Providing a vision for the future of Indigenous housing; recommendations for a National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Housing Strategy framework; and a pathway to system reform.
Published by AHURI in February 2026, this is the third and final report arising from an Inquiry into developing a long-term governance and resource framework for sustainable and effective Indigenous housing. The inquiry involved a review of the current Indigenous housing system both nationally and for each state and territory jurisdiction, needs analysis of the affordability, suitability and adequacy of current housing provision, and consultations with key informants from the government and community-controlled housing sectors. A panel was convened to discuss key findings and resulting policy implications.
Recommended policy actions
The resulting framework for a National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Housing Strategy was endorsed by an Inquiry Panel of government representatives and Indigenous leaders and comprised four key pillars and associated priority actions. Strategy development should be Indigenous-led with a community-based consultation process facilitated by the Housing Policy Partnership, in line with its workplan commitment to develop a five-year Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Housing Plan.
- Pillar 1: Strengthening governance – This includes strengthening Indigenous housing peak bodies, committing long-term funding, legislating international standards on the right to housing and self-determination, and undertaking independent audits and evaluation of 2020 Closing the Gap agreement performance.
- Pillar 2: Ensuring sufficient investment – Providing long-term government funding for Indigenous social housing to address unmet demand.
- Pillar 3: Boosting community-controlled housing – Transferring publicly owned housing to Indigenous community-controlled housing organisations, increasing housing stock owned and managed by the sector, and establishing geographic cost benchmarks for services and subsidies to address funding gaps between rent revenues and costs.
- Pillar 4: Enhancing tenure choices and pathway – This includes promoting culturally appropriate home ownership pathways, establishing a Housing Innovation Fund to support models like community land trusts and shared equity, increasing rental access by a range of measures such as funding Indigenous rental advocacy and support services, and strengthening anti-discrimination legislation.
To find out more about this research project and read the full report go to
https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/457
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