Close Menu
Honi Soit
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Trending
    • Antisemitism review puts universities, festivals, and cultural centres under threat
    • Macquarie University axes Sociology, cuts more jobs & courses
    • UTS elects new Chancellor
    • Out of the Deep: The Story of a Shark Kid Who Dared to Question Fear
    • Prima Facie: Losing faith in a system you truly believed in
    • Jason Clare seeks replacement for ANU Chancellor Julie Bishop after $790,000 expense report
    • ‘If you silence someone or shush someone, you can get out’: SISTREN is an unabashed celebration of black and trans joy. Is Australia ready?
    • Mark Gowing waxes lyrical on aesthetics, time, language, and his new exhibition ‘This one is a song’
    • About
    • Print Edition
    • Student Journalism Conference 2025
    • Writing Comp
    • Advertise
    • Locations
    • Contact
    Facebook Instagram X (Twitter) TikTok
    Honi SoitHoni Soit
    Saturday, July 12
    • News
    • Analysis
    • Culture
    • Opinion
    • University
    • Features
    • Perspective
    • Investigation
    • Reviews
    • Comedy
    • Student Journalism Conference 2025
    Honi Soit
    Home»Analysis

    New Darlington Terraces: More affordable student housing?

    Increased rent looms in the distance.
    By Khanh TranFebruary 28, 2021 Analysis 3 Mins Read
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    Earlier this month, the University of Sydney and the NSW State Government announced a $40 million refurbishment of Darlington Terraces, owned by USyd. It will entail the construction of four new buildings directly behind Victorian-era housing between 86 and 131 Darlington Road. Once finished, it will be sandwiched between the Business School, Aquatics Centre, Storie Dixson Wing and Darlington House.

    The redevelopment will contribute single and double-occupancy rooms for 336 students and visiting academics, adding to the 151 residents already living in Darlington Terraces.

    Architectural drawings of the proposal indicate that the new extension will be connected to the Darlington Terraces via a planted outdoor corridor. This aims to preserve heritage features whilst modifying interiors to reflect the entire complex. Each standard 15-bed floor is anticipated to feature 10m2 rooms and three shared bathrooms, while upper floors will host an assortment of twin occupancy lofts and premium ensuite rooms. Finally, akin to arrangements at Regiment, informal study spaces, a communal dining hall/kitchen and a rooftop terrace will form part of the new development’s social offerings.

    Figure 1. Cross-section of the proposed Darlington Terraces redevelopment. Source: NSW Government

    Following the project’s approval, USyd Vice Chancellor Professor Stephen Garton praised the plan as an improvement on USyd’s affordable housing stock. “The cost of housing in Sydney can be prohibitive… [we want to] provide a range of affordable housing options for the community,” Garton said.

    However, given the wide-ranging renovations and upgrades to facilities, the project will likely result in an overall increase in rent. For instance, a small room in the Terraces cost $225 per week, whereas Regiment charges $338 per week. The latter’s more expensive fees are attributed to extra study and social facilities that the Terraces lack.

    Drawing from a 2017 submission the University made against the City of Sydney’s proposal of a 12m2 minimum room size, there is a strong possibility that the University will set prices to align with Regiment, the Queen Mary Building, and Sydney University Village. In that submission, the University argued that such requirements would constrain universities from delivering housing at “25% below the private student housing market.”

    In response to the announcement, SRC Welfare Officer, Lia Perkins, argued that: “Affordable housing for students would be welcomed, but if the suggested price is similar [to] other programs called ‘affordable housing for students’, it’s not affordable.”   “Why is the university focused on this development rather than lowering fees for offshore students and keeping staff jobs?”

    Felix Faber, SRC Student Housing Officer, said: “While more affordable student housing is always welcome, the University’s track record of providing such accommodation is patchy at best.”

    “The University hasn’t provided a figure for how much rent at the new accommodation will cost — if current rents are anything to go by, the rent for the new development will well exceed 30% of the typical student’s income.” 

    “Further concerns must be addressed around what arrangements will be made for the current residents of the terraces during construction, and the likelihood that such a development would ramp up the already out-of-control gentrification of the area.”

    As of the time of writing, it is unclear whether USyd or a third-party organisation such as Campus Living Villages will preside over the new accommodation.

    campus infrastructure darlington terraces Student accommodation Student housing Student Welfare

    Keep Reading

    USyd doesn’t listen: Five key policies updated and implemented following “feedback” process

    Mental Health of NSW Workers on the Chopping Block

    Towards Anti-Gentrification in Sydney

    Three Years of Labor?

    Against Introspection: Gillian Rose’s Enduring Wisdom

    Do We Need Acid Communism?

    Just In

    Antisemitism review puts universities, festivals, and cultural centres under threat

    July 11, 2025

    Macquarie University axes Sociology, cuts more jobs & courses

    July 11, 2025

    UTS elects new Chancellor

    July 8, 2025

    Out of the Deep: The Story of a Shark Kid Who Dared to Question Fear

    July 8, 2025
    Editor's Picks

    Part One: The Tale of the Corporate University

    May 28, 2025

    “Thank you Conspiracy!” says Capitalism, as it survives another day

    May 21, 2025

    A meditation on God and the impossible pursuit of answers

    May 14, 2025

    We Will Be Remembered As More Than Administrative Errors

    May 7, 2025
    Facebook Instagram X (Twitter) TikTok

    From the mines

    • News
    • Analysis
    • Higher Education
    • Culture
    • Features
    • Investigation
    • Comedy
    • Editorials
    • Letters
    • Misc

     

    • Opinion
    • Perspective
    • Profiles
    • Reviews
    • Science
    • Social
    • Sport
    • SRC Reports
    • Tech

    Admin

    • About
    • Editors
    • Send an Anonymous Tip
    • Write/Produce/Create For Us
    • Print Edition
    • Locations
    • Archive
    • Advertise in Honi Soit
    • Contact Us

    We acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. The University of Sydney – where we write, publish and distribute Honi Soit – is on the sovereign land of these people. As students and journalists, we recognise our complicity in the ongoing colonisation of Indigenous land. In recognition of our privilege, we vow to not only include, but to prioritise and centre the experiences of Indigenous people, and to be reflective when we fail to be a counterpoint to the racism that plagues the mainstream media.

    © 2025 Honi Soit
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms
    • Accessibility

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.