Housing activist Mike Mannix of Paddington says: “I refer to the wide media coverage on the plight of the 28 residents of four boarding houses in Selwyn Street, Paddington, and the community campaign to stop the closure of the boarding houses.
“The developer, LFD Homes, closed the boarding houses on March 3. This story is one of power imbalance – governments who choose to wring their hands instead of choosing to directly intervene to prevent harm to their people. The solution was simple. The governments buy the boarding houses. Stop the closure. Prevent the evictions. Keep the family together.
“The community campaign continues to prevent the developer from turning the boarding houses into four luxury apartments. The loss of affordable housing in the city must be stopped.
“Another 20-room boarding house in Darlinghurst has just been sold to a developer who plans to convert it into a 75-bed backpackers. Another 20 men into the social housing queue. On top of the 20 who joined the queue when their Petersham boarding house burnt down last month. And there are many more happening right now.
“Enough is enough. What sort of society have we become when we allow this to happen to the most powerless?”
