After the refusal of a 24-room boarding house development in March Street a fortnight ago, Ian Ugarte of Small is the New Big, said Orange had missed out on an opportunity. 

“Between 2011 and 2016, 80 per cent of the market was singles and couples, but 80 per cent of the stock added to the market was three, four, five-bedroom homes and we lost 150 one- and two-bedroom residences,” he said.

“We still have a supply and demand issue with a huge amount of demand and a lack of supply.”

Mr Ugarte said of the people looking to move to Orange, 40 per cent were settling from overseas, 20 per cent were from other regions and 40 per cent were those who had grown up in the region, left and wanted to return. 

He said boarding house-style properties would pave the way for renters to save a third to a half on housing costs, allowing them to save for their own home within five years, while also providing affordable options for over-55s divorcees and widows. 

“At the moment, they’re renting three, four, five-bedroom houses because there’s nothing else and they’re spending $400 a week when they should be spending $200, $250 a week,” he said.

Mr Ugarte said the housing type also bore benefits for investors, reducing the need for negative gearing.

He said so-called new generation boarding houses were fully self-contained apartments, unlike the 1970s versions.

He said a similar proposal on Sydney’s northern beaches generated just one complaint after it was built and disagreed with council staff on their assessment the March Street proposal did not fit the character of the neighbourhood. 

“[The council] didn’t make a decision on planning matters, they made a decision on the emotion of the community – character is a such a subjective issue, it’s not measurable,” he said.

“The closest window was nine metres away [from neighbouring properties].”

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