Affordable Housing Plans in Glebe Dropped as Site Hits Market

The long-abandoned RJ Williams Building on Glebe Point Road, once earmarked for affordable housing is now headed for the open market—and likely to join the growing list of luxury apartments and student housing.

Wesley Mission walks away from long-awaited Glebe project

According to SMH, Wesley Mission, the charity that owns the site, has confirmed it’s walking away from plans to redevelop the crumbling building into 39 low-cost rentals for families.

The $16.5 million project, backed by $3 million from the City of Sydney, would have capped rents at 30% of tenants’ incomes and housed nearly 100 residents.

The redevelopment had been years in the making. Originally approved in 2020, Wesley Mission revised its plans in 2023 to accommodate post-pandemic housing needs, increasing the proportion of family-sized units.

The design also included incorporating communal spaces aimed at creating “a village environment within the inner city,” as then-CEO Reverend Stu Cameron put it.

Glebe’s central location, with easy access to jobs, education, and transport, made it ideal for affordable housing. Those plans, however, have now collapsed.

Wesley Mission blamed a “perfect storm” of zoning challenges, structural issues, and a failed federal funding bid for being unable to proceed. Its application to the Housing Australia Future Fund was rejected earlier this year, and alternative funding avenues fell short.

Now, the property is listed as a “prime development opportunity” in a highly sought-after inner-city location.

Wesley Mission says profits from the sale will be redirected to other housing projects, including a Canberra development for essential workers.

‘A poor outcome for our community’ says city officials

The announcement has been met with frustration from community leaders and housing advocates.

Glebe MP Kobi Shetty called it “a poor outcome for our community,” warning that inner-city affordable housing opportunities are quickly becoming scarce.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore echoed the sentiment, urging the NSW government to step in and prevent the land from falling to developers.

Housing Minister Rose Jackson confirmed discussions with Wesley Mission are underway but cautioned a government purchase may not be financially viable.

“It’s incredibly disappointing to see a project with such promise fall through, especially when the need for affordable housing has never been greater,” she said.

From Glebe senior housing to urban symbol of decay

Built in the 1960s as a motel for American servicemen, the RJ Williams Building was later converted into seniors housing before closing down in 2010 after a tragic balcony fall claimed an elderly man’s life.

For some locals, the site has become symbolic of Sydney’s persistent housing crisis: a city prioritising developers over a community and where low-income residents are being steadily pushed out.