Gentrification and Displacement: The Forced Relocation of Public Housing Tenants in Inner-Sydney (SpringerBriefs in Sociology)

This book examines the forced displacement of public housing residents in Sydney's Millers Point and The Rocks communities. It considers the strategies deployed by the government to pressure tenants to move, and the social and personal impacts of the displacement on the residents themselves. Drawing on in-depth interviews with tenants alongside government and media communications, the Millers Point case study offers a penetrating and moving analysis of gentrification and displacement in one of Australia's oldest and more unique working class and public housing neighbourhoods. Gentrification and Displacement advances work in urban studies by charting trends in urban renewal and displacement, furthering our understanding of public housing, gentrification and the effects of forced relocation on vulnerable urban communities.-- Provided by publisher Preface 7 References 8 Acknowledgements 9 Contents 10 About the Author 11 1 Introduction and Setting 15 The Setting 19 Millers Point 19 Sirius 20 A Profile of Millers Point/Sirius Around the Time of the Displacement Announcement 20 A Profile of Millers Point/Sirius in December 2017 23 References 23 2 A Brief History 27 A Brief History of Millers Point 27 Trade Unionism in Millers Point 30 The Department of Housing Takes over from the Maritime Services Board (MSB) 31 A Short History of the Sirius Apartment Block 32 Conclusions 34 References 35 3 “A Unique Community” 39 Social Ties and Community in Millers Point 41 Long-Established Tenants 42 More Recent Tenants 43 Single Parents 44 Informal Interactions in Millers Point 44 The Pubs and the Community Centre 45 Support for Fellow Residents 46 A Perception of Being Safe 48 Disruption of the Community by the Department of Housing 48 Conclusions 49 References 50 4 The Build-Up to the Displacement 53 Early Resistance to Any Sell-Off 54 The Context that Encouraged the Sell-Off 56 The Election of a Avowedly Neoliberal State Government 56 Gentrification 58 The Walsh Bay Development 60 The Barangaroo Development 61 Millers Point—A Case of Super-Gentrification? 62 The Barangaroo Development and Displacement 64 The Government’s Legitimation of the Displacement 66 Interrogating the Government’s Legitimation 69 The High Cost of Maintenance 69 “A Significant Investment Is Required to Improve Properties to Modern Housing Standards” 70 The Much Higher “Rent Subsidy” in Millers Point 71 “High Cost Harbourside Assets to Be Sold for a Fairer Social Housing System” 71 Conclusions 72 References 74 5 The Impact of the Displacement Announcement 81 The Importance of Ontological Security 82 Ontological Security and the Concept of Home 83 Place Attachment 84 Premature Death and Suicide 86 Anxiety and Depression 87 Older and Long-Time Residents 87 More Recent Tenants 89 The Situation Two to Three Years After the Announcement 90 Conclusions 91 References 92 6 Why Tenants Moved, Part 1 95 The Lack of Consultation 96 “Specialist Relocation Officers” 99 My Property Choice, Alternatively the “Housing Lotto” 101 “Informal” and “Formal” Offers and the Threat of Termination/Eviction 103 Forced Evictions 105 Conclusions 106 References 106 7 Why Tenants Moved, Part 2 109 The Lack of Maintenance/“Eviction by Dereliction” 109 The Possibility of Accessing Pristine Accommodation in the Inner Ring 111 Difficult Neighbours 112 Fear and Unable to Cope with the Uncertainty 113 Resistance, Government Recalcitrance and the Loss of Hope 114 Conclusions 119 References 120 8 The Impact of the Move 123 Gentrification and the Impact of Displacement 124 The Move Viewed with Mixed Emotions 125 Illness and Premature Death 126 Loss of Social Ties, Loneliness and Grief 127 Incapacity to Create a Home 133 Poor Housing and Problems with Neighbours 134 Communicide 135 Conclusions 137 References 138 9 Conclusions—Where to from Here? 141 References 145 Appendix A 147 Appendix B 150 Appendix C 151 The Methodology 151 Front Matter ....Pages i-xvi Introduction and Setting (Alan Morris)....Pages 1-11 A Brief History (Alan Morris)....Pages 12-23 “A Unique Community” (Alan Morris)....Pages 24-37 The Build-Up to the Displacement (Alan Morris)....Pages 38-64 The Impact of the Displacement Announcement (Alan Morris)....Pages 65-79 Why Tenants Moved, Part 1 (Alan Morris)....Pages 80-93 Why Tenants Moved, Part 2 (Alan Morris)....Pages 94-107 The Impact of the Move (Alan Morris)....Pages 108-125 Conclusions—Where to from Here? (Alan Morris)....Pages 126-132 Back Matter ....Pages 133-142