A new era for housing affordability in Sydney has begun with the NSW Minister for Housing, Rose Jackson, opening Australia’s most innovative build-to-rent housing project: Nightingale Marrickville.
The project uniquely uses land owned by a church, leased to its charity arm, to create much-needed affordable housing. It has given 54 eligible singles, couples, and small families a chance to live in the heart of Marrickville in a beautifully designed small-footprint apartment and pay rent at 80 per cent of the market rate.
The project was led and developed by Fresh Hope Communities, the welfare arm of churches of Christ in NSW and ACT, in collaboration with Melbourne-based not-for-profit developer Nightingale Housing. There is hope that the project will spark other social welfare organisations to embark on similar innovative housing projects.
Residents began moving into the building in early April. They were chosen via a unique 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 55+ at the front of the queue.)
The project, designed by leading Sydney architects SJB, received an unprecedented number of applicants: 177 people applied for the 54 small-footprint apartments.
While Nightingale Housing is best known for innovative owner/occupier communities in Victoria and South Australia, Nightingale Marrickville is its first project in Sydney and its initial venture into rentals. Fresh Hope Communities, a not-for-profit, is the welfare arm and Public Benevolent Institution entity of the churches of Christ in NSW and ACT, which own the land on which the development has been built. As a landowner, churches of Christ in NSW and ACT have provided a 99-year ground lease to its welfare arm, Fresh Hope Communities, to develop and operate Nightingale Marrickville for tenants into the future.
Located close to public transport and other key amenities, Nightingale Marrickville is committed to relieving individuals struggling to find affordable housing in one of Australia’s most expensive real estate markets.
The housing crisis in Sydney has reached alarming proportions, with skyrocketing rents and limited affordable housing options leaving many residents struggling to make ends meet. Nightingale Marrickville seeks to challenge this status quo by offering a sustainable and inclusive alternative prioritising affordability, community, and environmental sustainability.
The project’s small-footprint, space-efficient studio style ‘Teilhaus’ (“part of house” in German) is complimented by generous shared spaces, including kitchen and dining areas, shared laundries, and a garden terrace. On the 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.
Image: Interior of one of Nightingale Marrickville’s small-footprint apartments.
