Aboriginal Housing Forum
Housing has been highlighted as a key concern in virtually all community consultations around the Noongar Native Title Settlement process and in a major research project being undertaken by the Telethon Kids Institute.
Housing has been highlighted as a key concern in virtually all community consultations around the Noongar Native Title Settlement process and in a major research project being undertaken by the Telethon Kids Institute.
On the 8th November the inaugural Metropolitan Aboriginal Housing Forum was held. This one-day community forum provided an opportunity to actively engage Aboriginal leaders in workshop discussions regarding the supply of safe, affordable and accessible housing for Aboriginal people in the metropolitan Perth area.
Housing has been articulated as a key concern in virtually all community consultations around the Noongar Native Title Settlement process and in a major research project being undertaken by the Telethon Kids Institute.
There has been considerable focus on housing for Aboriginal people living in remote areas. However over 70 per cent of Aboriginal in WA people live in non-remote areas. The focus on remote housing, whilst important, has diverted attention of governments and policy makers away from the housing needs and issues of Aboriginal people in non-remote WA.
The key objective explored was how to harness the current opportunity and people’s energy, concerns and experience to influence public policy around the supply of social and affordable housing for Aboriginal people in metropolitan Perth.
• Lack of culturally appropriate housing policy
• Not enough affordable, suitable and culturally appropriate housing supply
• Housing quality and maintenance
• Maintaining and sustaining tenancies
• Lack of options for renting and purchasing
• Impact of ongoing, systemic policies on housing outcomes
The importance of housing to health.
Attendees ideas for fixing the housing problem.
Why they need to be involved
Videos produced by Black Russian Productions and Dr. Glen Stasiuk
Home ownership and asset bases.
The value of having a safe home.
The future of Aboriginal children
On Tuesday 26 February 2019 the Telethon Kids Institute Ngulluk Koolunga Ngulluk Koort Elders’ Group voted unanimously in support of the next steps identified in the Report:
• Shelter WA in partnership with Telethon Kids Institute to develop a working group with the Elders as a platform for an Aboriginal voice into Noongar housing policy and to develop an Aboriginal housing policy and framework to measure progress.
• Shelter WA to discuss with Noongar Mia Mia, the development of a Noongar Community Housing Strategy to build on the value proposition of Noongar managed housing, to address the lack of safe, secure and culturally appropriate housing supply and to capitalise on new opportunities.
• Shelter WA to develop, in partnership with Noongar Mia Mia, other agencies as appropriate and the Department of Communities, new models for affordable home ownership schemes – i.e. rent to buy option with long term rental payments to become shared equity in ownership.
• Shelter WA to ensure Aboriginal people are central to the review of the Residential Tenancies Act 1987.
• Shelter WA in partnership with the Aboriginal community, increase advocacy for: