#Tag · bonfire.cafe

Friends, my roommate bailed on me with almost no notice, and I am trying to raise funds to to be able to stay where I am. Rent here is crazy and I can't afford it alone, so I am trying to raise 3 months of their share until I can find and vet a new roommate. I did a GoFundMe, but for privacy reasons I am not posting it here. If you wish to donate, please, my Paypal is:

ricardus @ sdf . org

#Emergency #FundRaising #Housing #MutualAid

Ricardus

@Ricardus@mastodon.sdf.org · 2 days ago

ricardus @ sdf . org

#Emergency #FundRaising #Housing #MutualAid

Mre. Dartigen [maker mode]

@dartigen@aus.social · 3 days ago

Have't found them here on Fedi (they do have a BlueSky - https://bsky.app/profile/betterrenting.bsky.social - but I did just get this from Better Renting over email, and I'm sure I'm not the only one trying to figure out getting on it ASAP.

"You may have heard about the Residential Tenancies Standards Amendment Bill, which was created to introduce standards for heating, cooling, insulation, ventilation, and energy-efficiency in rental homes. We made a submission in favour of the Bill, as did other community organisations.

The SA Select Committee for the bill has just shocked us by finalising their report and calling for a vote on the bill all within the past 24 hours.

The Committee now hasn't given anyone time to read through the report or weigh in, but here's the worst part: their verdict is that the bill isn't appropriate and that it should not be progressed, despite overwhelming support from the community and advocacy organisations like us.

This is on the heels of an announcement from the SA government that developers will now be allowed to build apartment complexes that force the people who live in them to share communal bathrooms and kitchens.

As Greens MP Rob Simms put it, it seems unbelievable that we have "a government that is seriously talking about removing the requirement for private bathrooms and kitchens in new developments, and even the basics like fly-screens and draught-proofing rentals are considered a bridge too far."

The vote is happening in a few short hours, so we need SA renters and allies to call MPs: share your opposition to this shocking move and voice your support for the Residential Tenancies Standards Amendment Bill now, before its too late!"

So... yeah, if you've got the free time (ofc this happens early afternoon mid-week when many people won't), I don't know how much impact can be had but it's worth calling and seeing what can be achieved. Here's a link to the spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_4E6avwF4RnIpbwlhjpwRsrugzaUeyYPdK32CpxFdnk/edit?gid=0#gid=0

#AusPol #southaustralia #renting #housing

David Chisnall (*Now with 50% more sarcasm!*)

@david_chisnall@infosec.exchange · 5 days ago

@sjjh @ChrisMayLA6

There are a few issues. First, a huge amount of indirect subsidy is pushing job creating in places that are already very expensive to live. In cities in Wales or the North of England, there are a lot of houses for a fraction of the price of places like London. As a fully remote company, a load of our employees take advantage of this.

There are a lot things the government could do to address this. Tax incentives for companies allowing remote work (full remote, not just hybrid, which still requires you to live near the office), higher business rates for offices in places where housing is expensive, move flights out of Heathrow (it’s completely ludicrous that it’s cheaper to get a train from Bristol or Manchester and then fly to the US or Canada from Heathrow than to use the local airport), better rail connections to airports and cities, and so on.

The second big thing is that the buy-to-let push to treat a second home as an alternative to a pension has left a load of private landlords unable to actually afford to be landlords. They got mortgages at 1-2%, assuming rental income at 3-5% which would cover costs and make some profit. Now mortgage payments are 4-5%: more than rent. First they changed the tax rules to make interest payments come out after tax (which really just favours big landlords, because a company owning a property pays tax on profits, after mortgage interest and maintenance have been deducted). Then interest rates spiked.

This leaves landlords with two choices: put up rent, or sell. The stamp duty increase makes selling harder, as does the oversupply.

I moved away from Swansea 13 years ago. House prices have barely shifted since then, but rent has gone up a lot. There are a lot of ex-rental properties for sale but no one is buying them. Landlords aren’t expanding their portfolios and the post-2008 affordability checks mean that banks won’t lend to people even though they are paying more in rent now than they would pay in mortgage payments.

A forward-looking government would provide guaranteed loans to local authorities for replenishing social housing stocks. They would buy up a load of the cheap houses and make any that are not needed for council houses available at a fair (below market) rate and provide downward pressure on the rental prices.

Susi Arnott

@SusiArnott@mastodon.green replied · 5 days ago

@david_chisnall @sjjh @ChrisMayLA6
Good think-piece, bar the normalisation of flying (none of us can afford #climatebreakdown :)
"... A forward-looking government would provide guaranteed loans to local authorities for replenishing social housing stocks. They would buy up a load of the cheap houses and make any that are not needed for council houses available at a fair (below market) rate and provide downward pressure on the rental prices..."
#housing

Chip Booty 👻🍑 boosted

Emeritus Prof Christopher May

@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us · 5 days ago

Rent in the private rental sector now approaches half (and sometimes exceed half) of many workers pay... there's an old saying in economics: 'if something cannot go on for ever, it won't'.

The cost of living crisis driven by high energy prices & rent suggests the UK economy will continue to stagnate or worse, given the dependence on consumer spending underpinning the economy's activity.

The only Q. is when will the house of cards come tumbling down?

