Latest news with #housingcrisis
News.com.au
7 hours ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
‘Not the main problem': Unexpected response to the ‘Robin Hood of renters'
Few figures are more synonymous with Australia's ongoing housing crisis – or more polarising – than Jordan van der Lamb. A fierce critic of the real estate industry, the so-called 'Robin Hood of renters' and socialist politician has attracted a hundreds-of-thousands-strong audience across YouTube, Instagram and TikTok under the moniker PurplePingers. Unlike the heroic outlaw after whom he's been nicknamed, Mr van der Lamb does not advocate for anyone to steal from the rich. He does, however, encourage those in need of shelter to squat in their 'vacant' properties. He has created an entire database of such homes across the country. 'Are you sick of rich people hoarding empty houses during a housing crisis? Because I am. Here's what you can do about it,' he told his followers in a video this week, before taking them on a tour of a seemingly-abandoned property in Melbourne's Chadstone. 'Fun fact: squatting in Australia is not necessarily illegal – which is the best type of illegal. Especially if the front door doesn't actually lock. So yeah, here's a free house if you want it … Homes are for people to live in, not for rich people to make money off.' Mr van der Lamb's methods have, unsurprisingly, proven controversial – drawing sharp criticism from social media users and those in the real estate industry to Anthony Albanese. Yet his relentless coverage of the current state of our property market cannot be ignored. 'Australia is experiencing more than a housing crisis; we are in the grips of a housing disaster,' acting executive director of independent think tank Per Capita, Sarah McKenzie, told 'In 2024, demand for new dwellings outpaced supply by 68,000 compounding a severe supply shortfall that has been building for years. Severe rental stress is at a decade high, public housing waitlists are near breaking point, and homelessness services are overwhelmed.' 'They're not the main problem' 'In that context, it's no surprise that people are frustrated,' Ms McKenzie said. A Prosper Australia report released last July and frequently cited by Mr van den Lamb showed that Melbourne has close to 100,000 vacant homes – more than enough to, hypothetically, shelter the 30,000 Victorians experiencing homelessness (per the latest census). 'Jordan van der Lamb's tactics aren't the solution, but they're not the main problem either,' Ms McKenzie said. 'They reflect a growing anger at a housing system that leaves homes empty while people sleep on the streets. At CEH we don't endorse squatting or public shaming of property owners, but nor should the national debate be sidetracked by it.' Earlier this year, the consequences of Mr van den Lamb's activism were laid bare – and ignited the fury of the Prime Minister – when a Melbourne woman arrived at her vacant investment property to find security cameras installed, the locks changed, squatters inside and the home's address online. The woman, who inherited the home from her late father, also discovered that most of his possessions were missing. She went on to tell the ABC she did not believe it was a coincidence that the break-in happened after the address was shared on social media. Mr van den Lamb confirmed he had posted the home's address but noted it was unclear if the squatters had moved in prior to him doing so, telling The Project the home 'was empty for 17 years'. Though he felt 'very sorry that (her) belongings were taken … I also think about the fact that every four days a young person experiencing homelessness dies in this country, even though there are hundreds of thousands of homes available to them', Mr van den Lamb said. 'They might be good for clickbait, but they won't help' Like Ms McKenzie, Macquarie Law School Professor and Executive Member of Smart Green Cities, Cathy Sherry, said 'the younger generation has every right to be very angry about the mess that older Australians have created in our housing market'. 'It is the result of muddled thinking that has encouraged everyone to view residential property as an asset class to build wealth, as opposed to a basic human necessity,' Professor Sherry, a leading international expert in land law, told 'If that basic necessity is not met – or if people have to spend too much time and money securing it – they cannot contribute fully to society. That is harming us all.' Yet Mr van den Lamb's ideas are neither 'realistic or practical', she said. 'They might be good for clickbait, but they won't help young people,' Professor Sherry, a leading international expert in land law, said. 'The answer is not for people to squat, as that means they have none of the protections that apply to residential tenants. 