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
Revised targets come too late for a generation locked out of housing
Social Democrats (No paywall)Revising housing targets on your way out the door is of little use to people struggling to put a roof over their head, according to Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan. Deputy O’Callaghan, who is the party’s spokesperson on housing, said: “We have known for some time that the Government’s Housing for All targets were not nearly ambitious enough to meet demand. “Clinging on to these low targets for this long was an act of self-delusion. “Today’s revised targets are an acknowledgement of huge unmet housing need. However, the reality is that people cannot live in a target – there must be a practical plan in place to turn these targets into homes.
https://www.socialdemocrats.ie/revised-targets-come-too-late-for…
# Must read International, Public and community housing, Rent.Singles can’t afford to rent in New Zealand
Rowan Crosby Elite Agent Magazine (No paywall)Singles in New Zealand are not living the ‘Carrie Bradshaw’ life, with new analysis showing that no region in New Zealand meets the affordability threshold for single renters. Ray White Group Senior Data Analyst, Atom Go Tian, has replicated The Economist’s ‘Carrie Bradshaw Index’ for New Zealand, comparing median weekly incomes to rental costs across the country. “Not a single region in New Zealand meets the affordability threshold for single renters,” Mr Go Tian said. “The West Coast Region comes closest to affordability, with a weekly income gap of just $117 between the median income ($1,050) and what’s needed for affordable rent ($1,167).”
https://eliteagent.com/singles-cant-afford-to-rent-in-new-zealan…
# International, Rent.Housing on the ballot: Harris, Trump push different plans for tackling housing affordability crisis
Sally Ho and Alex Veiga ABC (USA) (No paywall)Millions of Americans can’t afford to buy a home or rent a suitable apartment, making housing a central issue for voters in the upcoming presidential election. The biggest single reason homeownership is out of reach for many is there aren’t nearly enough homes for sale to balance out the market between buyers and sellers. The shortfall, which some economists say ranges from 1 million to around 4 million homes, has for the better part of the last decade fueled bidding wars that boosted the median sales price of a previously occupied U.S. home to an all-time high of $426,900 in June — even as home sales have been in a deep slump for more than two years.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/housing-ballot-harris-trump-…
# Must read, Hot topic International, .Rent Consumes 45% of Minimum Wage in Bulgaria, Reflecting EU-Wide Housing Struggle
Novinite (No paywall)A recent analysis from the European Institute of Trade Unions, highlighted by the European Confederation of Trade Unions, reveals that low-wage earners in most EU countries spend at least a third of their monthly income on rent. This data comes just before Dan Jørgensen’s hearing in the European Parliament, where he will be considered for the role of the EU's first housing commissioner. Jørgensen, if appointed, will be tasked with implementing an "affordable housing plan," a priority set out by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. According to the analysis, workers on the minimum wage in 14 EU countries typically spend 35% or more of their income on renting a property with up to two bedrooms.
https://www.novinite.com/articles/229203/Rent+Consumes+45+of+Min…
# Must read International, Rent.Which capital cities are among the costliest places to rent in Europe?
Garfield Myrie Euro News (No paywall)Average rents in London reached a record quarterly high of £2,694 (€3,220) a month, a 2.5% increase on last year's figure, a new report has found. The data, from UK property portal Rightmove, is based on an analysis of more than half a million properties advertised for rent on the company's website between July and September 2024. The average price calculation is based on the asking rents for all properties, from bedsits and one-bedroom flats to multi-room houses. Taking these variables into account, London is still one of the most expensive places to live, with rents outstripping those in comparable European countries.
https://www.euronews.com/business/2024/10/17/which-capital-citie…
# Hot topic International, Rent.Low-income renters will struggle after UK housing benefit freeze, experts warn
Matthew Pearce The Guardian (No paywall)Low-income renters will struggle to afford housing costs after Rachel Reeves’s decision to freeze the amount of housing benefit they receive in the budget, experts have warned. Liz Kendall, the work and pensions secretary, confirmed on Thursday that local housing allowance (LHA) – the localised rates that determine how much housing benefit claimants are entitled to – will be locked at the current levels until 2026. LHA has failed to keep step with rising rental costs for more than a decade. The Conservative party froze it for seven out of the last 12 years, before increasing rates earlier this year.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/nov/03/low-income-rente…
# Hot topic International, Rent.How Europe Can Balance the Rental Market with Affordable, Sustainable Housing Solutions
Wins Solutions (No paywall)The European rental market is facing unprecedented challenges, with rising rental costs, reduced availability, and complex legal frameworks shaping housing dynamics. The pressure falls on governments to protect tenants from unaffordable rents, while also ensuring that landlords can maintain profitable, high-quality properties. Understanding the unique needs of tenants, landlords, and governmental bodies is essential for a balanced approach that fosters a sustainable, inclusive rental market. In this article we explore the perspectives of each stakeholder, identifies points of conflict, and highlights areas of agreement that could lead to comprehensive solutions.
https://www.winssolutions.org/how-europe-can-balance-the-rental-…
# Hot topic International, Public and community housing, Rent.Negative gearing reform could help 292,000 Australian renters become owners, Greens claim
Sarah Basford Canales The Guardian (No paywall)More than a quarter of a million renters could own their own homes if Labor revived dumped plans to wind back generous tax breaks for residential property investors, new analysis shows. A Parliamentary Library analysis of NSW Treasury modelling and census data, commissioned by Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather, found home ownership would rise by 4.7%, or 292,902 more owner-occupier houses, if negative gearing and capital gains tax discounts were wound back. The increase would result in 774,955 individuals currently living in residential investor properties moving to owner-occupier homes instead, the analysis showed.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/oct/17/negative-…
# Hot topic Australia, Rent.