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A commission report exposes the grim reality of the housing crisis, Adelaide faces another strike from ‘bitumen bandits’, and Maclean might be one of Australia’s best tiny towns.
Welcome to Property Buzz! I’m Orana Durney-Benson.
Today is Thursday, 22 August, and the People’s Commission into the Housing Crisis has released its final report, with the backing of housing coalition Everybody’s Home.
– The report revealed shocking living situations that everyday Australians are experiencing, with some renters reporting freezing indoor temperatures of under 10 degrees, mould and termite infestations, exorbitant rent rises, and share houses where residents sleep on balconies or in shifts.
– Each night, 122,000 people across Australia are homeless, and 640,000 families are currently on the social housing waitlist – which, in many cases, is up to 10 years long.
– The People’s Commission urged the government to take action, giving eight clear recommendations including building a quarter of a million new social homes over the next 20 years, and abolishing investor tax concessions.
Down in Adelaide, homeowners and businesses should be on the lookout for so-called ‘bitumen bandits’, itinerant tradies who scam locals with substandard work.
– Reports have surfaced of bitumen bandit activity in the Prospect area of Adelaide, with Consumer and Business Services currently working with the police and border force to stamp out the scam.
– Travelling tradies go from door to door offering to do cheap bitumen work, but end up charging highly inflated fees for shoddy work.
– Consumers are advised to be wary of unsolicited offers, get multiple quotes, and avoid agreeing to offers on the spot.
And Maclean in New South Wales has topped Airbnb’s Tiny Town Guide, a list of 50 small Australian towns with strong tourism appeal.
– The guide aims to spread tourism to less visited locales by bringing attention to towns that often go under the radar.
– The top 10 towns include Maclean, Scamander, Monto, York, Myrrhee, Taranna, Bremer Bay, Lake Bennett, Glen Alice, and Tumby Bay.
– Airbnb is granting $30,000 each to five community organizations in these regions to support tourism and foster community spirit.
That’s all for today.
See you again tomorrow, 23 August, for your daily dose of Property Buzz.
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