The peak body for Aboriginal housing in the Northern Territory has welcomed the Territory Government's offer to the sector for three-year funding agreements to support the delivery of housing and essential services to the homelands.
In a statement, Aboriginal Housing NT (AHNT) said the move to longer-term funding recognises of the vital role homelands play in the Territory's housing system, helping to reduce overcrowding and improve health outcomes.
AHNT CEO Leeanne Caton said the peak body was pleased with the CLP Government's announcement, noting the longer-term funding agreements demonstrated support for Aboriginal community-controlled organisations (ACCOs) and the homelands.
"The evidence is clear, investing in homelands improves health outcomes associated with overcrowding, improves education outcomes, and improves social, emotional and cultural wellbeing," Ms Caton said.
AHNT said the announcement was recognition of the vital role ACCOs play. In the NT, they provide housing and essential services to nearly 10,000 people across almost 400 homelands.
However, the organisation pointed to continuing financial disparities which needed to be addressed.
Funding for Northern Territory homelands has remained around $40 million per year since the NT Government resumed responsibility from the Commonwealth in 2015, AHNT said. Despite a 2.59 per cent rise in inflation over the past decade, the funding level has stayed stagnant.
As a result, a dollar in 2015 would now need to be worth about $1.29 in 2025 to have the same purchasing power.
The organisation said this situation is unsustainable for Aboriginal community-controlled homelands service providers, who are expected to deliver critical housing and essential services with the same level of funding they received ten years ago.
AHNT said they were calling on the Northern Territory Government to index the new three-year funding agreements to CPI, consistent with other government funding arrangements. It says this step is essential to meeting the Priority Reforms under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap and strengthening the Territory's Aboriginal community-controlled sector.
Ms Caton said Aboriginal people who live on their homelands often have better health outcomes, including lower rates of chronic diseases and lower mortality rates.
"In addition, recent research shows environmental risk factors, including poor housing, contributed more than $72 million to hospitalisation costs in the Northern Territory in the 2021-22 financial year," she said.
"Investing in remote housing and homelands makes good economic sense."
