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
Not worth the gamble: How to avoid buying a property lemon
Matt Johnson The New Daily (No paywall)Termites, defects and flammable cladding are being overlooked by buyers rushing into the FOMO-driven property market before it gets too hot. As house prices race ahead at a pace not seen in 17 years, intense competition has stoked a rise in the number of sales conducted without independent pest and building inspections.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/property/2021/03/09/how-to-av…
# Australia, Home ownership, Minimum habitability standards.These types of Sydney properties are passing in at auction, even in a boom market
Tawar Razaghi Domain (Paywall)As Sydney continues its record run of sky-high clearance rates, there are not many homes being passed in at auction — but the leftovers are stock-standard units or homes with unrealistic seller expectations, agents report.
https://www.domain.com.au/news/the-properties-that-are-passing-i…
# NSW, Housing market.Covid relief bill won’t extend eviction ban set to expire this month. Millions of Americans could be at risk of losing their homes
Annie Nova (No paywall)In the latest Covid stimulus package making its way through Congress, there’s no extension of the national ban on evictions that is set to expire this month. That’s because Democrats have chosen to pass the relief bill through a process called budget reconciliation, which sets limits on what they can include. Advocates say it’s now up to President Joe Biden to extend the ban and avoid a spike in evictions. (CNBC)
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/02/covid-relief-bill-doesnt-extend-…
# Must read, Hot topic International, Eviction, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19.40 organisations publish open letter welcoming Minister's announcement, concerned stronger protections required
Tenants' Union of NSW (No paywall)NSW community sector sign on today to Open Letter welcoming Minister Anderson's announcement of a transition plan to support renters over the next 6 months, but calling for stronger protections and additional financial support
https://www.tenants.org.au/tu/news/40-organisations-publish-open…
# Must read, Hot topic, TUNSW in the media NSW, Eviction, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19, Homelessness.Sunak’s budget was great for estate agents, but it did nothing for generation rent
Polly Toynbee The Guardian (No paywall)From the United Kingdom ... t the wicked heart of both household and national finances is housing. It is the great social divide, the chasm between the perilously insecure and the asset-rich. Housing burns away private renters’ ability to live on their pay, while every year the wealth of homeowners swells. Members of the lucky boomer generation who bought their houses in the 1970s have reaped huge unearned profits. Yet Conservative chancellors keep throwing petrol on the flames.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/mar/04/sunak-budg…
# Hot topic International, Rent, Affordable housing, Home ownership, Housing market, Landlords and agents, Tax.‘Dire’ outcome for thousands of renters as end of eviction moratorium looms
Rachel Wells Domain (Paywall)enant advocacy groups and welfare organisations are concerned for thousands of Victorian renters as the state government’s ban on evictions and rental increases, introduced at the beginning of the pandemic, is set to expire at the end of the month.
The end of the key protections for Victorian renters, introduced to prevent them from being evicted for the non-payment of rent due to rising unemployment and reduced incomes amid the coronavirus pandemic, coincides with the scheduled finish of JobKeeper payments, also set for March 28.
https://www.domain.com.au/news/dire-outcome-for-thousands-of-ren…
# Hot topic Australia, Eviction, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19, State Government.Are we seeing a sustainable housing market recovery?
Hal Pawson City Futures (No paywall)At the start of the pandemic, when it became clear that extensive economic disruption lay ahead, there was alarm about the possible housing system damage that could result. In Australia, one of our largest banks projected a possible 32% hit to house prices. Most other forecasts at this time anticipated a major downturn in property prices and construction. In fact, after only a short pause, house price inflation has come back with a roar in the later months of 2020 and into 2021. Forecasters are now projecting a general increase of at least 5% over the coming year with some predicting 10-20% over the next 2 years.
https://blogs.unsw.edu.au/cityfutures/blog/2021/03/are-we-seeing…
# Australia, Coronavirus COVID-19, Federal Government, Housing affordability, Housing market.How to inject fresh thinking into Australia's housing conversation
Geraldine Doogue ABC (No paywall)Since the Menzies era, home ownership has been the cornerstone of the ‘Australian dream', but for many it’s becoming just that – a dream. It’s a social issue, but also an economic one, so how can we bring housing back to the centre of economic policy-making, particularly at a federal level? (Saturday Extra)
https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/maki…
# Audio Australia, Home ownership.