'He runs the risk of encouraging people to do things that might make them civilly or even criminally liable.' Jacob Caine is the interim CEO of the peak professional association for the Victorian real estate industry, Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV). '(We) remain acutely aware of the significant impacts that the state's ongoing housing and rental market crisis is having on Victorians, and the urgent need to address it,' Mr Caine told 'But we strongly reject any attempts, including by Mr van den Lamb, to encourage squatting as a means of achieving this. This is a highly dangerous practice, that risks the safety of all involved. 'It is completely at odds with Victoria's high-functioning real estate sector and the fundamental rights of home ownership that have long been a hallmark of Australian society.' Mr van den Lamb's rhetoric 'also plays to a false and inflammatory narrative around all rental providers being rich', Mr Caine noted, 'a perception which ignores the fact that almost nine-in-ten rental providers are private investors, with the majority owning just one rental property'. 'We need to be a bit more grown up' The 'answer' is not in headline-grabbing antics, Prof Sherry argued, but in fixing the tax policies that have 'encouraged older people to buy residential property as an investment'. 'Just as we would not allow some people to stockpile food when other people are hungry, we should not allow some people to stockpile homes when other people are homeless or experiencing housing stress,' she said. Owners who don't intend to use the property themselves, renovate or sell it in the near future – and are instead 'land banking for an extended period or allowing their property to fall into serious disrepair … should be penalised by the tax system'. That Australia doesn't already do so, Prof Sherry said, is 'exceptionally dumb tax policy that is shooting the nation in the foot'. 'Tax policy is not as interesting as squatting, but if we want real solutions, we need to be a bit more grown up about the issue.' At the end of the day, 'governments, not individuals, are responsible for the state of housing in this country', Ms McKenzie said. 'We have a housing system that fails to deliver enough homes, especially for those on low incomes,' she said. Though the Federal Government's $43 billion Homes for Australia plan is a 'good start', structural factors like skilled worker shortages, low construction productivity, outdated planning rules and 'tax settings that make it easier to profit from housing than to build it' hold it back. 'Housing isn't just where we live – it's the foundation of health, safety, and opportunity,' Ms McKenzie said. 'We won't solve this crisis through distraction or division. We'll solve it by building more homes, and ensuring those homes are delivered at a price people can actually afford.'
Irish Times
10 hours ago
- General
- Irish Times
People with right to remain in Ireland stuck in direct provision centres due to lack of housing, Hiqa finds
More than 20 per cent of people living in seven direct provision centres could not move out despite having permission to stay in Ireland due to a shortage of housing , according to reports from the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa). The reports covered International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centres in counties Cork, Kerry, Louth, Galway and Waterford. In addition to noting how many residents are in each centre, they record how many have been granted refugee status or subsidiary protection allowing them to move out and to look for their own housing. In two centres – Birchwood House in Co Waterford and Millstreet Accommodation Centre in Co Cork – 42 per cent of residents were stuck there, having been granted international protection but unable to leave. READ MORE Regarding Birchwood House, Hiqa said: 'While the primary function of the centre was to provide accommodation to people seeking international protection, the inspectors found that 54 (42 per cent) of the residents had received refugee, subsidiary protection or leave to remain status. 'Due to the lack of alternative accommodation, they were unable to avail of more appropriate accommodation arrangements in the community.' In Millstreet, where 109 of the 260 residents had refugee status or another right to remain, the report said 42 per cent of residents 'had received notice to seek private accommodation' outside of the centre. 