Empowering First Nations women through secure housing

Meg Yates, The University of Sydney, CSW 2023 Fellow

Executive Summary

This policy addresses housing insecurity faced by First Nations women in Australia, focusing on promoting home ownership and enhancing economic opportunities. Despite existing federal and state government housing policies, there is a lack of coordinated national support for First Nations women’s housing needs. Current housing policies primarily offer direct assistance, but fall short in addressing supply-side measures and improving affordability.  

First Nations women face unique barriers to accessing long-term and affordable housing options, including inadequate supply, domestic and family violence and systemic discrimination in housing markets (ABS, 2023; AHRC, 2020; AHURI, 2022). Estimates from the 2021 Census highlighted that First Nations Australians are 8.8 times more likely to be homeless than non-Indigenous Australians (AIHW, 2023).Equitable access to secure housing is pivotal for well-being and economic participation, therefore helping to break the cycle of disadvantage. 

This policy proposes funding options within the Commonwealth Government's Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF) to increase affordable housing supply for First Nations women, through partnerships with the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Housing Authority (NATSIHA) and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Housing Organisations (ATSICCHOs), and addresses housing demand by reducing home loan deposit barriers. The policy requires an investment of $1.02 billion over the four years, supporting at least 2,000 First Nations women to purchase a home.

This policy aligns with the National Agreement on Closing the Gap’s Priority Reform 2: Building the Community Controlled Sector and Target 9: People can secure appropriate, affordable housing aligned with their priorities and needs (Coalition of Peaks and all Australian Governments, 2020). However, the policy faces risks including economic challenges for developers due to low profitability from affordable housing projects and the need for ongoing government support to ensure the policy’s continuity and effectiveness. 

Homeownership is just one component of the housing spectrum. Additional policies are required to address First Nations peoples’ overrepresentation in homelessness, overcrowding and social housing statistics. While this draft policy is informed by desktop research, the final policy must be developed in partnership with First Nations women to ensure an effective and inclusive solution.

Problem Identification

Australia faces an inadequate supply of affordable housing for First Nations women, particularly for homeownership or long-term leases. This undersupply directly impacts affordability, disproportionately affecting low-income households. The median share of disposable income spent on housing increased from 14% in 1999-00 to 17% in 2019-20, reaching 43% for the lowest income quartile (Productivity Commission, 2022). Insufficient housing supply has driven up rents, lowered vacancy rates and increased demand for government-funded housing and homelessness services.

Despite substantial government investment in housing policies, key indicators such as homelessness, overcrowding and homeownership for First Nations people have either stagnated or worsened over the past five years (Productivity Commission, 2023). Estimates from the 2021 Census highlighted that First Nations Australians are 8.8 times more likely to be homeless than non-Indigenous Australians (307 compared with 35 per 10,000 population) (AIHW, 2023). First Nations households are three times more likely to live in overcrowded dwellings and four times more likely to rent in social housing, compared to other households (AIHW, 2023). 

Undersupply of adequate housing leads to a range of social and economic costs for government and society, including homelessness, stress, depression, domestic violence, and reduced educational attainment, disposable income and wellbeing (Nygaard, 2022). Discrimination and systemic biases within the housing sector compound these challenges for First Nations women (AHRC, 2020). Housing and safety from domestic and family violence are interconnected for First Nations women. Overcrowded and inadequate housing conditions heighten vulnerability to abuse for women and children (Blagg, et al., 2018). Services aimed at supporting First Nations women leaving abusive relationships often face difficulties due to the limited availability of long-term housing options. This situation often leads to women staying in unhealthy family situations or abusive relationships.  

The absence of a targeted national approach for affordable housing for First Nations women exacerbates these issues. Securing stable housing is crucial for alleviating barriers and ensuring the safety, economic independence and wellbeing of First Nations women in Australia. Complementary policies addressing violence, discrimination and systemic biases against First Nations women are essential for achieving meaningful solutions and promoting equity in housing access.

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