'We're treated like we're worthless beings, just a commodity': Gentrification and displacement in inner Sydney

In March 2014 the minster responsible announced that all of the approximately 600 public housing tenants of Millers Point and the Sirius Building in inner Sydney, Australia, are to be moved and the properties sold on the open... [ view full abstract ]

In March 2014 the minster responsible announced that all of the approximately 600 public housing tenants of Millers Point and the Sirius Building in inner Sydney, Australia, are to be moved and the properties sold on the open market; at the end of 2017 only 40 tenants remained. Millers Point, established at the turn of the 20^th century is probably the oldest public housing area in Australia. The Sirius Building (79 apartments) was purpose built for public housing tenants in the late 1970s. The article briefly examines the gentrification and displacement process in inner Sydney and argues that the blanket forced displacement of public housing tenants represents a new wave of gentrification – public housing is no longer a bulwark against displacement. However, the main focus of the study, drawing on in-depth interviews with public housing tenants who are still resident in the area and tenants who have moved (30 interviews in total), is an examination of the impact of the displacement on tenants. Research on the impacts of displacement due to gentrification is surprisingly sparse. What this article illustrates is that for those affected, especially long-standing residents, it can be devastating. Interviewees who have resisted the move spoke of profound sadness and anxiety at the thought of leaving their home and what they considered a unique and genuine community. Tenants who had moved told of their isolation and melancholy at having lost their social network. The research shows that the human cost of policies and not revenue should always be the central consideration.