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
Evictions of homeless campers by City of Moreton Bay violated human rights, Supreme Court rules
Kenji Sato ABC (No paywall)The City of Moreton Bay council violated the human rights of evicted homeless campers, a Supreme Court has ruled today. The south-east Queensland council fronted court this morning to defend a legal challenge mounted by Basic Rights Queensland on behalf of evicted homeless campers. It comes after the council made all homeless camping illegal in March last year, prompting a series of evictions throughout 2025. Justice Paul Smith ruled the council had made several "errors of law", including disposing of homeless tents and other possessions without their consent.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-06/moreton-bay-homeless-evic…
# Australia, Eviction.'I don't want to be a landlord': Why advocate Sherele Moody is giving away her investment property for a decade
Emily McPherson 9 News (No paywall)Sherele Moody has spent years mapping the darkest corners of Australian society. As the founder of the Red Heart Movement, she has meticulously documented the names and faces of women lost to violence. Now, she is offering a different kind of map: a way out. The veteran campaigner has just completed a $35,000 crowdfunded renovation of her very first home - a one-bedroom Melbourne apartment she purchased last September. But instead of moving in or listing it on the lucrative rental market, she is handing the keys over to victims of family violence for the next decade and renting elsewhere. Moody is calling on every landlord in the country to consider doing the same.
https://www.9news.com.au/national/i-dont-want-to-be-a-landlord-w…
# Hot topic Australia, Domestic violence, Rent.Public housing tenant blocked from own backyard, as disability advocates say accessibility an 'afterthought'
Hayden Smith ABC (No paywall)For two years and four months, Sharryn Johns has felt robbed of her freedom. But when she first moved into her Launceston public housing property in late 2017, the born-and-raised Tasmanian — who requires an electric wheelchair — felt right at home. "I loved it," the 51-year-old said. "I had a massive, big backyard … I could use my wheelchair here." However, her quality of life took a "frustrating" turn for the worse after an "extreme" black mould problem emerged. Alternative accommodation was arranged for Ms Johns while remedial plumbing work took place. But when she finally returned, she found she could no longer access her backyard.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-09/tasmania-public-housing-d…
# Must read Australia, Public and community housing, Rent, Repairs.Margaret River to survey homeless population as housing crisis bites holiday hotspot
Georgia Loney ABC (No paywall)One of Australia's top holiday hotspots has been told it must prove it has a homelessness problem — despite entire families living in tents and caravans. Margaret River, about 270 kilometres south of Perth, has been described as a playground for the wealthy, with multi-million-dollar properties sitting alongside its famous wineries and surf breaks. But the Shire of Augusta Margaret River believes the area's perceived wealth is a barrier to support for a serious housing shortage and homelessness problem.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-10/homeless-survey-margaret-…
# Australia, Public and community housing.Legal service warns of unequal flood support for Aboriginal communities in NT’s Big Rivers region
Dechlan Brennan National Indigenous Times (No paywall)One of the country's largest Indigenous legal services has called on the Commonwealth and Northern Territory governments to "urgently fix glaring inequities and failures" in the emergency response to flooding across the Big Rivers region. Centred on Katherine, the region — home to 23 Aboriginal communities — has, along with other parts of the NT, experienced significant flooding. According to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), more than 100 millimetres of rain fell overnight in Mataranka and Katherine, with Katherine experiencing its worst flooding since 1998.
https://nit.com.au/10-03-2026/23094/legal-service-warns-of-unequ…
# Must read Australia, Disasters.https://www.msn.com/en-au/money/homeandproperty/15-ideas-from-around-the-world-to-solve-the-housing-crisis/ss-AA1XBwam
Alicia Delay MSN ()A major housing shortage paired with a lack of affordable housing is causing a crisis in countries around the globe. Different nations and cities are coming up with unqiue solutions. Here’s a look at 15 ideas to help solve the housing crisis.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/money/homeandproperty/15-ideas-from-ar…
# International, .Obeid family loses control of $30m worth of Sydney properties after one of NSW's 'most brazen acts of corruption'
Shannon Corvo and Emily Laurence ABC (No paywall)After investigations spanning a decade, the NSW Crime Commission says it has taken control of more than $30 million worth of properties linked to former state Labor politician Eddie Obeid. Commission lawyers attended a closed Supreme Court hearing on Friday to secure an order restraining all interests in property of the Obeid Corporation. They secured caveats over a number of properties at Bankstown, in south-west Sydney, which they said were "hidden assets" being "held within complex trusts".
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-07/obeid-family-lose-control…
# Hot topic NSW, .Rents fall in 499 suburbs - but nearly 10 times as many are up
Sophie Foster realestate.com.au (No paywall)Rents have fallen in 499 suburbs nationwide, but the tiny glimmer of relief is drowned out by 10 times as many still rising. Revised figures provided by PropTrack on Wednesday show 499 of close to 6,000 suburbs surveyed recorded annual rent declines to February – or 8.3 per cent of those with 10 or more rental listings in the past year. A further 352 suburbs (5.9 per cent) saw rents flatline with zero annual growth, but the overwhelming trend was rises for 81.8 per cent of the total. The falls were spread across every mainland capital and regional market.
https://www.realestate.com.au/news/shock-as-rents-fall-in-almost…
# Hot topic Australia, Rent, Starting a tenancy.