'Due to the lack of alternative accommodation available this was not always possible.' At Carroll Village IPAS centre in Co Louth, 26 of the 88 residents (29.5 per cent) had the right to remain at the time of the inspection, March 19th and 20th last, but could not find housing. [ One in four single people seeking emergency accommodation are from direct provision, say homeless agencies Opens in new window ] At Park Lodge in Co Kerry, nine of the 51 residents (17 per cent) had permission to remain. This fell to 4.4 per cent at Linden House, Co Kerry, 4.7 per cent at Great Western House in Co Galway and 5.4 per cent at Ashbourne House in Glounthaune, Co Cork. The Department of Justice is seeking to source additional IPAS accommodation due to continued pressure for beds in the system. The most recent data from the department, published on June 20th, shows there were 2,577 male adult asylum seekers 'awaiting offers of accommodation'. Figures released last week show the department has received 131 offers from property owners of buildings to be used as IPAS centres. These were being 'worked through and assessed', meaning it was not possible to state how many of the 131 had been offered for sale rather than lease, a department spokeswoman said. The seven Hiqa reports published on Friday showed high levels of compliance with national standards. However, two centres had areas of noncompliance. At Park Lodge in Co Kerry, where 51 single women are living, inspectors who visited on February 18th and 19th noted that 'residents spoke positively' about the centre. However, it said 'improvements were required ... related to strengthening safeguarding practices', as well as the recruitment of a reception officer, development of supporting guidance documents for the reception officer, and the need for enhanced governance to ensure adequate oversight, accountability and monitoring. Carroll Village in Co Louth, home to 88 people in families, was inspected on March 19th and 20th. 'The inspectors were told by residents that they felt safe living in the centre. Life ... felt 'normal' [and] some residents said they 'don't feel different here'.' However, the report said: 'The overall governance and oversight systems in place were not fully effective.' It added: 'Systems to review the implementation of, and compliance with relevant standards, legislation and policies were not fully effective' and, 'the service provider had not ensured that all of the required notifications were submitted to Hiqa in line with the requirements.'
The Guardian
16 hours ago
- Business
- The Guardian
A broken housing market is driving inequality right across Europe – and fuelling the far right
Housing is as personal an issue as it gets. Homes are where we take refuge from the outside world, express ourselves, build relationships and families. To buy or rent a house is to project your aspirations and dreams on to bricks and mortar – can we see ourselves sitting outside in the sunshine on that patio? It can also be a deeply frustrating process – can we afford that house? For more and more of us, the answer is no. Experienced at such an individual level, it's easy to think that rising costs are a problem particular to your community, city or country. But unaffordable house prices and rents are a continent-wide issue. According to the European Parliament, from 2015 to 2023, in absolute terms, house prices in the EU rose by just under 50% on average. From 2010 to 2022, rents rose by 18%. As an editor, I wanted to know some of the stories behind these stats and, as a person who lives in a very expensive city (hello from London!), hear some solutions. I commissioned a range of housing experts to contribute to a series, The housing crisis in Europe, describing what the situation looks like in some of Europe's most expensive cities. Agustín Cocola-Gant writes about how changes to policy after the 2008 financial crisis encouraged wealthy foreigners to buy second homes or short-term rentals in Lisbon, pricing locals out of their city. Now some Portuguese families rent rooms, not flats. In a reversal of roles, it's the newcomers who have it worse in Amsterdam, according to Amber Howard. Older, long-term residents live in secure and affordable social housing while younger people and recent arrivals, often on lower incomes, are left to the costly and insecure private housing sector. While social housing stock has dropped over time, private stock has increased as politicians sought to encourage wealthier residents to move into the city. It's a similar story in Budapest, says Csaba Jelinek. Social housing was sold off after the end of the cold war, and private ownership was championed as a rejection of socialist values. What this has meant in practice is older Hungarians investing in housing and driving up prices and rents for younger generations. One city not facing an affordability crisis is Vienna. As Justin Kadi writes, since the 1920s the city has had a stable stock of social housing for tenants of all incomes. Like in Amsterdam, newcomers rent privately, but social housing has had a damping effect on rents. You don't need to be a housing expert to see the dynamics playing out in Europe's housing market. Over more than 40 years, housing policy has favoured those who invest in homes at the expense of those