”
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/property/2021/03/10/growth-re…
# Australia, Federal Government, Housing market.A look at Germany’s growing housing shortage
(No paywall)Affordable housing in German cities is increasingly hard to find. What went wrong and can it be fixed? (International Union of Tenants)
https://www.iut.nu/news-events/germany-podcast-a-look-at-germany…
# Video International, Affordable housing.Non-binary renter has to 'straightwash' themself to appeal to landlords
Geraden Cannb (No paywall)From New Zealand ... In March 2018, home ownership was at its lowest in almost 70 years. Since then the median price has almost doubled and rent is up by a quarter. Stuff’s Off the Ladder series talks to those priced out of the market. Before flat viewings, Rae Ahern takes off their jewellery, hides their dyed hair and changes their clothes. The Wellingtonian, who is non-binary, says they and their girlfriend have to “straightwash” themselves to appeal to landlords in an overcrowded market. (Stuff)
https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/housing-affordability/3…
# International, Discrimination, Rent, Landlords and agents.