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ABC News
21 hours ago
- Business
- ABC News
Research shows social housing struggling to keep up with increasing demand
Waitlists for social housing grew in the four years to 2022, with the number of people being helped into homes falling, prompting a call for a reboot of the overburdened sector. The combination, outlined in a report from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, is worsening wait times for people facing acute housing stress, according to its authors. 'It's a painful and frustrating and horrible experience to go through, being on the waiting list,' lead author Chris Martin, of the University of New South Wales, said. As well as interviewing existing tenants and people waiting for housing, the researchers reviewed national data compiled for a 2024 study in the same research series. Based on state-by-state data, it showed more than 34,000 households across the country joined a waitlist in the roughly four years to 2022. But lettings — or new social housing allocations — suffered a 6,400 drop over the same period. Dr Martin said the data pointed to a long queue for supply so scarce it could disincentivise people from moving out of the system. 'What we currently have is a process of people applying for this scarce form of assistance — a social housing tenancy — and then other forms of band-assistance that are offered, like help with rental bonds in the private market,' he said. 'It would be a good time to start thinking in a formal and structured way, a strategic way, about reviewing the way access to housing assistance is done.' One of the many people to have turned to social housing is Julie, who asked to use a pseudonym for professional reasons. Julie lives with complex health needs and was spending about two-thirds of a disability support pension on an unsuitable private market rental when she made a bid for priority social housing access in March last year. 'There was a leak. It was damp, there were signs of mould. There were some steps in the building,' she said of the private market home. She's still waiting for social housing to become available. Initially, she said, her government housing provider lost part of her application and asked her to resubmit it so she could be added to the priority list. When that happened, she said the application was incorrectly backdated, likely resulting in a longer wait. In the meantime, she's had to find a new private rental after learning her landlord would sell. 'The system's literally designed to make you give up,' she said. 'There've just been so many hoops that I've been made to jump through.' Sarah Toohey, of Community Housing Industry Association Victoria, said an underinvestment in social housing meant available homes were generally prioritised for people with complex needs. She said this cohort often stayed in social housing for longer, resulting in less turnover and a slowdown in homes becoming available. 'At the moment, people put their name down, they don't hear very much and they wait upwards of 18 months to get a roof over their heads,' she said. 'In that time, we know that things that have led to their housing crisis can get worse.' The study authors said the effects of decades of underinvestment in the social housing sector were gradually being reversed as state and federal governments looked to ease the housing crisis. Dr Martin said the renewed focus on the sector posed an opportunity to deliver housing support differently. 'It may not always be about the golden ticket of a social housing tenancy, even though that's what a lot of people will rightly want and need,' he said. His examples included additional assistance to very low-income households in the private market and a bigger focus on individual housing needs. Queensland recently reported an average wait time of about 21 months for high-needs households moving into government-owned social housing. In Victoria, priority households face a wait of about 18 months. The wait for a two-bedroom property in inner-city Sydney is 10 years or more.'We do need a more person-centred approach,' Ms Toohey said. 'We can integrate choice-based letting where people can search for their own social housing properties, or have a system whereby we check in on people on the list and see if there's any other housing assistance you can provide.' Housing groups routinely call for governments to bring more social housing stock online. One recent report found Victoria alone would need an additional 377,000 homes to meet demand over the next two-and-a-half decades. Nationwide, the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute has previously predicted more than 1.1 million social dwellings will be needed by 2037.