who live in them. This power imbalance is at its most stark in countries with big institutional investors – such as private equity, hedge, insurance and pension funds – as Tim White explores in his piece. When houses are not homes but assets, there is a transfer of wealth from those who have not to those who have. Across Europe – and much of the rest of the world – property has become a driving force of inequality. In turn, inequality is a driving force of resentment. Far-right politicians have tapped into this anger for their own political gain, as reported by the Guardian in a previous series of reports from the frontlines of Europe's housing crisis. As the European commissioner for jobs and social rights, Nicolas Schmit, commented: 'The housing problem divides our societies, and it may be a risk for our democracies.' Housing policies are set at a national level, but the European Union can set frameworks and support access to finance. In 2024, all housing ministers from member states signed a declaration calling for a 'new deal' on affordable and social housing. There are solutions, and there is political will, and in the meantime let's hope this series will go some way to helping those who face unaffordable housing across Europe realise they're not alone. Kirsty Major is a deputy Opinion editor for the Guardian
Arab News
19 hours ago
- Business
- Arab News
Renters struggle to survive in Portugal housing crisis
LISBON: With sky-high rents beyond his modest pension, Antonio Lemos has no choice but to live in an abandoned house in Lisbon without electricity or running water as Portugal's perennial housing crisis spirals. The former kitchen assistant, 80, has never found a stable home since foreign investors bought his apartment and has placed his hopes on a charitable institution to find a solution. 'How can you pay a rent of 400 or 500 euros for a room?,' asked Lemos, whose monthly pension barely amounts to 500 euros ($580). 'Age is catching up, and I'm scared.' Successive governments of all political stripes have tried and failed to solve the problem, according to Luis Mendes, a researcher at the University of Lisbon's Institute for Geography and Territorial Organization. 'Year after year, real estate breaks new records,' Mendes told AFP. The market spike began during the eurozone financial crisis in 2011, when the country attempted to resuscitate its stricken economy by attracting foreign capital through so-called 'golden visas.' The scheme offered visas to foreigners who invested in real estate and tax advantages to retirees or globe-trotting digital nomads but is viewed as having contributed to the problem. Housing prices in Portugal have jumped 124 percent since 2015, well above the EU average of 53 percent, according to Eurostat. The current center-right government has made tackling the crisis a priority, but in the first three months of 2025 prices spiked by more than 16 percent, according to the Portuguese national statistics institute. Falling interest rates and public guarantees for young people's mortgages, a measure introduced by the government last year, has driven the latest increase. A group campaigning for the right to housing has called for protests this weekend in a dozen cities. Similar to neighboring Spain, public housing only represents two percent of households and many properties are converted into short-term holiday lets in the popular tourist destination. Renters like Carlos are bearing the brunt. The municipal gardener, who declined to give his surname, has been living for five years in a freight container surrounded by building sites in the Portuguese capital. A basic mattress, a handful of personal belongings and some birds in a cage to keep him company make up the interior of his humble abode. The 55-year-old used to live with his mother, but after her death the lease was canceled and he found himself homeless overnight. 'I have found nothing at less than 800 euros. To have a salary and not be able to pay rent is unacceptable!' Carlos, whose income reaches around 1,000 euros, told AFP. In a country where more than 70 percent of the population own their home, the new center-right government that emerged victorious from May's snap election intends to build almost 60,000 new social homes. It also plans to simplify public aid for renters, convert vacant public buildings and offer fiscal advantages in a bid to accelerate renovation and construction. But for Mendes, 'it is not with more homes that this crisis will be solved' because it risks 'overheating the market.' The Lisbon renters' association has criticized 'the illusion of supply as the only solution' and singled out a 'lack of regulation and political courage.' The European Commission has suggested Portugal regulate rents to protect the most affected groups of people or introduce more controls for short-term tourist lets.