#housing #politics
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/oct/27/private-rent-britain-record-swallows-average-wage

the Guardian

Private rent in Britain now swallows 44% of the average wage

Monthly cost jumps to record £1,385 outside London, and £2,736 in the capital, with hotspots showing hefty rises

everton137

@everton137@social.vivaldi.net · 5 days ago

"Housing is a top EU priority," says the Commission. €19.6 billion has already been invested, and a European Affordable Housing Plan is in the works.

I can’t help but wonder what will **actually** change.

https://ec.social-network.europa.eu/@EUCommission/115445399219430957

#housing #EU #landlords #Capitalism #Inequality

Emeritus Prof Christopher May

@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us · 5 days ago

Rent in the private rental sector now approaches half (and sometimes exceed half) of many workers pay... there's an old saying in economics: 'if something cannot go on for ever, it won't'.

The only Q. is when will the house of cards come tumbling down?

#housing #politics
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/oct/27/private-rent-britain-record-swallows-average-wage

the Guardian

Private rent in Britain now swallows 44% of the average wage

Monthly cost jumps to record £1,385 outside London, and £2,736 in the capital, with hotspots showing hefty rises

Billy Smith boosted

Emeritus Prof Christopher May

@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us · last week

One key element of the housing crisis is the hell of houses of multiple occupancy (HMOs) much loved of TV programmes like Houses Under the Hammer, but too often experienced as places of exploitation & threat by their tenants (existing in rentals that are often outside the law).

As Aditya Chakrabortty explores this is a reflection of the buy-to-let logic of the Thatcherite housing 'revolution' linked to austerity & racism/prejudice.

#housing #politics #migrants

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/oct/24/crimewave-sweeping-britain-illegal-houses-multiple-occupation-hmo

the Guardian

The crimewave sweeping Britain? Illegal houses in multiple occupation | Aditya Chakrabortty

With private-sector villainy and public-sector complicity, what makes this HMO scandal so characteristic of modern Britain is how far the guilt spreads, says Guardian columnist Aditya Chakrabortty

Moritz Heiber and 1 other boosted

Morpheus Being

@MorpheusB@aus.social · last week

#Australia #Housing #Poverty

Our grandparents built houses on one wage.

We can't even rent on two! — Our grandparents built houses on one wage. We can't even rent on two!

Emeritus Prof Christopher May

@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us · last week

As Aditya Chakrabortty explores this is a reflection of the buy-to-let logic of the Thatcherite housing 'revolution' linked to austerity & racism/prejudice.

#housing #politics #migrants

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/oct/24/crimewave-sweeping-britain-illegal-houses-multiple-occupation-hmo

the Guardian

The crimewave sweeping Britain? Illegal houses in multiple occupation | Aditya Chakrabortty

With private-sector villainy and public-sector complicity, what makes this HMO scandal so characteristic of modern Britain is how far the guilt spreads, says Guardian columnist Aditya Chakrabortty

Morpheus Being

@MorpheusB@aus.social · last week

#Australia #Housing #Poverty

Matt Noyes and 2 others boosted

Grassroots Economic Organizing

@GEO_Collective@social.coop · last week

How to start a #housing #cooperative, and examining Chile's #SolidarityEconomy in this week's newsletter:

https://newsletter.geo.coop/archive/newsletter-10-21-25

📬 GEO Weekly Newsletter | Housing Co-op Startups: From Idea to Reality | Chile’s Solidarity Economy is Growing

Grassroots Economic Organizing

@GEO_Collective@social.coop · last week

How to start a #housing #cooperative, and examining Chile's #SolidarityEconomy in this week's newsletter:

https://newsletter.geo.coop/archive/newsletter-10-21-25

📬 GEO Weekly Newsletter | Housing Co-op Startups: From Idea to Reality | Chile’s Solidarity Economy is Growing

bhaugen boosted

Nathaniel Gregory

@Faithslayer202@mastodon.social · 2 weeks ago

If you were at the #NoKings events, please wear a #mask for the next few days.

#Covid is not over.

You can infect others before you feel symptomatic.

People are losing their #healthcare. They’re losing their #food assistance. They’re losing #housing.

We need to protect each other.

#Politics #Democrats #Republicans #Liberals #Conservatives #Trump #Biden #KamalaHarris #TimWalz #Democracy #USA #Musk #Fascism #Fascist #ICE #MartialLaw #NationalGuard #Protest #Activism #Protesters #AbolishICE

Nathaniel Gregory

@Faithslayer202@mastodon.social · 2 weeks ago

If you were at the #NoKings events, please wear a #mask for the next few days.

#Covid is not over.

You can infect others before you feel symptomatic.

People are losing their #healthcare. They’re losing their #food assistance. They’re losing #housing.

We need to protect each other.

Felix Reda boosted

Helge Rausch

@i_dabble@merveilles.town · 2 weeks ago

The EU has a *housing commissioner* now and he had this to say:

> “If we don’t, as policymakers, take this problem seriously and acknowledge that this is a social problem and needs action, then … the anti-EU populists will win,” he said, adding that Brussels had so far “failed to deliver” on some of the key elements of the housing crisis.

I really hope something good will come out of this!

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/15/eu-executive-short-term-rental-rules-affordable-housing-plan
#eu #housing