In a strongly worded op-ed, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner defended the recent repeal of the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule.

Turner argued in The Gazette, an Iowa-based newspaper, that AFFH represented a federal overreach into local housing decisions and hurt the very communities it claimed to help.

“As Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, I serve the American people by ensuring rural, tribal, and urban communities have access to quality, safe, and affordable housing,” Turner wrote. “Achieving this mission oftentimes means stopping big government from meddling in the lives of everyday Americans.”

The AFFH rule — originally enacted in 2015 by the Obama administration and reinstated under President Joe Biden in 2021 — required local governments to analyze housing patterns for racial and economic disparities and submit corrective plans to HUD.

But Turner said the rule “effectively turned HUD into a national zoning board.” He called it “one of the greatest top-down intrusions on local decisionmaking ever undertaken by Washington.”

Turner credited President Donald Trump for terminating the policy during in 2020 during his first term, saying he ended “a liberal quest to socially reengineer neighborhoods at the expense of the American suburban dream.”

The secretary argued that the regulatory burdens imposed by AFFH were excessive and counterproductive.

“To comply with the mandate’s requirements, localities had to complete a nearly 100-question grading tool and undertake complicated demographic analyses of their residents and housing stock,” he wrote.

“Moreover, this data had to be analyzed in relation to not just the community itself, but to the greater region as a whole — with a mandate to address the mere existence of any sort of imbalance, racial or otherwise, even without any showing of actual discrimination. Unsurprisingly, these reports proved nearly impossible to complete.”

Turner cited Philadelphia as an example, noting that it submitted a report totaling more than 800 pages, two-thirds of which were rejected by HUD for revision.

He also pointed to the case of Dubuque, Iowa, which he said was unfairly targeted by HUD.

“The Obama administration accused Dubuque of discrimination for merely prioritizing its own citizens’ public housing needs over those of the people of Chicago, Illinois, many of whom were coming to this smaller Iowa city for Section 8 vouchers,” Turner wrote.

“Despite Dubuque being nearly 200 miles away from Chicago and in a completely different state, Obama’s HUD lumped it together with the Windy City and declared it must promote ‘fair housing’ in the new regional bloc that crossed the Iowa-Illinois border.”

Turner added that the move does not mean an end to fair housing enforcement.

“Of course, housing discrimination remains illegal under federal law, and will continue to be illegal after AFFH is repealed because the Fair Housing Act remains in place,” he said.

A coalition of more than 100 consumer, housing and civil rights advocates previously submitted a letter to Turner opposing HUD’s 2025 Interim Final Rule that changes the scope of the AFFH rule.

“Imagine a society in which every child and every person can live in a neighborhood with ample affordable and accessible housing, fresh air, clean water, good public transportation, living wage jobs, quality healthcare, healthy foods, and affordable credit. That is what affirmatively furthering fair housing means,” said Nikitra Bailey, executive vice president of the National Fair Housing Alliance.

President Donald Trump may want to open up the once-notorious Alcatraz Island prison to again house the “worst of the worst” criminals, but one woman remembers “The Rock” as a wonderful place to grow up.

“Weren’t you scared?” is a question that Jolene Babyak routinely gets about her childhood on a prison island known for housing infamous criminals such as gangsters Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly, and Mickey Cohen.

Located about 2km off the San Francisco shore and overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, the federal penitentiary, which once housed approximately 250 men, became famous for being “impossible” to escape — though many tried, Realtor reports.

Only five succeeded in getting off the island, but are missing and presumed to have drowned in the surrounding choppy waters of San Francisco Bay.

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Many movies were based on the notorious prison, including Clint Eastwood’s 1979 film “Escape from Alcatraz.”

But “scared” is not a word that Babyak would use to describe living on the island.

“We had a very tight-knit community, plenty of entertainment, a low-crime neighbourhood, and million dollar views!” she says.

The children of Alcatraz

Most people don’t realise prison staff and their children lived on the island alongside the prisoners.

Babyak resided there from 1954 to 1955 (from the age of 7 to 9) and again in 1962 when she was 15 years old. Her father, Arthur Dollison, was the associate and also acting warden.

With her parents and her two older siblings, Babyak first lived in a two-bedroom apartment in Building 64, an old military barracks.

The bottom portion of the building dated back to the 1860s, and the top (where they lived) was finished in 1906. Babyak and her sister, Corinne (who passed away in 2016), shared one large bedroom, while her brother got an “unlighted hallway.”

The island had a small general store and a post office but not much else. There wasn’t a hospital or medical clinic.

“Don’t get hurt,” was the advice the kids got.

Babyak, who today is one of the island’s premier historians and has written several books about the prison, once fell and hit her head.

A “minimally trained” medical technician monitored her for a concussion, but that was all for medical care.

“If it was really serious, like you were bleeding out, you’d have to go to the city,” she says.

