Home ownership transitions and Indigenous Australians

Abstract

This report uses the recently released Australian Census Longitudinal Dataset to examine transitions into and out of home ownership from 2006 to 2011 among the Indigenous population. Although home ownership may not fit with everyone's aspirations and circumstances, analysis previously undertaken by the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research identified that Indigenous adults and children who lived in a home that was owned or being purchased by the household had improved outcomes across a range of wellbeing measures. This report shows that, for the Indigenous population, higher levels of income and education were positively associated with the transition into home ownership, after controlling for a range of other characteristics. Those living in a private rental in 2006 were more likely to become an owner/purchaser in 2011 than those in community rental. A key finding is that Indigenous adults living in regional areas who were not home owners or purchasers in 2006 were no more likely than those living in major cities to have moved into home ownership by 2011. In contrast, in the Australian adult population as a whole, those living in regional areas were significantly more likely than those living in major cities to move into home ownership between 2006 and 2011. Given that around 40% of the Indigenous population lives in regional areas this finding merits further investigation.