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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See notes about the Digest and a list of other contributors here. Many thanks to those contributors for sharing links with us.
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Archive
Ombudsman makes maladministration finding against landlord that took eight years to solve roof leak
Lucie Heath Inside Housing (Paywall)From the United Kingdom ... The Housing Ombudsman has made two findings of severe maladministration against Shepherds Bush Housing Group (SBHG) after the landlord took eight years to identify the cause of a leak in a resident’s roof. In a report published today, the Housing Ombudsman said it took SBHG an “unreasonable” amount of time to diagnose the problem, while the landlord also came under fire for its complaint-handling process.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/ombudsman-makes-maladm…
# International, Public and community housing, Repairs.The Sydney neighbourhoods leading the property market downturn as interest rates rise
Kate Burke Domain (No paywall)The upper end of Sydney’s property market is leading the downturn in home values, new figures show, as rapidly rising interest rates put downward pressure on prices. Pockets of the inner west, Northern Beaches, eastern suburbs and inner city recorded the largest decline in values over the past three months ...
https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/the-sydney-neighbourhoods-l…
# NSW, Housing market, Sydney.‘Serious financial stress’: Typical mortgage bills tipped to jump $792 by year’s end
Matthew Elmas The New Daily (No paywall)Home owners are being warned to brace for their third interest rate hike in as many months on Tuesday as the Reserve Bank tries to clamp down on rapidly rising prices.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/finance-news/2022/07/04/mortg…
# Australia, Home ownership, Housing market.Experience: I led a renters’ rebellion – and won
Tsering Lhundup The Guardian (No paywall)There were mice, cockroaches, leaks, mould. Something had to be done. ... After talking to my neighbours, it was obvious I was not the only one who would struggle. Similar things were happening to tenants across the neighbourhood. Many of them were immigrants like me: people who didn’t understand their legal rights, or felt too afraid or unable to stand up for themselves. ... Thankfully, I knew about a community group of volunteers called Parkdale Organize. There was talk of coordinating a response to what was happening. A group of us identified 25 to 30 buildings facing similar issues. We set about visiting all of them. Our pitch was straightforward: we would ask about their situation, share information about their rights and encourage them to join us.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/jul/01/experience-…
# International, Rent, Campaigns and law reform, Housing market.Renovate, don’t demolish: Bid to save Ascot Vale housing estate ‘could save millions’
Luke Lay and Clay Lucas The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)For five years, public-housing resident Clare Hanson has fought a losing battle against the Andrews government and its multimillion-dollar plan to redevelop the Ascot Vale housing estate in Melbourne’s north-west. ... “They’re double brick,” she says of the units in the estate she has lived in since 2010. “They’re so well built they would last another 100 years with proper care.” Not-for-profit research group OFFICE agrees. There are plans to demolish and rebuild hundreds of dwellings – including Hanson’s – across the 15-hectare estate, but the group argues that better results would be achieved by renovating. A report released recently by OFFICE found the government could make huge savings by just repairing existing buildings.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/victoria/renovate-don-t-demolish…
# Australia, Public and community housing, Estate renewal, State Government.July News and Events
Housing for the Aged Action Group Bulletin (No paywall)Lots of news ... Check out 'older tenants voice'.
https://mailchi.mp/33ef92609ca5/older-tenants-voice-summer-editi…
# Australia, Campaigns and law reform, Older people.Renters call for better housing outcomes from political parties
Michael Atkin ABC (No paywall)According to the latest census, there are a million empty dwellings across the country. Despite that staggering figure, the number of rental properties on the market is at an historic low, while rents are soaring. With houses becoming harder to buy, it could make renters a growing force at elections. (7.30 Report)
https://www.abc.net.au/7.30/renters-call-for-better-housing-outc…
# Video Australia, Public and community housing, Rent, Affordable housing, Federal Government, Home ownership, Housing affordability, Housing market, State Government, Welfare, Young people.Keen to retrofit your home to lower its carbon footprint and save energy? Consider these 3 things
The Green List The Fifth Estate (No paywall)If you’re anything like us, you’re increasingly working from home, one that was built before energy efficiency measures were introduced in Australia.
https://thefifthestate.com.au/innovation/residential-2/keen-to-r…
# Australia, Utilities water energy internet, Climate change, Housing market.