This required catching a ferry, which ran frequently from a dock on the island.

As a second grader in the 1950s, Babyak was sent into the city by herself for school.

“Different times,” she says, laughing.

She and other kids from the island would take the ferry and then a bus to their school, and back again.

No telephones on the island could reach the city, so once she left for the day, she was essentially on her own — with a few older kids to make sure she got around OK.

Classmates knew she lived on the notorious island.

“They were fascinated,” she says.

“They mostly wanted to know about Al Capone, who was dead by then. I got the feeling they thought that the kids and prisoners all ate dinner together at one long table.”

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A unique — but ‘ideal’ — childhood

She remembers a childhood full of adults who were “very actively involved” in their kids’ lives — constantly putting on events, parties, dances, “watermelon feeds,” and performances to keep the young ones occupied and out of trouble.

While they all played on a large playground in the middle of the island, adults were constantly monitoring them, either keeping watch from the surrounding homes’ windows or as the men walked past while going to and from prison work shifts.

As a teen, Babyak enjoyed her first kiss after an island “beatnik”-themed party with another teen resident.

“We had this life on a prison island that was ideal,” she says.

She notes that this is the exact opposite of the childhood most of the prisoners had, and why they ended up where they did.

“They were throwaway kids,” she says. “The product of trauma.”

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As an adult, she realised that the prisoners weren’t there because of their supposed terrible crimes but because of their anti-social behaviour in other prisons — and that most were mentally ill.

Despite growing up always being told that her prisoner neighbours were the “worst of the worst” offenders, Babyak is adamant that she was never frightened of them. One prisoner even handed her a stray ball through a fence.

“He must have gotten permission from a guard,” she says.

Later on, other prisoners told her they had enjoyed listening to the sound of children playing, that it brought a bit of sunshine and normalcy to their lives.

Others, however, said they felt sorry for the kids, imagining them to be “trapped” on the island.

An infamous escape

Babyak was living in a nicer duplex house on the island in 1962, when the island’s most infamous escape happened. She was asleep when an alarm jolted her awake.

“My mother met me on the stairs, and she said, ‘Get dressed, there’s been an escape, we have to search the house,’” she says.

She and her mother, Evelyn, had to go down to the basement to see if the three escapees were hiding out there.

“That part was a little scary,” she says, though her mother told her in all likelihood the men had already gotten off the island.

The escapees were three bank robbers, John Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin. Their ingenious escape involved putting papier-mache model heads resembling their own heads into their beds, breaking out of the prison via ventilation ducts, and fleeing aboard an improvised inflatable raft.

While it assumed they all drowned, their bodies were never found, leaving open the possibility that the trio enjoyed freedom for the rest of their lives. But Babyak doubts this.

“They didn’t have food or money and two had never been to San Francisco before. They were rural farm kids,” she says.

She believes the men would have committed another crime eventually and been found out.

Alcatraz reboot?

Alcatraz is suddenly in the spotlight after Trump said he wants to reopen the island to prisoners, calling it a “symbol of law and order.”

The penitentiary was shut down in 1962 due to the difficulty and high costs associated with maintaining it. For one, there is no real sewage system — sewage was dumped into the bay. Water had to be brought in via a boat and stored in a large tank. For the small amount of prisoners it housed, only about 250, the cost wasn’t worth it.

“It’s been very odd and unexpected,” Babyak says of the surge of media attention due to the president’s remarks.

Today, the island is a tourist attraction. Babyak has been selling books and giving talks there for 30 years, along with former prisoners and at least one other former resident. The speakers have dwindled over the years, as more people who lived on the island pass away.

Babyak says she cherishes her time on the notorious island and was sad to leave when it closed.

“We were all sad,” she says. “The prisoners — not so much.”

This story first appeared on Realtor and was republished with permission.

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From soft features to shifting strategies, the latest platform updates show that connection, not performance, is what cuts through. Jessi Healey breaks it down.

For sale: 24 Birdrock Ave, Mount Martha.

Resort-style luxury meets beachside haven at this Mount Martha home within walking distance of the ocean.

The four-bedroom, three-bathroom getaway at 24 Birdrock Ave, Mount Martha, has been immaculately designed to reflect the tranquillity of the Mornington Peninsula with the flexibility and “architectural flare” of modern living.

Designed by Wolveridge Architects and built by Ongarello, the property centres around a luxurious heated pool with two separate wings for privacy.

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The striking home is a short walk from Birdrock Beach.

Dubbed the “Honey House” for its warm, caramel tones, the interior features timber-lined roofing and walls, paved stone floors and muted tones.

Four bedrooms provide ample room for family living or enough space to enjoy while on holiday.

The outside offers a pristine pool to relax by, a spa and an outdoor shower with beautifully landscaped terrace and greenery by Bethany Williamson.

