ANTaR believes that ensuring first world standards of housing for the first Australians is one of the nation's greatest challenges. The Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage 2007 report indicates that a much higher proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples live in much more crowded conditions that other Australians. Poor housing is a contributor to poor health, poor educational outcomes and family violence.

Recent key reports

Report: Indigenous Housing Indicators 2007-08

The Indigenous Housing Indicators 2007-08 by The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reports that in 2007-08, there were over 36,000 dwellings specifically targeted to providing housing assistance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples - an increase of almost 1,000 dwellings since 2005-06. A further 58,000 Indigenous households were receiving assistance through mainstream housing programs in the same period. Indigenous housing indicators 2007-08 provides current national data across all housing assistance programs on a range of key Indigenous housing indicators including connection to services, dwelling condition, overcrowding, affordability of housing, rents collected and charged, and recurrent and capital expenditure on Indigenous housing.

Report: The scale and composition of Indigenous housing need, 2001-06

This paper (PDF 4.55mb) by The Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research at the ANU sets out to document the scale of Indigenous housing need as recorded in the most recent (2006) Census at a regional level and how this level of need changed between 2001 and 2006.

What the results show is that the issue of Indigenous housing presents two challenges for government: catch-up and keep-up. Regarding ‘catch-up’, using an internationally recognised occupancy standard, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population is still experiencing substantial overcrowding with the percentage living in overcrowded households 4.8 times that of the non-Indigenous population.

Report: Aboriginal housing improvement is the way forward

A study, published in the ANZ Journal of Public Health in February 2008, demonstrates housing maintenance is a key to improving indigenous health: The state of health hardware in Aboriginal communities in rural and remote Australia (PDF).

The study demonstrates that improvements in the living environment for Aboriginal people will require a sustained commitment to the planning, funding and implementation of maintenance programs in addition to adherence to the design, construction and supervision detail outlined in the National Indigenous Housing Guide. The Journal is published by Public Health Association Australia.

Report: Australian Indigenous housing research

The Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute released a report in December 2007, Australian Indigenous housing research: a review and audit (PDF 143k).

The evidence base available to support policy reform in Indigenous housing is considerable. A multi-disciplinary field of study has, since the 1970s, established knowledge of housing design, housing management, the occupation and use of housing, home ownership, and housing and well-being.

Report: Australia under fire on Indigenous housing

Australia's housing record has been strongly criticized by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, Miloon Kothari.

The Special Rapporteur, who visited Australia in August 2006, was particularly disturbed by the adverse housing conditions he witnessed in both urban and rural Indigenous communities. He reported that Indigenous communities are facing a severe housing crisis, evidenced by the lack of affordable and culturally appropriate housing, the lack of appropriate support services, the significant levels of poverty and the underlying discrimination. Download this report (PDF 255k).

All things considered — a range of opinions

To give you a complete picture about housing in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, here's a range of perspectives. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of ANTaR, but we think they should be considered and thoughtfully debated.

• Minister adds fuel to house fee anger - The Australian, 27 July 2009
• Tangentyere Supports Open and Transparent Tenancy Reform - Press release from Tangentyere Council Inc, 25 May 2009
• Outstations policy a fresh attempt at assimilation - Dr Thalia Anthon, The Age, 21 May 2009
• Death knell for homelands - Lindsay Murdoch, The Age, 19 May 2009
• Poor housing conditions contribute to high rates of infections in Aboriginal communities - Joint press release CRCAH Communications and Menzies, 22 January 2009
• Benefits flow from home ownership - The Australian, 5 August 2008
• Dr Nelson breaks "unconditional" commitment to parliament - ANTaR media release, 23 May 2008

What is the best way to improve housing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people?

We encourage considered, respectful and where necessary provocative debate. Please feel welcome to have your say, and in turn allow others to have their say without responding in anger or distrust.

ANTaR reserves the right to delete any comment that contains offensive, defamatory or discriminatory content. If you feel any of these comments are of this nature, please let us know!