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
‘Enclaves for the rich’: new luxury housing is putting parts of Sydney out of reach to all but the very few
Anne Davies The Guardian (No paywall)Bondi used to be home to surfers, backpackers and artists. But the bohemian vibe of Sydney’s most famous beach risks being swamped by a wave of high-end developments. Older apartment blocks that provided affordable housing are being bought by companies and wealthy individuals, who are turning them into smaller blocks with fewer luxury dwellings, or sometimes single homes. Several recent developments are part of a trend that has turned desirable streets into construction zones. In Hastings Parade in North Bondi, one recent development application resulted in 10 units being turned into a single house.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/dec/06/luxury-ho…
# NSW, .'Frightened and alone': government urged to commit to Broadmeadow social housing
Dylan Nicholson Newcastle Herald (No paywall)Social and affordable housing advocates are calling on the government to commit to its own figures of 30 per cent social and affordable housing for 3200 homes earmarked for public land in Broadmeadow. Leaders from the Hunter Community Alliance (HCA) - including Shelter NSW, the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association, and the Community Disability Alliance Hunter - are calling on the NSW government to address Newcastle's escalating housing crisis. They say the planned Broadmeadow redevelopment must get a fair share of social and affordable housing, as the region faces soaring rents, record-low vacancy rates and growing housing stress. People who had faced their own housing crises shared their stories of hardship and homelessness at a Friday community meeting.
https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/9127392/government-urge…
# NSW, Public and community housing, Rent.Tuesday Nights’ Chats - a month of watching, listening and discussing all things renting and more!
Zuzia Buszewicz Tenants' Union of NSW (No paywall)Renters’ rights advocates, renters and the Tenants’ Union staff have kept busy over four weeks with a line-up of events taking place across Sydney over consecutive Tuesday nights, and that’s not the end of the streak. On Tuesday, 4 November, together with Everybody’s Home and Wedgetail Pictures, the Tenants’ Union and Make Renting Fair had the pleasure of hosting a film screening of a recently released documentary: Sold! Who Broke the Australian Dream?
https://www.tenants.org.au/blog/tuesday-nights-chats-month-watch…
# TUNSW in the media NSW, .9/53 Fifth Avenue, Campsie - ShitRentals
PurplePingers PurplePingers (No paywall)PurplePingers from ShitRentals provides commentary on 9/53 Fifth Avenue, Campsie with tenant reports and documented photographs of mould and health hazards.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQOlg3jEuMG/?utm_source=ig_web_co…
# Hot topic, Video NSW, Rent, Repairs, You want to leave.Insane reason Aussie homes are renting out for up to $210k a week
Kaylee Cranley news.com.au (No paywall)Sydney’s luxury holiday rental market is hitting eye-watering highs, with some properties commanding rents of up to $210,000 a week as the summer influx begins. With visitors chasing prime vantage points for New Year’s Eve fireworks or seeking a high-end escape over the festive period, a handful of Sydney homes are being listed at prices more commonly associated with international superyachts than short-term stays. Among the most lavish is Contemporary Hotels’ “The Residence” in the CBD, which is being offered for $210,000 a week over Christmas and New Year. The multi-level property accommodates 14 guests and features a private rooftop pool as well as an in-house chef.
https://www.news.com.au/finance/real-estate/sydney-nsw/insane-re…
# NSW, .Housing boost for Northern Rivers with 112 new social homes
Echo (No paywall)The Minns government says it’s building more homes, more quickly in the Northern Rivers, delivering 112 new dwellings across Alstonville, Casino and Lismore, as part of $6.6 billion of investment into social housing, delivering 8,400 new homes across NSW. Eleven projects across the Northern Rivers are underway or recently completed, including: 16 brand new homes in Lismore, with about 20 tenants recently moving in.
https://www.echo.net.au/2025/12/housing-boost-for-northern-river…
# NSW, Public and community housing.Annual Report 2024-2025
Tenants' Union of NSW (No paywall)As we reflect on the past year, I am proud to share the remarkable progress we have made together in advancing housing justice for renters across New South Wales. The abolition of ‘no grounds’ evictions stands as a landmark achievement – nearly five decades in the making. It is a testament to the persistence of countless advocates, community partners, and renters who shared their stories and stood firm in the belief that every person deserves a secure home. While this reform is cause for celebration, we know our work is far from over.
# TUNSW in the media NSW, .Why are so many Australian houses sitting empty?
Kate Uebergang ABC (No paywall)No matter how tightly held your neighbourhood is... there's almost definitely at least one empty home on your street... or a long-time vacant lot nearby? New research claims that the number of empty dwellings across Melbourne has risen dramatically... from more than 27,000 in 2023 to nearly 32,000 in 2024. And across the country ... experimental ABS data suggests that up to 140,000 dwellings are sitting vacant. So, why would houses, apartments, and blocks of land be left sitting empty? And is there a way to utilise these properties to address Australia's housing crisis?
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/lifematters/why-are-so-ma…
# Audio Australia, .