Affordable housing: A controversial housing development rejected by Waverley Council last year has been given the tick of approval after removing a 4th floor
A 31-room boarding house with communal living spaces has been approved by Waverley Council to be built at a cost of more than $9 million, as housing advocates warn it risks being “unaffordable” for renters.
Wentworth Courier
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A 31-room boarding house that has faced months of opposition from residents and council has been approved for construction by Waverley Council, after overcoming objections about a fourth floor.
But housing advocates warn it may not be a win for the council’s commitment to increase its stock of affordable housing in the eastern suburbs because the development application was submitted before new state government rules that protect renters and communities from poor outcomes.
The boarding house is set to be built on the corner of Gould Street and Curlewis Street just one street back from iconic Bondi Beach, at an estimated cost of $9,871,400.
Boarding houses, which offer rooms and shared living spaces, tend to be rented by people who cannot afford the costs of renting a studio apartment or other types of housing.
The mixed-use development that combines ground floor retail space with a 31-rooms over two floors across an area of 427.26m was subject to an appeal in Land & Environment Court late last year, with opposition in the double digits from surrounding residents.
After a number of changes, it was ultimately approved by the Court in mid-May after the developer agreed to remove a proposed fourth floor, among other changes.
Private company Admark Investments Pty Ltd said it would pay $60,000 as agreed between the parties due to the costs of two amended applications in May this year.
The amended proposal includes a basement with five parking spaces (including van loading space), and parking for six motorcycles and six bicycles, along with ground floor retail space accessed from Curlewis Street and Gould Street.
The first and second floors will house nine boarding rooms; a third floor will have five boarding rooms, a caretaker room and a common room opening onto a terrace.
Advocates warned the building risks increasing housing density in Bondi while failing to guarantee it will supply truly affordable housing the area desperately needs.
John Engeler, CEO of Shelter NSW, the state’s peak body for housing, said its data showed there are over 1,000 people registered for social housing in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, with lower income people who need a studio or one bedroom warned of a five to 10 year wait.
Mr Engeler said the changes launched by the NSW government in November last year strengthen protections for renters and the neighbourhoods where boarding houses are built.
“For too long sometime private boarding house operators have, at best, taken advantage of people by charging excessive fees,” Mr Engeler told the Wentworth Courier.
But the original development application for the property was submitted in January 2021, months before the new stricter State Government rules replaced 2009 laws.
The former policy incentivised the supply of boarding houses with planning incentives, but did not have requirements for rooms to be rented out at affordable rates.
Under the new housing policy, any new boarding houses must provide affordable housing “in perpetuity” and must be managed by registered community housing providers, the policy states.
A spokesperson for the NSW Department of Planning and Environment told the Wentworth Courier its new policy supports and incentivises affordable housing by tying rent to a percentage of household income.
“It also ensures boarding houses are built in appropriate places, managed by a community housing provider to remain affordable and meet high design standards,” they said.
“The NSW Government is exploring every avenue to unlock barriers to housing supply, including partnering with Community Housing Providers on a number of projects across the state to provide housing for people in need.”
Mr Engeler said developments covered by the older regulations risked “charging excessive fees” without guaranteeing the amenities and building were of a good standard.
“We call on the NSW Government to ensure that Councils charged with their regulation are properly funded and equipped.”
The Rental Affordability Index indicated that for workers like those in the hospitality sector seeking private rentals, the whole of Bondi is unaffordable, Mr Engeler said.
“The issue of affordability continues to be left to the private market.”
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