They pay $200 a week rent to live in Paddington. They’re being evicted

All the battlers living in a row of four rundown boarding houses in Sydney’s Paddington have been told they’re to be kicked out – despite a massive neighbourhood fight to stop their 32 homes being turned into four luxury houses.

The owner-developer, who’s currently in the Land and Environment Court (LEC) appealing a ban on the conversion by the City of Sydney, irrespective of the court outcome, intends closing the boarding houses by the end of the year.

Paddington residents rallied behind their neighbours in the boarding houses.Credit: James Brickwood

In heartbreaking scenes at a meeting on the street outside their home, the 29 male residents – one of whom has been living there for 55 years – were told by their neighbours, who’d found it in the appendix to the social impact assessment lodged by LFD Developments as part of its appeal, that they’re to be evicted from their homes.

Some of the men were in tears of heartbreak and frustration at the sudden news. Residents pay between $150 and $200 a week.

“It was a terrible shock,” said one of the residents, 77-year-old Barry Skinner. “There have been quite a few tears as there’s also so much uncertainty weighing heavily on everyone. We have health workers standing by because we’re having to deal with the possibility of suicides; the mood is bleak and people can’t see any future.

“There’s one man here with the beginnings of dementia but because we’re a community, and see each other as family, we all look out for him. If he was parachuted into somewhere else where he knows no one, it would be very, very difficult for him to survive. People’s mental health is really suffering.”

The owner of the Selwyn Street boarding houses, LFD Developments, was contacted by this masthead for a comment, but didn’t respond. They say on their website that their vision is to develop liveable communities catering to a broad demographic.

In an appendix to one of the 20 reports they prepared for the appeal, they state that the boarding houses aren’t financially viable, citing, “the limited income being received, the ongoing maintenance costs and operation costs including land tax”.

At the NSW Government, meanwhile, Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading Anoulack Chanthivong said he knew the local community was disappointed to hear of the developer’s decision, but he’s trying to prevent such situations in the future.

Caretaker Clem Marchand, left, with Paddington’s boarding house residents.

“I am working with NSW Fair Trading to carefully consider what reforms to the Boarding Houses Act 2012 may be needed to balance the rights and responsibilities of boarding house residents and owners,” he said.

But that’s going to be too little too late for the residents, who are all now going to be forced out of their rooms, says caretaker Clem Marchand, 61, who’s been there for 15 years, speaking among the dozens of multi-coloured ‘Save Our Boarding Houses’ signs on display throughout the streets surrounding the block.

He knows the family who’ve owned the boarding houses since the 1920s and says they sold them only a year ago, thinking they would continue to be run as a business with a good rental return.

“We’re all shocked, and they were shocked too that the new owner would do something like this,” he said.

“Already, we’ve had one man mentally lose it because he’s so stressed out and upset. No one knows what’s going to happen or where they’re going to end up. Ray, for instance, is 75, has had strokes and heart attacks and has been here for 47 years. People like him don’t have anywhere to go.”

Locals have campaigned to save the boarding houses.Credit: James Brickwood

One of the neighbours who’s been helping helm the community action to preserve their homes said it was devastating to see the impact on the men. The fear was now that, even if the appeal to the LEC was disallowed, the owners could let the boarding houses run down until there was no other option but to knock them down, Michael Mannix says.

“They are all very upset, and these are men who’ve faced a lot of adversity in their lives and come mostly from the school of hard knocks,” Mannix said. “They are quite tough and resilient, and trying to plan for the worst while hoping for the best. This has come as a blow.”

NSW Minister For Housing and Homelessness Rose Jackson said she could understand the stress and uncertainty residents were experiencing and would do everything possible to support them.

“While the decision-making process for the privately-owned boarding house is beyond our control, we will ensure that any displaced residents receive the assistance they need to secure accommodation,” she said. “In anticipation of the outcome, I have asked Homes NSW to ensure we are fully prepared in the event of the Paddington boarding houses closing.

“As a result, I am confident that all residents who want to be housed will be housed. Homes NSW and our interagency partners are on standby to provide immediate support to help any evicted residents transition into suitable housing.”

But newly re-elected City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore hit out at the NSW government for not doing enough to update “woefully out-of-date” state planning rules in the middle of a housing crisis, while vowing that the City would keep fighting the developer in court.

“I have been calling on the state government to urgently accept the recommendations from the statutory review of the Boarding Houses Act and consider significant loss of individual homes as grounds for rejecting development applications,” she said.

“There are around 4000 rooms in boarding houses across the City, but that number is shrinking as there is greater profit in converting these buildings into a small number of luxury residences. The NSW government must urgently step in and either stop the evictions, or give these people certainty that homes are available for them.

“Sydney should not simply be an enclave for the rich.”

Greens councillor Sylvie Ellsmore said that the current NSW planning laws protecting boarding houses both aren’t being enforced, and include loopholes “wide enough to drive a truck through”.

“The NSW government must put a moratorium on the closure of traditional boarding houses, so the outdating Boarding Housing Act can be urgently reformed, and the housing protected long term.”

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