While the rapid gentrification of the inner-west is well-documented, not every resident has landed on easy street.
Among those sharing their stories in the new series of fly-on-the-wall TV documentary Struggle Street is former heroin addict Michael, who lives in transitional housing in Seddon.
Viewers are introduced to Michael on the day of his mother’s funeral.
He reveals he is going to the funeral despite having no contact with his family for the past 30 years, and not being able to afford to buy nice shoes to wear to the service.
Michael struggles to get by on the $60 a fortnight left after he has paid rent and some bills while “dodging” other bills.
He lives with two dogs in a house overflowing with litter. He has mental health problems.
He no longer takes heroin, but is on prescribed methadone after spending the 1990s on drugs.
“I suffered years of bullying at school … by 19, I was hooked on heroin,” he said.
“Everyone I know died during the ’90s. Everyone except maybe one or two people.”
The second series of Struggle Street was filmed across Queensland and Victoria.
The filming in Seddon was carried out on the quiet after Maribyrnong council rejected the producer’s application to film in the area when they floated the idea of filming the entire series in Braybrook.
Maribyrnong council chief executive Stephen Wall said at the time the permit was denied due to the negative portrayal of suburbs, residents and disadvantage in the first series, filmed in Sydney’s west.
However Struggle Street executive producer David Galloway said the second series did not focus on a particular location, but rather issues affecting people across Australia.
He said the people featured in the six episodes wanted to tell their stories of hardship because they believed their voices weren’t being heard.
“In just about every suburb there are people doing it tough,” Mr Galloway said.
“These are issues being experienced in every postcode.”
SBS television and online content director Marshall Heald said the series offered a “really raw, unflinching and honest portrayal of hardship”.
Mr Heald said 2.99 million Australians live below the poverty line, with 105,000 people now homeless.
Struggle Street will air on SBS at 8.30pm Tuesday-Thursday from November 28.
