AHV's submission to the Yoorrook Justice Commission investigation into Land Injustice

 

Aboriginal Housing Victoria (AHV) welcomes the opportunity to make a video submission to the Yoorrook Justice Commission’s investigation into land injustice in the state of Victoria.

Land injustice and the contemporary housing and homelessness crisis facing Aboriginal Victorians are inextricably linked, and a thorough examination of past and ongoing land injustices from the perspective of Aboriginal people is long overdue.

It is in the realm of housing and homelessness we see how the ongoing legacy of colonialism, dispossession and dislocation influence the everyday lives of Aboriginal Victorians. Deprived of land, excluded from the fruits of economy and traditional authority, lore and customs, Aboriginal people have been homeless on their own land for the past two centuries.

This is AHV's response to the Yoorrook Justice Commission's discussion paper on Land Injustice, featuring AHV CEO and Aboriginal Housing and Homelessness Forum Chair Darren Smith and AHV Board Member Damein Bell.

Thank you to Yoorrook for the opportunity to participate in this important investigation.

 

Watch the submission here:

Credits: Interviewees: Damein Bell and Darren Smith

Video production: Simon Fazio (simonfazio.com)

Interview: Elsie Lange