The Citizen
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
From Tembisa to the world: Pantsula dance group to feature in Coldplay music video
Coldplay invited the Tembisa Red Devils to appear in the rock band's latest music video. The Tembisa Red devils pose for a photo before flying out to the US. Picture: @pantsulamsola/X South African dance group The Tembisa Red Devils have travelled to the US to appear in a Coldplay music video. The group's manager confirmed to The Citizen that they will be shooting the video in the coming days. 'We have been invited for a Coldplay and Chris Martin music video in Las Vegas, Nevada,' Tembisa Red Devils member Solly Phahlamohlaka wrote on X, replying to a post by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, wishing them well on their trip to the US. Thank you so much🙏🙏✍️✍️My Premier🙏🙏we are going to make Gauteng and South Africa 🇿🇦 proud 🙏🙏🙏We have been Invited for Coldplay and Chris Martin Music Video In Las Vegas Nevada 🙏🙏🙏🙏🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦 @Lesufi — Pantsula KingPin Msola (@pantsulamsola) June 1, 2025 The dance crew were established in 2000 with eight members, but four pulled out. The remaining members registered the group and became what is today known as the Tembisa Red Devils. In 2021, they participated in France's Got Talent, where they reached the finals. In 2018, the Tembisa Red Devils won a significant title for their Pantsula dance in the Arnold Classic Africa Multisport Festival. ALSO READ: Tembisa Red Devils celebrate 20 years in entertainment Tembisa Red devils in the US Members of the dance crew jetted out of the country on Friday, wearing South African colours. After landing, the group members posted footage of themselves enjoying their time in the US. Live In USA 🇺🇸 All The Way From South Africa 🇿🇦 🇿🇦🇿🇦✍️✍️History In The Making Tembisa Red Devils Pantsula Entertainment⚡️⚡️⚡️🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🙏🙏🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻✍️✍️✍️✍️ Amapantsula Ajabulile 🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦Globilazing Pantsula Culture @CyrilRamaphosa @Lesufi @matomekopano @Julius_S_Malema @ProudlySA June 2, 2025 From Winnie Mandela Tembisa 1632 To USA 🇺🇸 Las Vegas Nevada To Dance Isipantsula Representing our country South Africa 🇿🇦 Thank You God🙏🙏🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦Amen🙏🙏 @CyrilRamaphosa @Julius_S_Malema @Lesufi @matomekopano @GaytonMcK — Pantsula KingPin Msola (@pantsulamsola) May 31, 2025 In one video, the members are seen at a Tesla charging station and also in an eatery enjoying some of the US' fast food. ALSO READ: In praise of pantsula In touch with the community In 2023, the group celebrated two decades in the entertainment industry with an event in their community, in Ivory Park, Gauteng. 'We would not be here without the love and encouragement of our community,' Phahlamohlaka told Kempton Express. 'This celebration is a testament to the power of unity and the belief that anything is possible when you pursue your dreams passionately.' NOW READ: Pantsula for life
USA Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Coldplay kicks off final leg of historic tour with hit songs and uninhibited goodwill
Coldplay kicks off final leg of historic tour with hit songs and uninhibited goodwill Show Caption Hide Caption Coldplay's 'Music of The Spheres' tour is the biggest rock tour ever Coldplay's 'Music of The Spheres' world tour is the biggest rock tour of all time, according to Billboard's touring archives. unbranded - Entertainment PALO ALTO, California – Sitting among some 50,000 other happy souls at Stanford Stadium watching Chris Martin hop, skip and jump around a confetti-strewn stage, a thought comes to mind. This must be what it's like to live inside a magnificently utopian Hallmark card. Martin and his merry band of Coldplay troubadours – guitarist Jonny Buckland, bass player Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion – unleashed their infectious brand of rock May 31 on an adoring California crowd to kick off the final leg of a three year tour that wraps in London this September. Love was decidedly in the air. In the hearts created by digitally controlled audience wrist bands, in the spontaneous kisses shared by couples in the crowd, and in the countless exhortations from Martin, who seems to be genuinely if not desperately trying to counter a rather grim global mood. Coldplay really should be called Warmplay, so brimming with affection and frolic is this band and its music. Not that Martin and Company aren't aware their brand of upbeat sonic love bombs seem to run counter to the current global mood. Whether it was a joke about the band suddenly losing its visas, a T-shirt that proclaimed "Everyone is an alien somewhere" or a salute to both Israeli and Palestinian fans alike ("Don't put some bulls--- on the internet now, we love all people!" Martin boomed), the message was clear: Don't bring your siloed, judgmental views anywhere near a Coldplay concert. From roaring rockers to thoughtful ballads, Coldplay's range keeps the show moving The show started in daylight after a hot, sunshiny day in Northern California. That meant after one early song ended with a dramatic coda, Martin quipped: "OK, there you had to imagine that all the lights had gone out." At