PRESS RELEASE: SUPPORT SELWYN STREET BOARDING HOME TENANTS. NO EVICTIONS.
ACTION: Friday January 30, 5pm. Meet corner of Josephson Street and Flinders St, Paddington
PRESS RELEASE 31/01/2025
ACTION: Friday January 30, 5pm
Community groups, housing activists, public tenants and unionists will show support for besieged boarding home tenants resisting eviction on Friday January 30.
Over twenty, mainly older boarding house tenants at 58–64 Selwyn Street, Paddington, have resisted the breaking up of their community by property developer - , LFD Developments.
LFD told residents before Christmas that they will close the boarding houses and ordered them to vacate by February 1.
Residents were preparing to stand their ground on Saturday February 1, when on Thursday January 30, early in the morning, LFD Developments left a note under the doors, offering certain residents one more month before eviction.
LFD bought the four terraces housing multi-rooms in 2023, and aims to demolish the terraces' multi-rooms and build four luxury villas.
The City of Sydney Council and state ALP government offered to buy the terraces from LFD, to guarantee the men’s home, but LFD haven't accepted the offer. Some men have lived in their homes for decades.
Karyn Brown, Action for Public Housing campaigner and Waterloo South public housing resident said, ‘the reprieve for imminent eviction is welcome, as the men and community have been worried and anxious. But one month more for tenants is not enough. We need to Save Selwyn Street Boarding Homes.’
Andrew Chuter, A4PH spokesperson said, ‘developers, with the assistance from local councils and state governments are acquiring low-cost housing and public lands and building homes for the wealthy. Sydney rents went up by almost $200 last year. Poorer, vulnerable older people and low paid workers and families are being priced out of housing and communities.
The campaign to save Selwyn Street is emblematic of what we need the government to do to solve the housing crisis. They need to take a leaf out of former ALP Minister Tom Uren’s handbook and buy private housing in the 1970s (like they did in Glebe, Woolloomooloo and Redfern) and reinvest in beautiful public housing,’ Chuter finished.
Karyn Brown, said ‘join the action and call on the local council and state government to put a better offer on the table, forcibly acquire the property and guarantee the men their home and community. Show LFD Homes we will resist their inhumane agenda.
Facebook page here. Meet corner of Josephson Street and Flinders St, Paddington
Supported by: Action for Public Housing NSW, Community Dignity Respect, Elizabeth Farrelly (Killing Sydney author), Pyrmont Action Inc, Community Union Defence League, Socialist Alliance NSW, Australia Communist Party
Contact Karyn 0432 409 711 Andrew 0412 723 565