Duncan's story

For my affordability, there is nothing in this area, essentially. At the very least, I’m going to have to move out of Marrickville. It looks like I’m going to have to move out further west.

Duncan has spent his twenties and thirties living in share houses in the Inner West’s Ashfield and Marrickville. This area is only a short train ride from the city where he works. It’s where his friends and colleagues live. It’s home.

Two years ago, after the rent on his studio apartment in South Marrickville was increased by a whopping $60 a week, Duncan decided to look for a more affordable option.

The search was gruelling. Determined to remain in the area, Duncan began inspecting properties around Marrickville, but it soon became clear that his rent budget would limit his options significantly. The flats available in his price range were tiny, often with no independent cooking facilities or offering only a room with a shared bathroom.

I spent several months looking for a new home, Duncan remembers, so finally finding this place was pretty amazing, especially for the price. Most places I inspected didn’t have their own bathroom. This flat is really good because it has its own bathroom and a kitchen.

His current ground-floor unit is small but covers all of Duncan’s needs. Most importantly, it is close to public transport, making it easy for him to get to his meetings and work events in the City. And although the rent was raised last year to a price he would previously have considered unaffordable, he chose to stay.

This apartment block has a nice, big backyard, which gives you a good communal feeling. A feeling you don’t get in most apartment blocks, where you typically don’t get to meet your neighbours all that much. This place has a unique atmosphere.

Six months ago, Duncan learned of a development proposal for the site of his building, which would see it demolished and replaced by a high-density apartment block.

I was coming back from work and saw this bit of paper on the gate. I read it and realised, oh great, I’m probably going to have to go through the ordeal of looking for a new place again. I was angry that there had been no indication that the owner/landlord was thinking of doing this. Angry that there is no stability for renters, that we have so little control over our lives.

With his housing security thrown into question, Duncan began looking at real estate listings again.

For my affordability, there is nothing in this area, essentially. At the very least, I’m going to have to move out of Marrickville. It looks like I’m going to have to move out further west.

Duncan admits he might have to consider moving back into a share house, something he hoped never to have to do again. Now that he’s in his forties, he wants to have his own space.

My fallback option is moving in with my family, but they are out in the Camden area. Getting to the City from there takes ages.

In the meantime, Duncan has joined his neighbours in the campaign to save their blocks of flats from redevelopment, or, failing that, to secure relocation support from the landlord.

To me, the success of our campaign would mean, at the very least, a successful relocation for everyone here. Finding similar accommodation that meets people's needs would be the minimum, Duncan says, But I also hope this moment leads to mandating protections for tenants for all big projects like this one. All tenants need to be looked after when they are forced to move out because of redevelopment.