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
Canada’s housing crisis is getting worse. Taxing million-dollar-home owners can help.
Paul Kershaw (No paywall)From Canada ... One of the best ways to challenge this epidemic of unaffordability is by targeting the country’s tax policy. People talk about housing inflation like it’s a bad thing for everyone, but it’s making a lot of owners rich—and many of those gains aren’t subject to taxation. In fact, our tax system has sheltered much of the $3.2 trillion in added housing wealth that homeowners have pocketed since 1977. At the same time, younger demographics are contending with home prices that rapidly outpace their earnings, and competing for scarce rentals with rising rents. Our suggestion is to put a price on housing inequality—specifically, a modest annual surtax on homes valued above one million dollars. This isn’t a totally scary idea; most of us already pay property taxes. What’s different about our idea is progressivity. (Macleans)
https://www.macleans.ca/economy/why-we-need-to-tax-million-dolla…
# International, Home ownership, Housing affordability, Housing market, Tax.Build homes on public land to solve affordability crisis: Minister
Andrew Taylor The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Sydney’s housing affordability crisis could be addressed by using public land to build homes for “people who make our cities work” including nurses, teachers, cleaners and hospitality staff, Cities and Infrastructure Minister Rob Stokes says. Stokes said a 30 per cent target for affordable and diverse housing should be considered for future projects on government land.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/build-homes-on-public-land-t…
# NSW, Affordable housing, Planning and development, Sydney.Australia’s regional property boom slows but housing stress still a major concern
Caitlin Cassidy The Guardian (No paywall)The regional housing boom is beginning to slow in trophy hotspots across New South Wales and Queensland after years of “phenomenal” growth, although overall the market is still outpacing capital cities. CoreLogic’s latest regional market update found 10 regions registered modest value declines in the three months to July, with beach and country lifestyle areas the first to show market weakness after record-breaking rises during the pandemic. ... At the same time, rental stress in regional areas remains high. ... Everybody’s Home CEO Kate Colvin said the greatest rental increases in Queensland and NSW in the past three years had been in regional areas, with parts of the Gold Coast experiencing a 15% increase.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/aug/17/australia…
# Australia, Rent, Housing affordability, Housing market, Regional NSW.Government heritage advisers lodge ‘strong objection’ to Barangaroo plan
Michael Koziol The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)The state government’s own heritage advisers have objected to “unacceptable” plans to increase development at Central Barangaroo, saying it would compromise the heritage of the Millers Point peninsula and diminish Observatory Hill. The Heritage Council of NSW, an independent statutory body advising Environment and Heritage Minister James Griffin, agreed last week to lodge its “strong objections” to an Infrastructure NSW proposal for taller buildings in the final part of the Barangaroo foreshore, including a 20-storey residential building. Also, red Linda Bergin's opinion piece entitled: 'The only option for Barangaroo if we have any respect for our heritage' in 'The Sydney Morning Herald' at: [ https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/the-only-option-for-barangaroo-if-we-have-any-respect-for-our-heritage-20220815-p5b9z1.html]
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/government-heritage-advisers…
# NSW, Heritage listings, Housing market, Planning and development, Sydney.There are no boundary fences where Kathryn lives with her four-year-old son. She wouldn't have it any other way
Bec Whetham ABC (No paywall)Many of today's housing developments require you to have solid boundary fences. At this Adelaide village, they're banned. ... The 350-resident community was established in 2002 with the intention of creating a community environment that is socially and economically viable and ecologically sustainable. More than half of the property is community owned space. There is an organic farm on site, along with goats, chickens and a 'sharing shed' which hosts gatherings and workshops. One thing they don't have is fences. They're not allowed, according to village by-laws. (ABC Everyday)
https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/aldinga-eco-village-bans-fences-…
# Australia, Share houses, Climate change, Families, Home.Possible changes to WA rental laws explained and what they will mean for renters, landlords
Alicia Bridges ABC (No paywall)Three years after changes to Western Australia's tenancy laws were proposed — and in a rental market distorted by pandemic impacts — new legislation to boost tenants' rights appears to be edging closer to reality. According to a 2019 review by the Department for Consumer Protection, the proposed changes are designed to acknowledge a shift away from renting as a "stepping stone" to home ownership, providing more stability and opportunity for tenants to make their rental a long-term home. ... The ABC has compiled a list of three key issues expected to be on the table and what changes could mean for renters and landlords.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-19/proposed-changes-to-renta…
# Australia, Rent, Repairs, No-grounds evictions.No puppy love: post-lockdown lifestyles and cost of living are driving Australians to surrender their pets
Adeshola Ore and Emily Wind The Guardian (No paywall)The end of Covid lockdowns and the spiralling cost of living have left animal shelters overflowing, with organisations now forced to host adoption drives and slash their fees in an effort to get more animals out of shelters and into their forever homes. Also, read Charlotte Gore' article entitled: 'Canberra Pet Rescue struggling to find homes for rising number of surrendered animals' at: [https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-20/act-canberra-pet-rescue-abandoned-animal-rehoming/101352740]. Read Rebecca Le May's article entitled: 'Perth pet owners face surrendering or euthanizing dogs and cats in heartbreaking WA rental crisis' in 'Perth Now" at: [https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/wa/perth-pet-owners-face-surrendering-or-euthanizing-dogs-and-cats-in-heartbreaking-wa-rental-crisis-c-7917202].
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/aug/20/no-puppy-…
# Australia, Coronavirus COVID-19, Families.Constant fear of eviction: how poor people experience life in Somaliland’s growing cities
Jutta Bakonyi, Mustafe Ibrahim Abdi and Nasir M. Ali The Conversation (No paywall)Many cities in Somaliland are growing rapidly. Climate change-induced displacement, insecurity, and population growth accelerate urbanisation. Yet, many urban residents live in dire poverty, lack adequate shelter, and have only limited access to basic infrastructures and services. Two recent research projects focused on experiences of urbanisation from the perspective of people living at the urban margins. One explored displacement and security while the other looked at infrastructure access. ... The urban real estate market in Somaliland lacks regulation and transparency. The urban margins are characterised by different types of land ownership and rent arrangements. ... Many poor people in the country’s cities live in constant fear of evictions. Tenure insecurity shapes their experience of the city and limits their access to services, among them water and electricity.
https://theconversation.com/constant-fear-of-eviction-how-poor-p…
# International, Eviction, Rent, Security and safety, Human rights, Planning and development, Squatting.