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.
Our main email newsletter, Tenant News is sent once every two months. You can subscribe or update your subscription preferences for any of our email newsletters here.
See notes about the Digest and a list of other contributors here. Many thanks to those contributors for sharing links with us.
We love sharing the news and hope you find it informative! We're very happy to deliver it for free, but if you find it valuable, can you help cover the extra costs incurred by making a donation?
Archive
Why taxes on property investors should go up
(Paywall)Labor should slash the $9 billion capital gains tax discount, which benefits the top 10 per cent, and use the money to cut taxes for middle-income earners. (Australian Financial Review)
https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/why-taxes-on-property-investo…
# Australia, Rent, Housing market, Tax.Homelessness strategy ‘unlikely to end homelessness’
Judy Skatssoon (No paywall)The NSW Government’s homelessness strategy is underfunded and likely to have only a limited short-term effect, an audit has found. The $169 million NSW Homelessness Strategy 2018-23 comprises 21 actions including screening at-risk high school students, helping vulnerable people keep tenancies and providing social housing. But the Department of Communities and Justice received “significantly less funding” than it sought for the strategy, which remains focused on how to go about ending homelessness rather than actually doing something about it, the NSW auditor general’s report says. (Government News)
https://www.governmentnews.com.au/nsw-homelessness-strategy-unli…
# NSW, Homelessness, State Government.Tenants left without financial help face tough road out of COVID-19 lockdown
Melissa Heagney Domain (No paywall)Victorian tenants who have been unable to work through the recent lockdown will struggle to afford to eat let alone pay the rent, after losing an average $817 in wages, a new Tenants Victoria survey has revealed. More than half of the 1122 tenants surveyed said they would not be able to pay their rent after another two weeks out of work. Even as stage four restrictions across the state ease, many casual workers will be unable to return to their jobs in sectors like hospitality that will reopen at a reduced capacity or, in some cases, not at all.
https://www.domain.com.au/news/tenants-left-without-financial-he…
# Australia, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19, Housing market.June 2021 News
Shelter NSW (No paywall)Check out the latest housing news from Shelter NSW:
Housing Affordability in Canterbury Bankstown
More proposals for inner city public land - 600–660 Elizabeth Street, Redfern
City of Sydney expands its affordable rental scheme
John Engeler, Shelter NSW CEO, on New Generation Boarding Houses
Shelter NSW supports capacity building to deliver better housing and planning outcomes for Aboriginal communities across NSW
Second members meeting wrap-up.
https://mailchi.mp/shelternsw/shelter-nsw-june-2021-ebulletin?e=…
# NSW, Campaigns and law reform.More than 80% of councils now own housing companies, research finds
Lucie Heath Inside Housing (Paywall)More than 80% of local authorities in England currently own housing companies and the number of councils entering into joint ventures (JVs) is also on the rise, new research has found. ... The report said the increase in the number of councils building outside of the Housing Revenue Account may be connected to a proliferation in JVs with private sector partners or housing associations to deliver new homes.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/more-than-80-of-councils-no…
# International, Public and community housing, Housing market, Local Government.Northern housing associations launch tenant climate jury
Dominic Brady Inside Housing (Paywall)From the United Kingdom ... The Northern Housing Consortium (NHC) has launched a first-of-its-kind tenants’ jury to consider how residents, social landlords and others can tackle climate change. ... The Social Housing Tenants’ Climate Jury will select 30 tenants from project partners Karbon Homes, Yorkshire Housing, Thirteen Group, Salix Homes and First Choice Homes Oldham. In particular the jury will look at retrofitting to understand tenants’ preferences on how this should be undertaken in their homes. Tenants will also have a chance to say what information they need before, during and after the retrofit process to use low-carbon heating technology confidently.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/northern-housing-associatio…
# International, Public and community housing, Utilities water energy internet, Climate change.‘Complex, wicked problem’: Creaking towers are alarming engineers
Charlotte Grieve The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Creaking noises in high rise buildings are caused by developers using new technology to cut costs and a regulator that is slow to act, engineers say, prompting fears about fire safety and driving calls for a national review of construction products. The Age has reported creaking noises that have tormented residents of Melbourne’s tallest towers, including Australia 108, Prima Pearl, Aurora, Melbourne Square and now Premier Tower – many constructed by building giant Multiplex. ... Structural engineer and researcher Scott Menegon said creaking noises can occur as a result of developers using new technology to build flexible towers while continuing to use old products, such as wall and ceiling systems, that are not designed to bend.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/victoria/complex-wicked-problem-…
# Australia, Housing market, Minimum habitability standards.Trying to stay warm? Here’s the most cost-effective way to heat a room
Sean Naden and Nick O'Malley The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Houses better designed for winter – or even retro-fitted for it – with fewer cracks, better glazing and better insulation, would have left Australians more comfortable this week, Australia’s leading expert in the niche field of thermal comfort says.
https://www.smh.com.au/environment/sustainability/trying-to-stay…
# Australia, Minimum habitability standards.