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 theBoarding Houses Act 2012may 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.
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“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.”