Residents and supporters unite to fight boarding house eviction

Residents and supporters protest at Selwyn St, Paddington – Action for Public Housing

In a scenario that has played out too many times, a group of boarding house residents in Selwyn Street Paddington is being told to leave to make way for unaffordable housing. The group of 28 residents is being threatened with eviction so that 4 luxury apartments can be built.

Neighbours in their community and supporters have mounted an admirable campaign to save the residents, and are also working to make sure they get housing if they are evicted. Homes NSW has promised to help. 

This weekend a group of the residents and supporters gathered in Whitlam Square in Darlinghurst to demand the NSW Government acquire the boarding homes and save these renters from eviction and displacement. 

Late last year the NSW Government and City of Sydney Council announced that they had formed an agreement and found the money to purchase the property – but the developer so far refuses to sell. With a week left until the scheduled eviction date, there is still no change.
 
Before heading up Crown Street and towards the location of the boarding homes in Selwyn Street, those gathered heard from one of the residnets, Barry Skinner, and a public housing tenant and advocate, Karen Brown, about the pitfalls of tenant relocation whether in public or private housing. In his statement, Barry compared the act of selling off and re-development of the Selwyn Street boarding homes to a “demolition of men’s lives.” 

Unfortunately, stories of boarding house hardship are all too common. The laws that govern these renters do a very poor job of protecting them. This is particularly unacceptable given the importance of this type of housing for older renters, international students, people on low incomes, and other vulnerable people. Urgent reform is needed to boarding house legislation – we hope to see this on the NSW Government's agenda within the next year.

This weekend’s protest was supported by a broad coalition of housing and political advocates.

Read more: Clock ticking for vulnerable inner Sydney boarding house residents facing eviction (ABC news) Listen: Podcasts by the Sydneyist Eastside radio – Is Sydney becoming a ghetto for the rich? Action for public housing, and Homes NSW right of reply.