Thirty-two mainly older boarding house tenants at 58–64 Selwyn Street, Paddington, are facing eviction after several attempts to stop their homes from demolition seem to have failed.
told residents before Christmas that they will close the boarding houses and ordered them to vacate by February 1. On January 30, some residents were told that they could be offered “temporary accommodation within your room” until March 3.
The developer specialises in “boutique high-end residential and commercial projects”.
The boarding houses were set up after World War II. Most residents have lived there for decades and pay $150–$200 rent per week.
The four multi-room terrace homes were bought in 2023 by , which wants to build four luxury villas.
The homes are in a leafy green cul-de-sac, in a quiet area of Paddington, once a working-class suburb for nearby factory workers. Today, houses there can sell for $3 million.
The City of Sydney council (CoSC) has already declined two development applications submitted by LFD. Greens Councillors Sylvie Ellsmore and Matthew Thompson have been pushing for the CoSC to purchase the properties, and independent Yvonne Weldon and Labor’s Zann Maxwell and Mitch Wilson have shown support.
However, the CoSC is not prepared to consider legal action until after the boarding houses are closed.
With a battle on to save affordable housing, has now said it could contribute towards saving and restoring the boarding houses if they are sold to the CoSC. The matter is scheduled to be heard by the Land and Environment Court (LEC) in May.
Mike Mannix, an advocate for the tenants, told 91̳ that the LEC had received a guarantee from LFD that the tenants would not be evicted before the hearing. However, LFD has reneged and is now demanding the tenants leave.
Mannix said his 80-year-old neighbour Ray has “lived in his boarding house for 45 years” and if LFD succeeds he will be “on the street”.
Community efforts to support the highly anxious residents continue. The Paddington Society, and other groups, have organised letterboxing, barbecues, MP and tenant meet-ups, and erected signs to raise awareness.
Federal independent MP Allegra Spender and NSW MLA Alex Greenwich have also met with residents.
Mannix told community radio on January 16: “Our community must stand in the way and protect our most vulnerable from the greed of developers. It’s time this stopped.”
[ has called an action on January 31 at 5pm at the corner of Josephson Street and Flinders Street, Paddington.]