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
New homes in Sydney show one-star energy efficiency improvement over 11 years
Natassia Chrysanthos, Nigel Gladstone and Megan Gorrey The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)New homes across Sydney have improved their average energy efficiency by just one star in more than a decade, meaning developers will have to make the same-sized jump within 14 months if they are to comply with new building standards aimed at driving down emissions.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/new-homes-in-sydney-show-one…
# NSW, Utilities water energy internet, Climate change, Housing market, Local Government, Sydney.Fears caravan park residents could be left homeless if NSW Flood Inquiry recommendation is implemented
Luisa Rubbo and Emma Rennie ABC (No paywall)Without his permanent home at a caravan park south of Port Macquarie, Frank Ellul and his wife would have "nowhere else to go". The Brigadoon Holiday Park resident has been slowly rebuilding after the park flooded in March last year and would rather stay and rebuild if it happened again. "Where else can we get affordable rent? There's nowhere," Mr Ellul said.
"We're on the last of our money. We can't do nothing but sit and hope nothing happens." ... The future for residents such as Mr Ellul is uncertain after the NSW government has agreed in principle with a recommendation from the 2022 NSW Flood Inquiry that "permanent residency in caravan parks … situated below the risk-based flood planning level" be prohibited.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-03/caravan-park-residents-ba…
# NSW, Land lease communities, Regional NSW.Homelessness prevention studios are providing a circuit-breaker for teenagers and their carers
Bethanie Alderon ABC (No paywall)A studio designed to reduce the risk of family tension and prevent young people from becoming homeless has been built in the backyard of a family's home in the Barossa Valley. The state government recently provided $2.4 million to non-for-profit charity organisation Kids Under Cover to fund 70 per cent of the cost of the first 51 youth homelessness prevention studios, including the first one built in the Barossa Valley this week. Philanthropic organisation Foundation Barossa partnered with Kids Under Cover to set up the studio in the backyard of a family's home in Nuriootpa. The foundation established its Homburg Homelessness Prevention Fund back in 2020, when it was found that up to 50 young people in the Barossa Valley were sleeping in cars or couch surfing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-02/studios-providing-circuit…
# Australia, Coronavirus COVID-19, Homelessness, Young people.Build-to rent sector gathers pace to help ease housing crisis
Tim Boreham The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)The trickle of build-to-rent (BTR) developments is turning into a stampede as a deep-pocketed foreign backers outline their expansion plans in the nascent sector. The New York-based Sentinel Real Estate Corporation’s local arm last week unveiled plans for up to $1.5 billion of local BTR projects, in partnership with Dutch pension fund manager PGGM. Sentinel’s third local venture to date – a 168-unit site called The Briscoe in Roden Street, West Melbourne – this week reached “topping out” stage. Also, read Nicole Lindsay's article entitled: 'Lowy family-backed Assembly bags EVO as build-to-rent momentum gains' in 'The Sydney Morning Herald' at: [https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/lowy-family-backed-assembly-bags-evo-as-build-to-rent-momentum-gains-20220901-p5belf.html].
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/build-to-rent-sector-g…
# Australia, Rent, Housing affordability, Housing market, Landlords and agents.How turning the heat off this winter could damage your health
Linda Geddes and Nicole Davis The Guardian (No paywall)Keeping the heating turned off is one surefire way of reducing gas and electricity bills this winter, but it could come at the expense of people’s health – particularly those with heart and lung conditions.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/sep/01/how-turning-the-…
# International, Utilities water energy internet, Health.'It’s a total disaster!’ How soaring rents, cutthroat competition and unscrupulous landlords are breaking tenants
Elle Hunt The Guardian (No paywall)A shortage of housing and a rise in demand have driven up prices – and not just in London. The Office for National Statistics says that rents increased by 3.2% across the UK in the past year, the fastest rate since the financial crisis. ... [Generation Rent] is calling on the government to freeze rents for existing tenancies, immediately suspend no-fault evictions (soon to be banned under the renters reform bill) and introduce protections for tenants who fall behind on rent for reasons beyond their control.
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2022/sep/01/its-a-total-disast…
# International, Rent, Housing affordability, Housing market, No-grounds evictions.Home owners brace for Tuesday and another interest rate hike
The New Daily (No paywall)The Reserve Bank of Australia’s September cash rate decision will dominate the week’s economic news alongside economic growth figures due midweek. On Tuesday, mortgage holders will be eyeing the official cash rate decision nervously, with another hike broadly expected. Most economists and analysts – 23 out of the 36 questioned by Finder – predict a 50 basis point hike. This will take the cash rate to 2.35 per cent. However, the bulk of experts – 25 out of 36 – also expect the September hike to be followed by a hold in October.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/property/2022/09/04/interest-…
# Australia, Home ownership, Housing market.Rent crisis? Average rents are increasing less than you might think
Ben Phillips The Conversation (No paywall)You wouldn’t know it from the pages of our daily newspapers, but the rate of growth in rents has been pretty modest. Not everywhere, not for everyone, but for most Australians who rent. According to the most recent count used by the Bureau of Statistics to compile the consumer price index, rents increased by only 1.6% in the year to June. By comparison, wages climbed 2.6%.
https://theconversation.com/rent-crisis-average-rents-are-increa…
# Australia, Rent, Housing market.