177 people applied for the 54 affordable Sydney teilhaus, or micro apartments, in a six-year project led by Fresh Hope Communities CEO Dan Dwyer and Melbourne-based Nightingale Housing CEO Dan McKenna.
It was all smiles as NSW Minister for Housing, Rose Jackson, officially opened the nation's most innovative Build To Rent housing project: Nightingale Marrickville, 7km southwest of Sydney's CBD, on Thursday, 18 April.
However, Dan Dwyer revealed it was tortuous reaching this point and only by the sheer determination of the two Not For Profits did it succeed.
“There were plenty of opportunities to write this project off, saying it was too difficult or too costly. I know that both Dan McKenna and myself were surprised by the level of adversity that we faced in progressing this project. The opposition we received, the costs both organisations have incurred, and the objections faced as two non-profits trying to deliver a project focused on community outcomes was nothing short of extraordinary – and quite disheartening,” he said.
“It is our fervent hope that this project breaks down some of the barriers for other organisations who want to deliver projects to communities such as this."
Residents, who began moving into the building earlier this month, were chosen via a ballot system that ensures equitable access to Sydney's first Nightingale community.
All tenants are subject to an income cap and 50% of the building was allocated via a priority ballot putting First Nations Australians, individuals with a disability, key community contributors and single women aged 55+ at the front of the ballot.
As landowner, Churches of Christ in NSW and ACT has provided a 99-year ground lease to its welfare arm, Fresh Hope Communities, to develop and operate Nightingale Marrickville for tenants into the future.
The project's small-footprint, space-efficient studio style 'Teilhaus' ("part of house" in German) are complimented by generous shared spaces including kitchen and dining areas, shared laundries and garden terrace.
At ground floor, two commercial spaces, one earmarked as a hospitality venue and one as a gallery space will connect the community to the wider neighbourhood.
