More support for Aboriginal Victorians to access and maintain private rental housing

More support for Aboriginal Victorians to access and maintain private rental housing 

 

The Victorian Government will implement a key recommendation of the Mana-ana woorn tyeen maar-takoort: Every Aboriginal Person Has a Home framework to open doors to private rental for Aboriginal Victorians, in a win for the Aboriginal Housing and Homelessness Forum (AHHF) who have been strongly advocating for an expansion to the Aboriginal Private Rental Assistance Program (APRAP). 

 

On Friday, May 5, Victorian Housing Minister Colin Brooks attended a meeting of the AHHF, comprising of more than 35 Aboriginal organisations, and announced APRAP would be expanded to four more areas.     

 

“We’re delighted to announce new funding to expand the essential work of the APRAP, so more Aboriginal Victorians can secure and maintain homes in the private rental market across the state,” Minister Brooks said.     

 

“I want to thank our partners at Rumbalara, Gippsland and East Gippsland Aboriginal Co-operative, the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency and Ngwala for the tremendous work they are doing to create better outcomes for Aboriginal Victorians.    

 

“We're pleased to also announce more than 200 new, modern, safe and affordable homes will be set aside from the Big Housing Build to be managed by Aboriginal housing services for Aboriginal Victorians on the public housing register.”     

 

APRAP helps Aboriginal Victorians by providing support to navigate the private rental market. It helps people to find new tenancies or sustain their current tenancies by providing practical support and financial assistance.  

   

AHHF Chair and Aboriginal Housing Victoria CEO Darren Smith said it was a great outcome for Aboriginal people, who face ongoing racial and systemic discrimination in the housing market.     

 

“These areas are those with the highest rates of Aboriginal community members seeking homelessness support - excluding the areas where APRAP is already in operation which remain the top five,” Mr Smith said.    

 

“APRAP is best delivered by Aboriginal community-controlled organisations with an established housing and homelessness services footprint. We are able to lead, support, recruit to and resource the program – this is self-determination in action.”

   

https://ahvic.org.au/advocacy/aprap    

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Contact: communications@ahvic.org.au