ACHO Sector Strengthening Project – Robe River Kuruma Aboriginal Corporation
Shelter WA’s Clint Uink and Ellie Morrissey met with Cassandra Doyle, Housing Pathways Support Program Lead at Robe River Kuruma Aboriginal Corporation (RRKAC), as part of the Aboriginal Community Housing Organisation (ACHO) Sector Strengthening project, funded by the Department of Communities.
Based in Karratha, RRKAC deliver a range of services to their community, whose lands lie within the Shire of Ashburton, around the township of Pannawonica, and comprise part of the Fortescue River and the complete river system of the Jajiwurra (Robe River). The organisation’s vision is to work together as a community to establish a solid foundation towards independence, community wellbeing, cultural identity and healthy Country, now and for future generations.
Housing Pathways Support Program
As well as being the registered native title body corporate for Robe River Kuruma native title determined areas, RRKAC deliver a Housing Pathways Support Program, and are service providers for the Target 120 and Homestretch programs.
RRKAC’s Housing Pathways Support Program was made possible through funding received from the North-West Aboriginal Housing Fund (NWAHF) in 2022. This funding supports three positions at RRKAC to deliver the program.
Tailored Support Services
Cassandra is leading the development of the program, which aims to build capacity of Aboriginal people to move towards home ownership. The program supports 28 families over a three-year period by providing tailored support services to progress them towards private rental, home ownership or shared-equity home ownership, supporting not just the Robe River Kuruma people, but also the broader Aboriginal community.
The program focuses on five social objectives central to home ownership: financial literacy, wellbeing, employment/training, school attendance and household management. Over 60 people have attended the workshops, and RRKAC have supported 13 with resumes and cover letters to attain employment.
Dannika Farmer and children, moving into new supported RRKAC home
Success!
To date, two families have successfully purchased their own homes having completed the program, and three more families are on track to achieve this in 2023. RRKAC are looking towards providing community housing for the community in the future.
ACHO Sector Strengthening project
It’s an exciting time for the Robe River Kuruma community with so many developments taking place. Connecting with organisations providing housing support services to Aboriginal people in the regions is a key element of Shelter WA’s ACHO Sector Strengthening project.
Shelter WA’s ACHO Sector Strengthening project has met with over 25 ACHOs around the state to understand the strengths and challenges experienced in the sector, enable peer to peer knowledge sharing, resource exchange and relationship building between ACHOs. The project is facilitating vital connections between ACHOs, such as those that were formed at the WA Aboriginal Community Housing Organisation Sector Strengthening Summit in July. The project is also developing a suite of resources to support ACHOs progress towards community housing registration under the Community Housing Regulatory Framework.
Please get in touch by emailing ellie.morrissey@shelterwa.org.au if you are interested in hearing more about the project or if you are an ACCO that provides property and tenancy management services in WA and would like to be involved.