Walimont and Nutt director Trent Cameron said the yet-to-be-lived-in home was the “masterpiece” in a string of four properties the builder has developed.

It’s listed for sale with $3.65m to $3.85m price hopes.

“The detail of the finish by the builder – they have done an outstanding job,” Mr Cameron says.

The main kitchen and dining area is connected outdoors and is stacked with features such as a built-in butler’s pantry.

Natural surfaces such as travertine crazy paving and Tasmanian oak lined ceilings and joinery feature throughout the home.

“I love that area with the skylight at the front of the home. It’s also got a totally separate set up for guests with its own entrance and ensuite.

“Outside, you’ve got a pool, a spa, which you would use a lot in winter.

“And at the end of that street there’s a beautiful beach – it’s literally 30 to 40 metres and you’re at the beach.”

And while the house has only been on market for a couple of weeks, interest has, unsurprisingly, been strong.

“The majority of interested buyers we’ve seen so far have been a mix of local and city buyers – families and also people who are looking to downsize from Melbourne and end up retiring down here,” Mr Cameron says.

The vaulted ceiling in the main living zone enhances the sense of space.

For sale: 24 Birdrock Ave, Mount Martha.

He added that Mount Martha, perfectly positioned between the city and the coast, had the best of both worlds.

“We’re still finding people are moving out of Melbourne to get out of the city,” he says.

“Some people are moving from holiday homes in Sorrento. (They’ve realised) we’re closer to the city … and we’ve got better beaches.”

Mr Cameron expects interest in the area to continue, especially if the expected rate cut in May occurs.

“I think it’s going to pick up and be strong throughout the year,” he says.

Additional features of the property include a curved facade, wood fireplace, floor heating, Miele appliances and CCTV system.

The four-bedroom house is on the market with price hopes from $3.65m to $3.85m.

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An industry operator has warned that a foreign investor ban will stunt availability of short-term rental accommodation in Australia for holidaygoers.

A two-year ban policed by the tax office is set to hit Airbnb and the short-term rental market hard, an industry operator warns.

The ban which began on April 1 this year and runs through to March 31, 2027 is overseen partly by the Australian Taxation Office, with all foreign property buyers now unable to buy established dwellings in Australia “with limited exceptions”.

The ATO said “this includes temporary residents purchasing an established dwelling for use as a principal place of residence” which covers the likes of international students and contract workers, but operators fear the fallout will hit the holiday market hardest.

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The short-term stay hopes to use AirBnb and similar sites to list the South Lismore destination. CREDIT: IStock

But short-term rental property management firm Bodhitree Group managing director Seiko Ma warned the foreign investor ban will stunt availability of short-term rental accommodation in Australia for holidaygoers most.

She said foreign property buyers often bought homes for rental purposes, including Airbnb, which could see those numbers fall over the next two years.

“If fewer properties are available for short-term rental, it would be a significant loss for both the industry and the tourists who benefit from these unique lodging options,” she said.

“In my experience, local property owners tend to have different priorities compared to foreign investors. They are generally less likely to offer their properties for short-term rental.”

“Instead, they may choose to live in the property themselves or rent it out long-term. These factors could affect the flexibility, pricing, and availability of STR properties for tourists.”

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Bodhitree Group managing director Seiko Ma.

“Tourists — whether travelling for work or leisure — will have fewer Airbnb options to choose from in certain cities or regions.”

“As a result, many may have no choice but to turn to traditional accommodation options like hotels or holiday apartments.”

Ms Ma said the rise of Airbnb and other short-term rentals had a “profoundly positive impact on the tourism industry”.

“Not only do they provide affordable, flexible options for both business and leisure travellers, many cleaners, gardeners and tradies have the opportunity to work close to home.”

“Tourists staying in Airbnb accommodations tend to spend money in different ways than hotel guests. They often cook their own meals, shop at local supermarkets, and visit cafes and other neighbourhood businesses.”

Airbnb and short-term rental users tend to use local businesses a lot, shopping, dining out, visiting cafes, Ms Ma said.

“Additionally, they are more likely to explore areas beyond traditional tourist hotspots, which leads to a broader distribution of tourism spending across the local community.”

According to the ATO, during the two-year ban period it was possible for foreign investors to buy established property only if they would demolish it to build at least 20 additional dwellings on the land within 4 years from the date of approval.

“We generally approve applications to buy and develop an established dwelling it if significantly increases Australia’s housing stock. This applies to development proposals to: retain an established dwelling; demolish an established dwelling, or redevelop vacant land that previously had a dwelling on it.”

But it said different rules applied to applications made from April 1 2025, where the established property being bought had to be vacant at settlement and no part of it was to be occupied until the new dwellings were complete.

When buying or selling residential land, foreign investors must also notify the Register of Foreign Ownership of Australian Assets, and may also need to pay additional taxes like a foreign investor surcharge duty and land tax depending on location and property type.

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