Mount Druitt made famous in TV show Struggle Street has become a boom town with million dollar homes

Despite being the centre of a controversial documentary likened to ‘poverty porn,’  Mount Druitt is home to a surprise property boom.

The western Sydney suburb was put on the television map in 2015 when SBS reality program ‘Struggle Street’ premiered, portraying the suburb as a poverty stricken, crime-ridden and home to financially struggling residents.

But new sales data reveals a number of homeowners in the area have been raking in more than $1million for their properties. 

Families moving from the inner-west and Canterbury-Bankstown regions of Sydney moving further west is said to be behind the unlikely boom.

This five bedroom home on Vincent Street in Mount Druitt sold for $1.6million in September last year 

According to real estate agents, Mount Druitt is fast becoming a hot spot for developers looking to build units and townhouses.

Developers are drawn to the easy accessibility of the suburb, rather than other areas in the north-west and south-west of the city.

‘The zoning is more malleable and developers like that,’ McGrath-Blacktown agent Joel Hollings told the Saturday Telegraph.

He said locals who had been in the area for some time were pleasantly surprised when they found out their homes were worth more than $1 million. 

A redbrick St Marys home (pictured) is currently on the market, asking for between $2.8 to $3 million

This four bedroom, three bathroom home in the neighbouring suburb of Minchinbury has a price guide of $879,950 – $919,950

‘We had sellers who bought their home 40 years ago when the area was completely different and they got $1 million. They’re obviously really happy,’ he said. 

A nine-bedroom home on Callagher Avenue recently fetched $1.24 million an auction, and a-four bedder in nearby Rooty Hill $1.1 million.  

A redbrick St Marys home is currently on the market, asking for between $2.8 to $3 million.   

Remax agent Billy Markovski is currently trying to sell a Rooty Hill home with a price guide of $5-5.5 million. 

The Kennedy family took part in the SBS three-part series because they wanted to show viewers how they ended up doing it tough – instead they feel they have been portrayed as ‘bogans’

He said that there is now a completely different community living in the region that wasn’t present even five years ago.  

‘Buyers are coming from suburbs where the blocks are usually 200 square metres, but here they’re often around 1000 square metre,’ he said.  

The unlikely property boom is expected to come as somewhat of a shock to Sydney-siders, after the controversial three-part reality show depicted a number of low-income families struggling with numerous problems including drug addictions.

Mount Druitt was put on the television map in 2015 when controversial SBS reality docuseries ‘Struggle Street’ premiered, portraying the suburb as a poverty stricken, crime-ridden town home to financially struggling residents

Struggle Street followed residents of Mt Druitt, some who are drug addicts, as they go about their daily lives

A young pregnant woman was shown to be sitting in the bathroom with her mother smoking a bong.

Another two residents were depicted as ‘bogans’ struggling to support their 10 kids and 18 grandchildren on their carer’s allowance provided by the government.

Around 90 per cent of the street’s residents were said to claim benefits. 

The program led to political debate about welfare reform, including a live one-hour TV debate about the show and the issues it raised.

The show received a total of 960 complaints to broadcasting watchdog Ofcom but it was eventually cleared of breaking any rules after an investigation by Ofcom.

The controversial 2015 reality show depicted a number of low-income families struggling with numerous problems including drug addictions. Pictured: Ashley and Peta Kennedy took part in the series