Leo Patterson Ross

Pleasure to be on Pod Save the UK talking about the need for rent controls & the mass transfer of public money into the pockets of private landlords. Clip here 👇

Retail (including ikea) with housing above and metro beneath

Varied and interesting architecture, strong public realm

Beautiful central linear park

Before and after from Carlos Moreno, who toured me. @carlosmoreno.bsky.social

This new Paris neighbourhood is VERY good. Clichy-Batignolles (former rail yard), 1 of many transformations at Metro transit stations around the city. Dense+mixed (urban IKEA, grocery store, schools, jobs etc), diverse (50% public housing, 20% middle class rental), 1/3rd beautiful park, 20k people.

Rental scams are making renting even harder. What should NSW do? Recently we published a new resource to help renters avoid rental scams. In this blog post, we explore what the state government needs to do to prevent scams happening in the first place.

We need a public, searchable landlord register. This would be a simple, powerful reform. To stop rental scams at the source: www.tenants.org.au/blog/rental-...

Tips: Avoiding rental scams In the process of finding a rental home, be aware that there are scammers who try to trick people into paying for places that either don’t exist or are completely different to the photos in the advert...

Being careful can save you a lot of stress (and money). Renting a new place should be exciting - not risky! Check out our new resource page with tips to avoid rental scams here:
www.tenants.org.au/resource/avo...

Sadly, rental scams aren't a rare story. We've recently published a new resource to help renters avoid scams, and a new blog about how NSW can help prevent them.

Our latest Priced Out report is out and the findings are alarming and grim. The housing crisis has been smashing those on low incomes but it’s also hitting people who’re earning middle and even higher incomes. It’s time for real action on housing!

One hell of a report - I particularly like the domestic fossil / extraction emissions - holding steady at around 20% of the country's emissions

that is ONE FIFTH of Australia's total domestic emissions purely from digging up and selling fossil fuels (which mostly end up sold elsewhere)

A billion-dollar dirty secret: Homes hide ‘worst conditions you can imagine’ These homes are costing taxpayers an eye-watering amount – and they conceal disturbing scenes endured by vulnerable residents.

big investigation into how many disabled people live in group homes, focusing on one provider and the role of the public guardian

not a single word of this should be a surprise to anyone, particularly after the Royal Commission

archive.md/Ykj1Z

With housing affordability and availability at a breaking point, millions of Australians are struggling to find a safe, secure place to call home. Hear from Labor MP @jeromelaxale.com about his vision for addressing these challenges!

Register now! events.humanitix.com/housing-in-c...

I like the modified "ETHOS" model from:
www.feantsa.org/download/art...

Not presented as spectrum but a big part of the discussion is the reliance on cultural and subjective tests for some of these.

Without wanting to make meaningless the rest of the spectrum, I'm not sure there is ultimately an "end" to the spectrum, but if there is a meaningful one - it is in formal private rental at least as constituted in Aus because of the ability to be arbitrarily and forcefully removed from your home.

The correct way to play Spelling Bee is to just find any pangrams and move on, right?

There are many important justice issues bundled in the conception of human rights including the right to adequate housing, and so much passion from many advocates for the project of creating a better world which can seem out of reach. Thank you to you all!

As with any 6 year old writing I can see things I'd improve, from the style to substance, but this marked something of the start of a conversation about essential services that has spread beyond just us two. Still a long way to go!

The Limits of Rights and Protections: Housing as an Essential Service Public policy relating to renting and tenancy is typically approached through two competing conceptions: consumer protection and human rights - are we regulating an economic exchange or ensuring that ...

Reflecting on Human Rights Day reminded me of the time @markriboldi.bsky.social and I tried to tease out what we could do to practically improve renting and the conception of regulation without some of the pitfalls that have arisen through rights conversations.

www.tenants.org.au/blog/limits-...

I'm choosing to stand in optimism. There are some good characters trying to take the moment we have - attention, and even some money, to rebuild the public housing system in our state.

The most important part I think is ensuring current and potential public or community housing renters are heard.

Have your say on future of Homes NSW Have your say about the future of public and community housing in NSW!, Homes NSW, the new department with responsibility for public and community housing, homelessness and other housing assistance is...

The Homes NSW plan has a lot of potential, and some big vision.

Too often these big departmental plans have left us underwhelmed, and we hear the scepticism from renters in housing and on the waiting list.

www.tenants.org.au/news/have-yo...

The best building internationally according to RIBA is… social housing

And rightly so! 85 Social Dwellings in Cornellà, by Peris + Toral Arquitectes, show us the standard we should be aspiring to in ALL housing

www.dezeen.com/2024/11/27/p...

Struggling Australians being forced into poverty with 'nowhere affordable to live' More than 20 per cent of Australian renters are living in poverty after their rent has been paid, a new study has found.

One in five Australian renters are living without essential items and in poverty, peak body study finds www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11...

Seems a bit risky in Brisbane weather, recommend ensuring the potluck is in Sydney.

These folk did not downgrade their housing - they upgraded their life. They experienced the change as unburdening themselves from a garden they couldn't maintain, from commutes that were exhausting, and I think from expectations that were holding them back.

Convincing people that accepting something is better than nothing, rather than good in their own right, is deeply uninspiring to people who aren't already on board and can encourage opposition.

Positive experiences that attract people to density, at all income levels, is what will get us there.

Having lunch with elder gen-x's who are 3yrs into apartment living after houses. While we inevitably swap housing stories, the main reflection is just how in love they are with the convenience and the community in their building.

This is the story density advocates need to tell - and create.

Hah! I haven't even listed the goofier stuff, I was glad to find @worldbollardassoc.bsky.social here already.

That's a great starter pack, and happy to see the philips here too.

Thanks so much!

A double line graph which shows the number of purchases made by investors has been higher than the number of investors selling. The line for purchases is consistently higher than the sales line, except for February 2024.

OK so if you've been hearing that landlords selling up and it's hurting rental supply in Victoria, here's an interesting graph: CoreLogic data and analysis suggests the number of investors buying Victorian property has consistently been higher than the number of investors selling.

What does mortgages data tell us about the impact of rental reform on investment? Whenever reforms to introduce regulations and strengthen rights for renters are proposed, it’s not long before articles appear quoting property developers, investment groups, and real estate lobbyists...

We did a deep dive in to this recently: www.tenants.org.au/blog/mortgag...

Rental Affordability Index | SGS Economics & Planning The Rental Affordability Index (RAI) measures rental affordability relative to incomes, guiding policymakers since 2015.

Check out the Rental Affordability Index here: sgsep.com.au/projects/ren...

Perth, whose state government has refused to move on eviction reforms bowing to industry claims that doing so would negatively impact renters, has plummeted to the worst affordability on the main rent:income measure.
Scare campaigns should be relegated to the bin by responsible governments.

Where even a modest home costs 99 per cent of incomes Some households face spending more than their entire income to keep a roof over their head. The situation is starving industries of workers.

The release of the Rental Affordability Index today is always another demonstration of the need for real action to improve renting. My comments in this article, but there's one more key takeaway from today's release.

www.smh.com.au/property/new...

Keen to get your recommendations for a fresh follow list.
Housing, justice, economics, and trying to make the world a better place ideal - but open to lots of other suggestions!