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 crisis in Tasmania forcing more into permanent spots in caravan parks
Lucy MacDonald ABC (No paywall)When Rowen and Leanne Carter opened their caravan park in Tasmania's Huon Valley 10 years ago, they decided it would be purely for tourists, with no long-term spots. Less than five years later, Tasmania's housing crisis came knocking at their door — in the form of a desperate single mother. "She was quite upset," Mr Carter said. "She'd been renting the same house for many, many years and her lease was coming up and they were going to increase the cost of her rent and she found herself homeless with a seven-year-old child." The Carters "slipped into action" and found a permanent spot for her at their park. Five years later, there are 14 permanent spots at the park and a growing waitlist.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-02/tasmania-rental-crisis-ca…
# Australia, Land lease communities, Homelessness, Housing market, Personal stories.Worries about landlords' reaction stymie investigations into thousands of potentially damp or mouldy homes
Ethan Te Ora (No paywall)From New Zealand ... Thousands of potentially damp or mouldy homes went unchecked because Government reporting processes couldn’t guarantee anonymity and tenants feared landlord retaliation. The Healthy Homes Initiative (HHI) identified 25,000 poor quality rentals over a period of nine years, often referring families to a GP when those homes exacerbated health conditions. Yet only 41 of those homes were ever investigated by Tenancy Services – a strike rate of about 0.16%. There’s a simple reason for the lack of follow-up: tenants are too fearful to give the go-ahead. (Stuff)
https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/renting/128749856/worri…
# International, Rent, Health, Landlords and agents, Mould.Are we in a property boom, a bust, or a normal market?
Elizabeth Redman Domain (No paywall)The property market has weakened since last autumn’s boom, but with plenty of competition around for the most outstanding homes, agents say it has turned into a more normal market. So what is a normal market?
https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/are-we-in-a-property-boom-a…
# Australia, Housing market.I just saved $100 by switching energy retailers. Here are my six top tips
Jessica Irvine The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)The subject title of the email from my electricity retailer was ominous: “An update to your electricity prices”. Uh oh. So, I did what any reasonable person would do: I added “read electricity email” to my to-do list on my smartphone – alongside call plumber about leaky tap, renew passport and check if due for dental clean – then promptly ignored it for three weeks. ... My secret weapon? A government-run energy price comparison website. If you do nothing else this weekend, I suggest you check out yours. ... [So] don’t get mad about rising energy prices, just get shopping.
https://www.smh.com.au/money/saving/i-just-saved-100-by-switchin…
# Australia, Utilities water energy internet.Brisbane renters emerge as key force behind Greens’ election success
Tony Moore (Paywall)Neglecting renters was a key factor behind the major parties losing their hold on inner-city Brisbane, according to two of the city’s three successful Greens candidates. ... Stephen Bates – who on Saturday claimed the federal seat of Brisbane after trends from 800 absentee votes showed big swings to the Greens – said rental issues were key factors in the party’s election success.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/queensland/brisbane-re…
# Australia, Rent, Federal Government.‘Still living in tents on footpaths:’ Ballina locals reveal flood relief delays
Lucy Cormack The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Residents of a northern NSW town are still living in tents on footpaths more than three months after catastrophic floods cut off the area for days, a parliamentary inquiry has heard. Rebecca Woods from the Bogal Local Aboriginal Lands Council on Monday said First Nations people in Coraki were still without homes after the flood in early March, which displaced about 100 in the town where the Richmond and Wilson rivers meet. Also, check out the story in 'The Guardian' at: [https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/may/30/nsw-communities-still-facing-crisis-months-after-floods-inquiry-hears].
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/still-living-in-tents-on-foo…
# NSW, Homelessness.Councils turning away one in six homeless people despite 2018 act
Mark Smulian Inside Housing (Paywall)From the United Kingdom ... Councils are being forced to leave thousands of people homeless because of barriers in the system that have seen one in six people turned away, a leading housing charity has claimed.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/councils-turning-away-…
# International, Homelessness, Local Government.Council breaches Rent Standard for converting more than 1,000 social tenancies to affordable rent
Lucie Heath Inside Housing (Paywall)From the United Kingdom ... East Suffolk Council has breached the Rent Standard after it converted more than 1,000 social tenancies to affordable rent without receiving permission
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/council-breaches-rent-…
# International, Public and community housing, Affordable housing, Local Government.