Boarding houses in Paddington are under threat of being demolished and converted into two luxury homes and stacked car parks. Paddington residents have been campaigning to protect the thirty residents at risk of eviction.
The City of Sydney has an estimated 294 registered boarding houses, totalling an estimated 4,031 rooms. Since 2013, 14 boarding houses have been approved to be converted to other types of houses.
Greens councillor Sylvie Ellsmore, who put forward a motion of support for boarding houses in the last City of Sydney meeting, spoke to City Hub about the implications.
“It is important to note that we have lost hundreds of boarding houses over the last ten years where there has been no development application at all,” she said. “There are massive holes in the planning system that allow this to happen.”
In 2023, the City of Sydney Council refused two applications to convert the boarding houses at 58-60 and 62-64 Selwyn Street Paddington. The Land and Environment Court is currently reviewing an appeal to this decision.
Read the full article in CityHub.
Councillor Sylvie Ellsmore ABC Breakfast Interview
Hear what Sylvie said about the Selwyn St Boarding Houses at the City of Sydney Council meeting.
Go forward to 1 hour and 43 minutes to hear her comments.
Community Get-Together – Sunday August 4th
Neighbours are invited to come together to help paint banners and to show their support for the residents of the Selwyn St Boarding Houses. Drop by and lend a hand. All ages welcome. No painting skills needed. All materials provided.
Our community should protect our most vulnerable. Everyone deserves a safe and secure place to call home.
WHEN: Sunday August 4 between 1-3PM
WHERE: Josephson St road closure next to the Captain Cook Hotel & opposite the Boarding Houses
WHAT: BYO a chair & some snacks!
