Wednesday 30 September 2026
9.30am – 3pm

D18.02.207
Susan Wakil Health Building
SWHB Lecture Theatre 207

And online (Zoom)

Hosted by SUPRA Postgraduate Advocacy Service

Sydney's housing crisis has placed increasing pressure on students seeking safe, affordable and secure housing. SUPRA invites students and their advocates, housing campaigners, researchers and the broader community to a full-day symposium to hear from our panellists, share experiences and explore collective responses.

The symposium will focus on how organisations are responding to the student housing crisis at the level of service delivery, policy engagement, campaigning, tenant education and the building of alternative models. We hope to move beyond market solutions and towards an approach that centres student housing not only as a critical component of student wellbeing and educational equity, but as a fundamental right for all.

Program

9:30am

Opening symposium

Lucky Dodd

Lucky is a SUPRA caseworker based on Gadigal Wangal land. They’ve worked as an organiser, advocate, counsellor and trainer/facilitator with community groups and organisations for close to a decade.

Welcome to Country

Keynote

Ethan Floyd

Ethan Floyd is a student, renter and community organiser. He is a Director of the Tenants' Union of New South Wales and a researcher in the School of Economics at the University of Sydney. Drawing on experience across housing, climate, workers' rights and social justice, Ethan works to build collective power around the idea that everyone deserves a safe, secure and affordable place to call home.

At what cost? A survey of student housing experiences in Sydney

Francine Seeto

Francine has been part of the SUPRA casework service for over 15 years, as a caseworker and currently as Acting Coordinator of casework strategy. Francine has a social work background and is committed to student agency in their own candidature and their broader life experience in Sydney.

11–11:30am

Morning tea

11:30am – 12:30pm

Panel discussion

Grey market housing: navigating the regulatory landscape of student housing

Moderator:

Lucky Dodd
SUPRA

Panellists:

Sean Stimson
International Student Legal Service NSW, Redfern Legal Centre

Sean Stimson has led Redfern Legal Centre’s International Student Legal Service NSW, a specialised legal service dedicated to supporting international students in NSW, since 2014. Under Sean’s leadership, the service provides free legal advice and manages critical casework, empowering international students to address the unique challenges they face. Sean is a passionate advocate for systemic change and law reform, regularly sharing his expertise on the rights and challenges of international students at universities and stakeholder events. In 2019, Sean’s dedication to human rights was recognised with the NSW Government Australian Human Rights Medal, and in 2024, his leadership was honoured with the NSW International Education Industry Award – Partnership Excellence.

Jet Hunt
SUPRA

Jet is a caseworker at SUPRA. They have been a community worker for a decade, working alongside survivors of domestic violence, queer young people, incarcerated young people, migrant workers and refugees. Outside of work, Jet is involved in community organising for Palestine and housing justice.

Leo Patterson Ross
Tenants' Union of NSW

Leo Patterson Ross is Chief Executive Officer of the Tenants’ Union of NSW, a leading voice for renters’ rights and housing justice. He has extensive experience in policy, advocacy, and community engagement across housing and social services. He has worked across several roles for the Tenants' Union over the last 15 years. Leo is committed to building fair, secure, and affordable housing systems that meet the needs of all communities. He regularly contributes to national debates on housing reform and consumer protection for renters.

12:30–1:30pm

Lunch catered by Parliament on King

1:30–2:30pm

Panel discussion

Housing futures: alternatives to the market

Moderator:

Jet Hunt
SUPRA

Panellists:

Skye de Vere
Stucco Housing Cooperative, currently studying Master of Urban and Regional Planning

Skye has lived in housing co-operatives for 8 years, including at Stucco in Sydney and La Ciguë in Geneva. They served as delegate of the Barthélemy-Menn buildings in Switzerland from 2017 to 2020. After several years working on the adaptive reuse of heritage buildings and training in maintenance work with Habitat for Humanity, Skye is now in their third term as Director of the Building and Maintenance Committee at Stucco and is undertaking a Master of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Sydney. Skye is particularly interested in how spatial design shapes social interaction and wellbeing, advancing building innovation and standards, and empowering young people.

Mickie Quick
Students' Representative Council (SRC)

Mickie Quick is an artist-activist, graphic designer, printer, performance artist, DIY enthusiast, homeworker, renter, and former squatter.

He has been joint Publications Manager at the SRC since 2013. He is Co-founder and ongoing member of Bad Press in Glebe, Co-founder of Blood & Thunder Publishing Concern, Co-founder of the Rizzeria Riso press, Co-founder of SquatSpace at the Broadway Squats and beyond, Co-founder of various ARIs (Artist-Run-Initiatives): Sydney on Cleveland St, The Barn in Beaconsfield, and Jacksue Gallery & Studios in Perth in the 90s.

Louise Crabtree-Hayes
Western Sydney University

Professor Lou Crabtree-Hayes is a Professorial Research Fellow at the Institute for Culture and Society at Western Sydney University, whose research explores resilience and complexity in cities, urban sustainability, and community-led housing. Their work examines how property, land and housing systems can be reshaped to support social and ecological regeneration, including permanently affordable models of community-led housing and land stewardship.

Jesper Duffy
Waterloo housing campaign

Jesper is a queer anarchist organiser, SRC councillor and trans activist. He is a full-service sex worker, adult industry unionist, and a believer in free housing for all. Recently involved in the fight to save the Waterloo South public housing, he has also campaigned extensively for the Equality Bill in 2023, for trans rights in so-called Australia, and has done work to ensure other workers in the adult industry know their rights and are one day able to fight for them in our own union.

2:30pm

Closing statement

Weihong Liang
SUPRA

Weihong Liang is a PhD candidate at the University of Sydney. He has long advocated for student rights and greater access to essential public services, including housing, affordable food, transport concessions, and fair access to higher education. Weihong serves as the SUPRA Education Officer and President of the International Students Representative Council of Australia.