• Tens of thousands of First Nations Australians live in overcrowded and run-down housing – with major impacts on health, economic and social outcomes.
  
  
• Labor will deliver an immediate boost of $100 million for housing and essential services on Northern Territory homelands – after the Liberals and Nationals stopped supporting basic services in these communities.
  
  
• Labor will also invest maintenance and upgrades to remote housing across Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory. Labor will also re-negotiate a new remote housing agreement for the Northern Territory, which properly supports homelands.

Why do we need this?

Over 62,000 First Nations people live in overcrowded housing in remote and very remote areas.

Closing the Gap requires access to safe housing. Investments in health, education and employment outcomes for First Nations people are amplified if people have access to safe and adequate housing.

Despite chronic overcrowding and substandard living conditions in many remote areas, the Liberals and Nationals have stopped supporting remote housing in Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland – and the funding agreement for the Northern Territory ends in mid-2023.

In the Northern Territory, the Liberals and Nationals have systematically withdrawn housing support for homelands, which are culturally important places and home to approximately 10,000 Aboriginal Territorians.

The details

An Albanese Labor Government will:

• Commit $100 million to start work immediately on urgent housing and essential infrastructure on Northern Territory homelands. This will include improvements to water, power and community facilities, as well as housing upgrades, extensions, and new builds.
• Negotiate a new remote housing agreement with the Northern Territory that includes homelands, when the current agreement expires in mid-2023.
• Provide $200 million from the Housing Australia Future Fund for repair, maintenance and improvement of remote housing in Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory.

Labor will require jurisdictions to maintain existing investments in remote housing. We will work with the Northern Territory Government, communities and Land Councils to address the most urgent needs of homeland communities.

These investments in remote housing are in addition to the 30,000 social and affordable homes that Labor will build within five years through the Housing Australia Future Fund.

Labor understands the value of a safe and stable place to live. We will work with First Nations communities and governments to make housing a central part of our efforts to Close the Gap.