another point, he noted "this is show 195 of the tour, or, 194 rehearsals for this Stanford show" (the band will perform here again June 1). And what of the music itself? Does it matter, truly? For three decades now, this quartet of college pals have produced an impressive body of work that is eminently hummable, a cornucopia of earworms that everyone knows even if most folks would fail to come up with the names of their songs. They're just ... there. In the ether. In the culture. In the cosmos. If you want the full rundown, just check Coldplay's setlist. But suffice to say the 20 tunes blended Coldplay staples such as "Paradise" and "A Sky Full of Stars" with newer songs such as "My Universe" and "We Pray," this last one sung alongside Elyanna and Willow, who opened for the band. Coldplay have faced criticism from detractors who like to dismiss them as U2 Light or a Muzak Oasis. Martin's well aware, and has no issues accepting and dismissing such barbs. At 48, he and his mates are at this point beyond the reach of such slings and arrows, content if not downright proud in their roles as Pied Pipers of Good Vibrations. And hand it to this band. The lads have range, capable of playing any number of stadium-rocking infectious sing-a-longs such as "Clocks," but then bringing things way down with Martin-at-the-keyboard songs such as "Magic" (which Martin sang to two fans who'd each requested that tune on cardboard signs they'd held up in front of him). A Coldplay concert is less musical evening and more a spiritual rally Say what you will about a songs such as "Viva La Vida" or "Adventure of a Lifetime." If they're not gritty or serious enough for your tastes, so be it. For Martin, they are nothing less than personal anthems, statements of commitment to making the world just a little bit better, one song, one concert, one human connection at a time. During the show, there were many times Martin acted almost like a preacher in this church of Coldplay, a willing congregation welcoming his pleas and exhortations. With his beaming smile and infectious enthusiasm, he asked the crowd at one point to pick a fan across the stadium and wave at them. In another break, he told everyone to spend five seconds beaming out goodwill towards either someone you liked or someone you disliked. In another gesture that wasn't heeded by all, Martin stopped "A Sky Full of Stars" and asked the crowd to please put their phones away and just live in the moment. Near the end, Martin made a point of thanking a long list of people, from Coldplay's crew to the vendors in the stands. He seemed almost intent to leave no one out for fear of offending. For Martin, humans can be amazing, if they only remember to shut out the negativity. Bob Marley in his time pushed the same "one love" concept on the world through his music, a plea for unity and positivity. Coldplay has taken up that baton (Marley's refrain "Let's get together and feel alright" might as well be a Coldplay mantra) and added things the reggae icon might never have imagined, from confetti to fireworks, and from bouncing spheres to 3D vibrating hearts. Martin's 'One Love' entreaties come from the heart, as a long-ago meeting revealed Martin seems to be the lodestar for this big love vibe. I felt his idealistic embrace firsthand 10 years ago when I interviewed the band about Coldplay's seventh album, "A Head Full of Dreams." I was waiting to speak with Martin outside a burger joint in west Los Angeles, and he arrived a bit late, wildly apologetic and explaining he'd been delayed by his then-young son Moses' flag football game. For the next hour, Martin wasn't a rock star but just another father of a young child sharing parenthood stories and his hopes for the world amid bites of crispy French fries. At the end of our talk, he handed me a small pin that said "Love." The same pin he wore Saturday night in Palo Alto. It could have been the cheesiest celebrity gesture ever. Yet somehow it didn't feel like one. The man wears his heart on his sleeve, and he'll show it to you on a park bench or in a giant football stadium. So in a world that can often feel angry, fractured and imperiled, Coldplay is here to remind us all there is love, community and hope. If that sounds like a musical Hallmark card, ship me off in it.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Coldplay setlist: All the songs on their record-setting Music of the Spheres World Tour
Coldplay setlist: All the songs on their record-setting Music of the Spheres World Tour Show Caption Hide Caption Coldplay's 'Music of The Spheres' tour is the biggest rock tour ever Coldplay's 'Music of The Spheres' world tour is the biggest rock tour of all time, according to Billboard's touring archives. unbranded - Entertainment PALO ALTO, California - Seeing Coldplay live is pretty much the polar opposite of taking in a spontaneous jam band concert. And that's not a bad thing. The group's Music of the Spheres World Tour continues to deliver a tightly choreographed and dreamy production that has been touring the globe for three years. The show the British band put on May 31 at Stanford Stadium, which kicks off a final leg of a planetary peregrination that ends this fall in London, was good fun polished to a delirious sheen. Frontman Chris Martin and his longtime mates – guitarist Jonny Buckland, bass player Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion – unveiled a two-hour-plus medley of hits woven into a technological tapestry that included light-up bracelets, 3-D glasses and endless fireworks and confetti. Call it a sing-a-long for the ages. The multi-part shows that make up the Music Of The Spheres World Tour finds the band digging deep into its many albums but with an emphasis on 'Music Of The Spheres' (2021) and 'Moon Music' (2024). The tour, which has already crossed the $1 billion sales mark, kicked off back in 2022. Coldplay will reprise their Stanford gig June 1, before moving to Las Vegas for two shows, and then on to Colorado, Texas, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Tennessee and Florida. They'll hit Toronto and Hull, England before wrapping this mega-tour with 10 dates at London's Wembley Stadium. The last Coldplay show from this record-setting event is September 8. Catch them while you can. Coldplay Music of the Spheres World Tour Stanford Stadium May 31 setlist 1. Higher Power 2. Adventure of a Lifetime 3. Paradise 4. The Scientist 5. Viva La Vida 6. Hymn for the Weekend 7. Magic 8. God Put A Smile Upon Your Face 9. Yellow 10. All My Love 10. People of the Pride 11. Clocks 12. We Pray 13. Infinity Sign 13. Something Just Like This 14. My Universe 15. A Sky Full of Stars 16. Sparks 17. The Jumbotron Song 18. Fix You 19. Good Feelings 20. Feelslikeimfallinginlove
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Coldplay at Stanford Stadium: Prepare for traffic, fireworks and big crowds
Coldplay is set to launch the next leg of its record-breaking Music of the Spheres world tour this weekend with two sold-out performances at Stanford Stadium, marking the band's only Northern California appearances this year. The British rock group — singer Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion — is scheduled to perform Saturday, May 31, and Sunday, June 1, in support of its latest album, 'Moon Music,' released in October. Originally launched in 2022, the Music of the Spheres tour recently became the first by a rock band to gross more than $1 billion, joining Taylor Swift's Eras tour in reaching that milestone. Fans can expect a mix of Coldplay classics — including 'Yellow,' 'Viva La Vida' and 'A Sky Full of Stars' — along with new material from the band's 10th studio album. If you're planning to attend, here's what to know before you go: When to arrive and what to expect at the venue The parking lots and box office open at 2 p.m. Gates open at 5 p.m. each night at Stanford Stadium, which holds just over 50,000 people. Willow is set to open the show around 5:25 p.m. While set times may vary slightly, Coldplay is expected to begin shortly after the opener, probably between 6:30 and 7 p.m. The venue, which typically serves as home to Stanford University's football team, warns there will be fireworks throughout the performance, with a grand finale just before the 10 p.m. curfew. Getting there: Driving, directions and parking Stanford Stadium is located on the university campus, with access via El Camino Real. Drivers should turn onto Sam McDonald Road to reach the venue directly. Parking is available near the track and field stadium or at Town & Country Village, which is less than a mile from the entrance. Ride-hailing drop-off and pickup zones will be clearly marked near the stadium. Be prepared for delays after the show due to high demand. Traffic will be heavy. Palo Alto police advise giving yourself extra time to arrive and park. Taking Caltrain Caltrain is encouraging concertgoers to take the train to Palo Alto Station, which is within walking distance of the stadium. Staff will be on-site to assist riders. The last northbound train is scheduled to depart at 11:58 p.m. and the last southbound train at 12:56 a.m. There will be no additional train service and no service at Stanford Station. Caltrain operates on a proof-of-payment system, and tickets must be purchased in advance at machines or through the Caltrain mobile app. Ticket availability Though primary tickets are sold out, resale options remain available, with prices for Saturday's show starting at $267 on StubHub. Sunday seats begin at $242. Weather forecast Prepare for warm, sunny days and cooler nights this weekend. Saturday is expected to be sunny with a high near 87 degrees, and light winds, according to the National Weather Service. Saturday night will be mostly clear, with temperatures dipping to around 55 degrees. Sunday will be a bit cooler, with sunny skies and a high near 75 degrees. Sunday night will also be mostly clear, with a low around 52 degrees. Be sure to bring sunscreen, stay hydrated and consider packing a light jacket for the evening. Bag policy Stanford enforces a clear bag policy. Approved bags include: clear plastic, vinyl or PVC, maximum size 12 by 6 by 12 inches. Small clutches with a maximum size of 4.5 by 6.5 inches) are also allowed. Unapproved bags must be returned to your vehicle or checked, if that service is available. Can I bring food or drinks? Outside food and beverages are not allowed. Concessions will be available inside the stadium, including vegetarian and vegan options. Nearby areas including downtown Palo Alto and California Avenue have several late-night food options if you're hungry after the show. Is merchandise available at the venue?
