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Homeowners in the inner-city suburb of Alexandria are protesting against a 10-storey affordable housing development by claiming it will reduce their property values, block out the sun and infringe upon the “tranquillity and wellbeing” of the neighbourhood.

Affordable housing developer City West Housing has proposed to build about 104 units on Wyndham Street on a site currently occupied by warehouses, a pet store and a basketball facility.

The Alexandria site, owned by City West Housing, is currently occupied by warehouses, a sports facility and pet store.Credit: Edwina Pickles

The site, purchased by City West last year for $37.5 million, is within 500 metres of the coming Waterloo Metro station and sits within the Botany Road Corridor, recently rezoned by the City of Sydney to encourage more affordable housing.

But an anonymous flyer circulating among nearby residents claimed the development would affect property values, block sunlight, undermine privacy and alter their “scenic views”.

A flyer circulating among residents about the proposed affordable housing development in Alexandria.

“You’re invited to join your fellow neighbours in taking a stand against a proposed development that threatens our neighbourhood’s tranquility and wellbeing,” the flyer says.

The flyer asserted the 35-metre tall building would contain social housing “right across the road facing our building”. One resident of a four-storey apartment block across the street – who agreed the proposal was “too high” – confirmed they had received the flyer in their letterbox.

“Reduced sunlight can affect our daily lives, diminishing natural light in our homes and outdoor spaces,” the flyer stated, encouraging readers to lodge objections before December 12.

“Scenic views that we cherish may be altered or lost, impacting our community’s character. Increased height and proximity might lead to privacy concerns and affect property values.”

City West Housing’s head of development Lisa Sorrentino said many people misunderstood subsidised or affordable housing and wrongly believed it was public or social housing.

“We don’t take off the social housing wait list, we take off our wait list,” she said. “We have lots of local workers, we also house victims of family and domestic violence. We have retirees. We have a whole range of people that are a reflection of the local community.”

The development site is on Wyndham Street, on the right-hand side of the street pictured in this aerial.Credit: Google Maps

Vanessa Knight, convenor of the Alexandria Residents’ Action Group, said the flyer had not come from her association, and at face value she had no issue with the proposal. “We absolutely need to have more affordable housing in the area,” she said. “I don’t think it’s ridiculously high.”

However, Knight was “very” concerned about the proposed redevelopment of 46 public housing townhouses on nearby Explorer Street in Eveleigh, where the government is planning 400 new public, private and subsidised dwellings in buildings up to 13 storeys.

Sorrentino said City West welcomed engagement with and constructive feedback from the local community. The application before the City of Sydney is only a concept, not the final plan. An architectural competition would be held to design the building, as per current council rules.

Last year the City of Sydney approved new development controls for the Botany Road corridor to encourage affordable housing and jobs growth. The plan identifies the land in question as an opportunity site, with a height limit of 35 metres, and extensive community consultation was undertaken during that process.

“That’s the reality of being in the city”: Business owner Jock Swan said change was inevitable in the neighbourhood.Credit: Edwina Pickles

Jock Swan, who runs his production business The Media Joint from a former electricity substation next door to the site said it was normal for inner-city environments to change.

“To think there’s not going to be development around this area is probably a little bit ignorant,” he said. “It does get a bit inconvenient when you’re living or working next to construction, but that’s the reality of being in the city.”

Real estate agent Sam Sabine, who rents in an adjacent building, also had no problem with the proposal. “It’s going to happen,” he said. “It’s close to the city, people want to be in this vicinity. Look around us, there’s all brand-new buildings.”

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