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
Rental vacancy rates drop in coastal towns due to sea-change trend
Elizabeth Redman Domain (Paywall)Frustrated tenants are pulling out all the stops to secure a rental property in coastal hotspots, with some offering $200 extra a week or paying 12 months’ rent in advance. Vacancy rates have plunged as remote workers have been leaving major cities during the pandemic, making it harder for locals to find accommodation themselves.
https://www.domain.com.au/news/rental-vacancy-rates-drop-in-coas…
# Australia, Rent, Housing market, Regional NSW.Cities could get more than 4°C hotter by 2100. To keep cool in Australia, we urgently need a national planning policy
Mark Maund and others The Conversation (No paywall)In cities around the world, temperatures could rise by more than 4℃ by 2100 ... Cities occupy just 3% of Earth’s surface. ... Yet more than half the world’s population live in urban environments ... It’s important ... planning ... include the cooling and shading provided by green infrastructure ... For Australia, this means getting a national green infrastructure policy that provides for green spaces within our cities, open spaces and buildings to help with increasing density and rising global temperatures.
https://theconversation.com/cities-could-get-more-than-4-c-hotte…
# Hot topic International, Federal Government, Planning and development.Is build-to-rent the next big thing in commercial property?
Sue Williams Domain (Paywall)It’s an often-misunderstood housing type, but it’s now being tipped as likely to be one of the biggest commercial asset hits of 2021. The build-to-rent sector – with its sub-sector multifamily housing as its most commonly known to institutional investors – is going through unprecedented growth in Australia with a huge number of projects being planned or set to start construction in the next 12 months.
https://www.commercialrealestate.com.au/news/is-build-to-rent-th…
# Australia, Rent, Housing market.How COVID-19 impacts homelessness in Australia
ABC (No paywall)COVID-19 changed the way we live at home. But how did it change for those who don't have a home? And is our definition of “homeless” an accurate reflection of what’s really going on? This week, James and the panel explore the issue of homelessness in Australia. ('God Forbid' with James Carleton)
https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/godforbid/how-covi…
# Audio Australia, Coronavirus COVID-19, Homelessness.Irish pub warns Sirius developer to noise-proof apartments
Matt O'Sullivan The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)The operators of a century-old pub in The Rocks who plan to build a rooftop bar and restaurant have urged the developer of the nearby Sirius building to properly noise-proof apartments to avoid residents complaining about their live-music venue. ... The NSW government sold the Sirius building in 2019 to JDH Capital for $150 million. The sale followed a four-year community campaign to save the building from demolition. ... The City of Sydney, which "generally supported" the plans for the Sirius, aired concerns in its submission that the proposal did not offer affordable housing.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/irish-pub-warns-sirius-devel…
# NSW, Public and community housing, Affordable housing, Heritage listings.Khan calls for eviction ban as rogue landlord reports soar
Dominic Brady Inside Housing (Paywall)Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has urged the government to reinstate its eviction ban to protect renters during lockdown after figures show a sharp increase in reports of rogue landlords during the coronavirus pandemic. City Hall said one in five reports through its ‘report a rogue landlord or agent’ online tool were in relation to an unfair eviction between March and December last year – it received more than 1,400 complaints.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/khan-calls-for-evictio…
# Hot topic International, Eviction, Coronavirus COVID-19, Landlords and agents.Young and old to benefit from new childcare centre at Merbein aged care home
Kellie Hollingworth ABC (No paywall)Fred Garsed has eight great-grandchildren, but soon the 92-year-old will have 72 adopted great-grandchildren. A childcare centre has just been built at his aged care home in Merbein, near Mildura in north-west Victoria, as part of a new program designed to improve the wellbeing of aged care residents, offer new experiences to children and benefit the wider community.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-10/aged-care-home-opens-chil…
# Australia, Health, Older people.Australia’s property market defied pandemic predictions. This is how it’s tipped to fare in 2021
Matt Johnson The New Daily (No paywall)If 2020 taught property pundits anything, it’s to expect the unexpected. Australia’s first lockdown encouraged analysts to forecast a double-digit dip in the housing market. But as we know, those predictions failed to transpire and prices ... So, what does the future hold for a market that defied expectations?
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/property/2021/01/09/australia…
# Australia, Coronavirus COVID-19, Housing market.