Irish Times
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Infrastructure crisis must be tackled with the same energy as Brexit
Will the Government be brave enough to implement a set of radical recommendations from the taskforce on infrastructure which is due to report next month? The response will be a clear signal about whether the Coalition parties are capable of implementing the kind of actions the country requires as a matter of urgency. If they fail to act decisively to eliminate the bottlenecks that have blocked the overdue development of our water, energy and transport infrastructure, the housing crisis will only get worse and centre-ground politics could be discredited for a generation. The fact that the infrastructure taskforce, chaired by Jack Chambers , contains a wealth of experience in the private and public sectors is a positive sign. One member of the taskforce, Sean O'Driscoll, former chief executive of Glen Dimplex, has publicly committed it to putting forward a range of radical options. Tánaiste Simon Harris has promised to respond with 'big, brave, bold decisions'. If the Coalition lives up to that commitment there is a lot that can be achieved in a short space of time, but political courage will be essential in the face of the inevitable howls of protest. READ MORE One of the main blockages to progress has been abuse of court procedure by objectors to almost every major infrastructural project, and plenty of smaller ones as well. The result has been indefinite delays to critical water, energy and transport projects as well as housing development. The inertia that has gripped decision making in the State for far too long is illustrated by the way a comprehensive set of proposals to remove legal obstacles from the planning system seem to have disappeared into a black hole. A detailed report on the operation of civil law, chaired by the highly respected former president of the High Court, Peter Kelly, which was published in 2020, put forward a range of straightforward measures to streamline the process of judicial review and end the flood of planning hearings clogging up the courts. The response to three big, potentially overwhelming events over the past decade and a half, the financial crisis, Brexit and the Covid pandemic, show that the system is capable of decisive action when the need arises The key proposals were the introduction of a simple piece of legislation to ensure that trivial issues such as typographical errors in planning applications should not be grounds for a judicial review. More importantly it proposed that the courts should not hear a case unless the applicant is able to demonstrate that they have a substantial interest in a planning decision and have a reasonable chance of winning. The current situation whereby an individual or group can object to a development hundreds of kilometres away from where they live or do business is one of the greatest absurdities of our planning system. The abandonment of Apple 's planned development in Athenry was just one example of the system's weakness. The Kelly report made a range of other proposals, including tightening the rules on the awarding of costs and the length of time it takes to have cases heard. In a letter to the then minister for justice, Helen McEntee , introducing his report, Kelly noted how Lytton Strachey in his celebrated short biography of Florence Nightingale quoted her concern that a report of the royal commission into the health of the army 'would like so many other royal commissions before and since, turn out to have achieved nothing but the concoction of a very fat blue book on a very high shelf'. Kelly remarked that not much had changed since Victorian times when it came to implementing reports containing valuable recommendations for reform or innovation. 'In an effort to avoid such a result, the review group determined at its first meeting to produce recommendations which would be practical, affordable and capable of implementation with as little fuss as possible.' Despite producing a report that lived up to that billing, the fate Kelly feared has come to pass. It is just one example of the lethargy which can beset the political and administrative system when it comes to making and implementing big decisions whose need is glaringly obvious. The response to three big, potentially overwhelming events over the past decade and a half, the financial crisis, Brexit and the Covid pandemic, show that the system is capable of decisive action when the need arises. The same kind of focus, allied to a resolve to face down objectors, will be required when it comes to implementing the expected radical recommendations of the taskforce. The timidity with which the political system has treated the proposed pipeline from the Shannon to Dublin, to guarantee the future water supply for the capital, illustrates the extent of the issue. The needless delay in constructing a motorway between Cork and Limerick is another example. The building of Ardnacrusha in the 1920s is often cited as a model of what can be achieved by courageous government action but O'Driscoll has pointed out that much more recently, in the early 1980s, a gas pipeline between the Kinsale field and Dublin was constructed in 18 months. So big projects can be devised and implemented if the political will to drive them exists. The Coalition needs to be brave and implement radical change for the common good. Failure will have dire consequences for generations to come.
