Remote Indigenous Housing Requires Ongoing Policy Focus

Abstract

This Topical Issues paper identifies remote Indigenous housing as a structural gap in the nation’s overarching housing policies. The paper reproduces a submission to the current Productivity Commission review of the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement (NHHA) which argues for a much stronger focus to be placed upon remote Indigenous housing in the renewal of the NHHA scheduled for 2023. The submission outlines the extent and systemic underpinnings of the substantial Indigenous housing shortfall in remote Australia, and assesses the adequacy of current policy frameworks to meet that need and thus mitigate ongoing adverse social, health and economic consequences. In particular, the submission argues that the national housing target in the National Agreement on Closing the Gap is, in its current form, an inadequate mechanism to address remote housing need. The submission makes a number of specific recommendations designed to ensure that remote Indigenous housing needs are effectively addressed going forward. Show more