Aboriginal Housing NT, the Northern Territory’s peak body for the Aboriginal community-controlled housing and homelands sector, represents 23 Aboriginal community-controlled housing providers. 

AHNT strongly advocates for the return of housing and homelands service delivery and management to Aboriginal people, their organisations and their communities. 

It works closely with the NT and Federal governments, land councils and other key partners, including NT Shelter, to drive improved outcomes for the Aboriginal community-controlled sector. 

The Northern Territory population is widely spread. Nearly 50 percent of Territorians live outside the Greater Darwin region across four regional towns, 73 remote communities and about 394 homelands. 

The Aboriginal community-controlled housing sector provides housing and homelands services to about 10,000 Aboriginal Territorians living in about 2500 dwellings in 394 homelands and 43 town camps and community living areas and urban regional centres across the NT. 

AHNT member organisations represent about 48,000 Aboriginal people, the equivalent of 42 percent of the Northern Territory’s population in the electorate of Lingiari and about 10,000 Aboriginal people, around 8.5 percent of the Territory’s population, in the electorate of Solomon. 

Aboriginal Housing chief executive Leeanne Caton, who has more than 40 years’ experience working in Aboriginal Affairs at the State, Territory and Federal levels, says some homes have up to 30 residents living in them. 

“It is not unusual for 17 people to live in one house in remote communities,” she says. “How can people function healthily in those conditions? Kids can’t do their homework, kids can’t go to school, nobody can sleep properly. 

“Homelessness in the NT is 12 times the national average, with severe overcrowding accounting for 81 per cent of the NT’s homelessness rate and Aboriginal people being most affected. 

“Overcrowding in the NT puts pressure on the entire household. Overcrowding impacts everything from kitchen and bathroom fixtures and fittings to electrical and plumbing infrastructure.” 

Ms Caton, a Kalkadoon/Waanyi woman who was born in Queensland but raised and educated on Larrakia country, says overcrowding, poor quality housing and homelessness affect every aspect of life, such as education, health and family cohesion. 

Due to severe and persistent overcrowding, there is high demand for social (public) housing in urban and remote areas with wait times up t o eight years or more depending on the location. 

“High population mobility between urban and remote contexts highlights the need for system reform to better understand and respond to this dynamic. 

“It’s critical that government designs policies with AHNT and the sector to ensure people experiencing homelessness are not criminalised, but are better supported to access services and accommodation. 

“The lack of housing in remote communities is a key part of Aboriginal disadvantage. So many social problems can be eased by having good housing. 

“Additionally, short-stay and emergency accommodation options are vital in the urban environment.” 

Aboriginal Housing NT is hosting the 3rd Aboriginal Housing & Homelands conference at Double Tree by Hilton Hotel on The Esplanade, Darwin, from May 20-21. 

About 200 delegates, representing many of Australia’s leading Aboriginal organisations, are expected to attend the conference. 

There will also be Maori delegates from Aotearoa (New Zealand), who experience similar housing challenges. 

The conference focus includes Aboriginal-led solutions to create sustainable housing for Aboriginal people; alleviating youth homelessness; sustainable housing design, water security and renewable energies; and strengthening the housing and homelands sector. 

Conference registration details are at ahnt.org.au 

Aboriginal Housing NT is a prominent member of the Joint Steering Committee for Remote Housing NT responsible for the delivery and oversight of the joint Australian Government and Northern Territory Government 10-year, $4 billion remote housing investment. 

“We want to ensure that the money is spent properly,” Ms Caton says. 

She acknowledges that building in the bush is expensive. 

“But far too much money goes into the bureaucracy. We want government to work closely with us and communities to build houses.” 

Houses in remote communities don’t have to meet the same building standards as those in towns. 

“Houses being built in bush communities would often not be allowed in Darwin or Alice Springs,” says Ms Caton. “That’s wrong. 

“In most parts of the Northern Territory, if you build a house, there is no legal requirement for it to meet the safety or liveability standards mandated for the rest of Australia.” 

That’s because of a two-tiered building certification system — a model that only exists in the NT. In the tier-one zones of Darwin, Alice Springs, and Lake Bennett, all buildings must meet National Construction Code requirements and receive full building certification. In tier-two towns, including Katherine, Tennant Creek and Yulara, all buildings, except residential dwellings, need to be fully certified. 

There is the “outside of building control area”, which is locally known as the “third tier”, which encompasses the majority of the remote NT. There is no legal requirement to build in accordance with the National Construction Code or the NT Building Act, or even for builders to be licensed. 

Aboriginal Housing NT wants to see increased job opportunities for local Aboriginal people. 

“Aboriginal people should be building and maintaining houses in their own communities.” 

Ms Caton, who has 10 years’ experience in chief executive roles in Aboriginal community-controlled organisations, says tradies charge a “fortune” to drive from town to remote communities to carry out maintenance work. 

“It’s an incredibly inefficient and expensive system”. 

She says it is not unusual for contractors to charge up to $8000 to travel the 675 kilometres from Alice Springs to Kaltukatjara, (Docker River), to carry out work that takes only a few hours. 

“That work should be done by local people.” TQ