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Housing Policy

'Something deeply wrong' as market value of Victoria's public housing properties soars

Rent for the vast majority of public housing tenants in Victoria is capped according to income, but advocates say sharp increases in market rents before rebates are applied are causing confusion and concern.
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two public housing towers can be seen with the Melbourne city skyline in the background

'It's the landlord's property': Warning planned rental protections go too far

Landlords in New South Wales say a looming policy change by the state government to ban a practice known as "no-grounds evictions" will erode the rights of property owners and reduce the amount of rental stock on the market. 
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A professionally-dressed woman in a grey blazer stands on the property of a one-storey suburban home

These houses in Sydney have sat empty for decades, but there's 'very little' council can do about it

With official estimates putting the number of vacant and derelict homes above 100,000 across Australia, local governments and property lawyers argue they could be part of the solution to Australia's apparent housing shortage.
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Derelict terrace houses covered in graffiti.

'Nope, it's not worth that': Caution urged when using real estate price guides

Those attempting to navigate the property market may be familiar with the plethora of property price guides published each month. But are they more of a hindrance than a help?
Towers of concrete, and steel in the background and a river system in the foreground.

As some investors decide to leave Victoria, first homebuyers are getting their foot in the door

Investors say they're selling properties in Victoria due to the threat of increased taxes, changing tenancy laws and rising interest rates. But Victoria's not the only state where the number of rentals appear to be falling.
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A man and woman standing in front of a house

analysis:'Build more houses' sure sounds great as a solution to the housing crisis, but a few key factors scream 'buyer beware'

This seems as good a time as any to evaluate the reliability of what politicians tell us about the housing crisis — and how they're going to make things better.
Anthony Albanese looks across the table at Peter Dutton during Question Time.

International competition to design Sydney's future pattern book houses

An international competition is underway asking for blueprints to create a so-called pattern book of pre-approved housing designs for NSW.
Pattern Book Competition, Sydney Housing: A row of terrace houses in a leafy suburb.
Duration: 1 minute 46 seconds

Renters in crisis still waiting for legislation on no-fault evictions

Both major parties promised at the last election to end no-fault evictions, but new legislation is yet to be put forward.
Eviction Frustration: A man sitting on the edge of his car with his head in his hands.
Duration: 1 minute 55 seconds

'Hundreds of thousands' of tradies needed to prop up Australia's construction sector

Matt Mackey from building consultant, Arcadis, says the construction sector is facing a multitude of headwinds.
ABC News Current
Duration: 4 minutes 27 seconds

Here are the inner city and outer suburbs to get hundreds of new affordable homes

The NSW government has flagged North Eveleigh, Camperdown, Kellyville and Camden as the first of 44 sites designated for hundreds of social and affordable houses.
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A vacant lot on a suburban road.

Advocates say child protection 'destroys families and communities' in northern WA with system built to fail

Legal and social groups say housing shortages and diminished services mean the child protection system is failing the people it is meant to protect.
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The silhouette of a woman leaning and holding a child.

Eman was told she was a good tenant, but without warning received an eviction notice

Fifteen months after both major parties in NSW promised to end no-fault evictions, the government is yet to put forward new legislation, as more renters are pushed out of their homes amid a rental crisis.  
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Eman Soliman in her home looks at the camera as she talks about no-fault evictions

For Hailey, being homeless and in high school felt like 'hell on Earth'

Without anywhere safe and secure to call home, Hailey felt like she didn't have a future. Her grades crashed and her mental health suffered. She's not alone. 
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A young woman with light brown hair looking at camera. Black background.

analysis:Do you love renting? Does it make you feel patriotic?

Why did we make it harder for younger Australians and low-income workers to own homes? Did we forget some wisdom from the past?
1950s house in black and white

'Too cold to sleep': Homeless campers battle rain, mould and the unknown as winter temperatures plummet

Parts of Australia are recording their coldest temperatures in more than a decade, and people sleeping rough are bearing the brunt more than ever. 
Sweeney teaser image

Fact check: Are overseas arrivals outpacing housing construction at a rate of four to one?

Shadow Minister for Housing Michael Sukkar says the number overseas arrivals since Labor came to power is four times greater than the number of houses built. RMIT ABC Fact Check investigates.
Michael Sukkar wears a suit and red tie and is speaking against the green seats of the lower house. VERDICT: Overblown

'Mum is a shell': Family restricted from visiting temporary home of elderly woman left homeless by explosion

An 86-year-old woman whose house was destroyed in an explosion in Western Sydney has been re-housed in a women and children's shelter, which her daughter says has left her feeling isolated.
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Two women smile at the camera.

Property prices, inflation rising as pressure mounts on Reserve Bank to hike interest rates

Australian property prices are expected to increase by as much as 5 per cent in calendar year 2024, according to the June PropTrack Property Market Outlook Report.
Aerial shot of dozens of houses in neat rows in a new outer-suburban housing estate.

Cashed-up foreign buyers are buying more Australian property, but it's just a fraction of the market

After a downturn during the pandemic, foreign buyers are back. Most are coming from China, Hong Kong and India, with the value of transactions hitting almost $5 billion over the past financial year.
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a man with short black hair and glasses wears a black suit jacket and leans on a new kitchen island table

Water bill hike to be partly offset for pensioners, veterans and concession holders

A day after the state government announced water bill hikes for thousands of SA households, it now says the extra cost will be partly offset for concession card holders. An increased water concession of about $50 a year for about 190,000 eligible customers will come into effect from July 1.
People wearing high-vis orange tops peer through large water pipe.

Train network expansion could provide solution for Adelaide's growth

With Adelaide in the grip of a housing crisis, and surrounding areas experiencing a population boom, the SA Government is looking at rail to deliver thousands of people to work from new regional and outer suburban communities.
ABC News Current
Duration: 4 minutes 7 seconds

Vital history or political tool? How local heritage battles are affecting the housing crisis

A two-hour commute from the Sydney CBD, Wollondilly Shire seems an unlikely place for a battle between new housing and heritage laws. But a plan to protect a local landmark is causing division.
image of placard reading "think of the five sarrive alive" with post office in background

'Fair go mate': Council still pursuing pensioner living in bus despite ministerial intervention

Danny Reinhold will be allowed to keep living in his rented bus after Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley granted him a permit — but the Shire of West Arthur will continue its legal action against him. 
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A man sits in the steps of a bus

Home owners selling up and making hundreds of thousands of dollars

Australian property resales reached their highest rate of profitability since July 2010 in the first quarter of the year, according to a new report from CoreLogic.
a house for sale in the brisbane suburb of stafford with the sale sign in the front yard

As locals are being priced out of popular tourist towns, a radical solution is being proposed to help them stay

Could a cap-and-trade system help address the chronic housing shortages in popular tourist destinations around Australia?
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A photo of houses in the township of Apollo Bay