‘Disastrous’: low-income tenants priced out of newly renovated boarding houses

Professionals seeking affordable housing are displacing those at risk of homelessness as rents soar

• Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates
• Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast

When a boarding house in Sydney's inner-west was razed by arson last year, taking with it the lives of three residents and leaving eight without homes, the hope was that it would be replaced with a newer, safer version of the same low-cost community housing.

But 12 months is a long time in Sydney's rampant rental market.

Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads