$4 billion welcomed, warranted, overdue

The Federal Government’s $4 billion investment in remote housing is welcomed, warranted and overdue – we call on them to recognise the housing needs of Aboriginal people in regional and urban areas too.

In early March, the Federal Government announced a landmark $4 billion investment for housing in remote communities across the Northern Territory to help close the gap on housing outcomes.

Aboriginal Housing and Homelessness Forum (AHHF) and Aboriginal Housing Victoria (AHV) say the government is on the right path. The housing and homelessness outcomes for Aboriginal Northern Territorians are unacceptable for a wealthy, developed nation.

The partnership between Territory and Federal governments with Aboriginal Housing NT and Aboriginal Land Councils to deliver the housing is imperative also.

As the largest registered Aboriginal housing provider in the country, AHV sees how benefits stay within Aboriginal communities when Aboriginal community-controlled organisations have custodianship through ownership of housing.

AHHF Chair and AHV CEO Darren Smith said while he did not want to take focus or investment away from Aboriginal communities in the remote NT, that the current rates of Aboriginal housing insecurity and homelessness are at crisis point everywhere.

“Across all states and territories, in all areas remote, regional and urban, the housing and homelessness outcomes of Aboriginal people are unacceptable and deteriorating,” he said.

“On any given night in Victoria, there are 1000 Aboriginal people who need homelessness support. Victoria has the highest rates of Aboriginal people accessing homelessness services, and in 2022-23, nearly one in four Victorian Aboriginal women accessed homelessness services.

“Aboriginal people represent only one per cent of the entire Victorian population, yet 13 per cent of all people accessing specialist homelessness services in the state are Aboriginal – we need governments to tackle the nation-wide crisis with the same urgency as the remote NT.”

Mr Smith argued the challenge was for all state and territory governments, and the Commonwealth, was to make substantial investments into Aboriginal housing and homelessness at a level capable of making the real difference that is required.

“They can start by ensuring available investments in new social and affordable housing, for example through the Housing Australia Future Fund, actually reach Aboriginal housing providers and Aboriginal people,” he said.

"The enduring legacy of colonisation is stark when looking at the data – the least they can do is ensure that a minimum of 10 per cent of new housing is delivered to Aboriginal people through Aboriginal housing providers.”

Aboriginal Housing NT (AHNT) CEO Skye Thompson said, “AHNT supports AHV’s calls for investment across Aboriginal housing nation-wide. “We know that we must strengthen the community-controlled sector if outcomes are to significantly improve across all Closing the Gap priority areas. When we, as Aboriginal people are empowered to take control of our lives and decision-making, we are able to build capacity across our communities – this leads to increased economic activity and more job opportunities. A stable home means a safe home environment for our kids which significantly increases education, employment and health outcomes.”

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Media Contacts:

AHV Communications
communications@ahvic.org.au | 0456 688 006

Nathan Evans, Managing Director
Aboriginal Housing Northern Territory (AHNT) Aboriginal Corporation
08 7942 2097 | 0428 094 626