DRIVING ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY CONTROL IN HOUSING

Transcription

1 DRIVING ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY CONTROL IN HOUSING Presentation to National Housing Conference APO NT Louise Weber - AHNT Barbara Shaw & Matthew Ryan

2 Who are APO NT? Established in October 2010 (post the Intervention ) Alliance is 5 peak Aboriginal orgs in NT Each is governed by an Aboriginal board APONT alliance works for Indigenous people across NT APO NT alliance is underpinned by effective Aboriginal involvement and control and evidence

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4 APO NT Work & Partnership Principles APO NT work includes hosting landmark forums Strong Aboriginal Governance Summit Tennant Creek Grog in the Territory Summit Alice Springs Aboriginal Remote Housing Forum - Darwin CDP Service Providers Forum Darwin FASD Forum Housing Forum mark 2 Key program developments from Forums: Set up two key program areas: Governance - AGMP Program Housing - AHNT Committee CDP Alternative - Remote Development & Employment Scheme Established APO NT Partnership Principles

5 Capacity APO NT Partnership Principles Partnerships 1. Consider their own capacity 2. Recognise existing capacity 3. Research existing options 4. Seek partnerships 5. Approach to partnership Aboriginal-led development Control Evaluation and accountability 6. Recognise, support and promote existing development practice 7. Work together with Aboriginal people to create strong and viable Aboriginal organisations 8. Ensure Aboriginal control, not just consultation 9. Develop a clear exit strategy 10. Ensure robust evaluation and accountability 11. Cultural competency and appropriate development practice

6 Partnership Principles: Key messages Effective Aboriginal organisations are vital Consideration must be given to local community priorities and outcomes When seeking free and informed consent, you have the responsibility and are obliged to provide all the information Acknowledge the need for extended time frames that suit and respect community processes The APO NT principles attempt to frame the relationship - an enabling tool - not a set of rules

7 Demographics, data, and dire need Does not include hidden homeless 80% of the NT Aboriginal people reside in remote or very remote areas 85% of Aboriginal people in the NT live in severely overcrowded dwellings Overcrowding is rife in Town Camps and not limited to regional or remote communities Some Homelands also experience overcrowding NT has the nation s highest rate of homelessness 15 times the national average

8 Demographics, data, and dire need Next 25 years, NT Aboriginal pop n set to increase by 34,000 people (from 74,000 in 2016 to 108,000 in 2041) Estimated 4000 additional dwellings were needed in 2007 to house current NT Aboriginal pop n, with 400 additional houses needed yearly till 2027, to keep up with growth At June 2017, NPARIH (NT) had provided 1,504 New Builds (of 3,233 nation) 2,929 refurbs/rebuilds (of 7,350 nation) NTG figures show remote public houses reduced from 5046 in 2016 to 5036 in 2017

9 AHNT - APO NT Submissions, Articles Current 2017 Sept 2017 June 2017 May 2017 May 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 Feb 2017 Feb 2017 January 2017 November 2016 Drafting APO NT - AHNT Aboriginal Housing Strategy the Road Map forward Media Release APO NT calls for Review of Remote Rental Policy amidst chaotic system failures Housing chapter - in joint submission to NT Royal Commission on Child Protection and Detention NACCHO paper presented to Federal Opposition Abstract to National Housing Conference Submission to National Mental Health Commission on Housing, Homelessness & Mental Health Aged Pension Roundtable APO NT lower the pension age to acknowledge gap in life expectancy UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples visit to town Camps and briefing report Opinion piece The Gap grows wider for remote communities struggling with severe overcrowding, co-written with Human Rights Law Centre; published in SMH, Canberra Times, Brisbane Times Submission to NTG for 2 nd Aboriginal Housing Forum Submission to NPARIH/ Remote Housing Review Joint APO NT and Human Rights Law Centre preliminary submission, to the NT Royal Commission on Child Protection and Youth Detention, on housing as a determinant of Aboriginal justice

10 ABORIGINAL HOUSING NT

11 NT Remote Housing Forum 2015

12 Social Housing 5025 houses in remote areas an estimated 34,000 people 4947 in regional and urban areas - an estimated 11,000 people Homelessness Nation s highest - includes many people living in overcrowded and severely overcrowded dwellings, 85% in remote areas of the NT 52% of the NT homeless population are aged under 25 (52 per cent). Overcrowding impacts profoundly on health, safety and justice outcomes NT highest rate of chronic disease, kidney disease, family violence, imprisonment The # 1 reason children taken into care = poor housing (housing is cited #1 reason for neglect ) The #1 reason children are not returned to families = inadequate housing

13 Aboriginal Housing Northern Territory (AHNT) AHNT Goals Provide a strong Aboriginal voice on housing issues Develop an NT Aboriginal community controlled housing model Explore innovative & effective housing management models that meet unique housing needs of communities homelands Undertake research & policy development Pursue implementation of new housing arrangements Develop networks & alliances with community leaders & housing experts

14 Committee Members Alice Springs Town Camps Maningrida Tennant Creek Elliott Borroloola and Robinson River Beswick Katherine Yarralin Peppimenarti Wadeye Anindilyakwa Tiwi Islands Yirrkala Homelands Barbara Shaw (Co-Chair), Shirleen Campbell; Maxine Carlton Matthew Ryan (Co-Chair) Ross Williams Chris Neade Tony Jack Samuel Bush-Blanasi Graham Castine; Rick Fletcher Brian Pedwell Annunciata Williams Tobias Nganbe Tony Wurramarrba David Guy Yananymul Mununggurr The AHNT Committee are recognised by the NT Minister for Housing as the NT peak body for Remote Aboriginal Housing

15 AHNT Activities & Achievements NTG fund AHNT for meetings and 1x Housing Policy Officer Held 14 Committee Meetings since forming in March 2015 Presented at 5 Full Council meetings of the NLC and CLC Haasts Bluff, Kalkarindji, Gulkula, Uluru, Tennant Creek On tender panel to award contracts in Phase One of the Remote Housing Development Authority process in early 2016 (RHDA not progressing) Co-Chair presented at National Congress re new Natn l Housing peak Adel. Co-Chairs presenting at the National Housing Conference Sydney Co-Chairs invited on newly formed Dept of Housing and Community Development high level stakeholder group (yet to meet)

16 Next Steps Produce 2 nd AHNT Newsletter Host 2 nd NT Aboriginal Housing Forum 2018 Community Housing Program Trials Work closely with NTG to achieve goals for Aboriginal Housing Reforms a Strategy Engage with National Congress and the new National Aboriginal peak housing Engage with AHURI - Research specific to our needs and next conference in NT.

17 AHNT visit Town Camps & Outstations in The Centre

18 We see houses that look like this:

19 And this: No exhaust fans for stoves, cracked walls, dirt floored verandah

20 What the Health Habitat data tells us: Lack of routine maintenance = 73% Poor initial construction = 19% Damage, vandalism, misuse or overuse by tenants = only 8%

21 We face Transitional Housing Issues MINYERRI The system failed the community after the govt displaced people from their homes; it did not provide transition housing while their homes were being upgraded Approx 400 people live in Minyerri community, located 4.5 hrs sth east of Katherine

22 MANINGRIDA

23 What keeps driving us? Self-determination Aboriginal rights enshrined in UNDRIP Article Indigenous peoples have the right, without discrimination, to the improvement of their economic and social conditions, including, inter alia, in the areas of education, employment, vocational training and retraining, housing, sanitation, health and social security. Article 23 Indigenous peoples have the right to determine and develop priorities and strategies for exercising their right to development. In particular, indigenous peoples have the right to be actively involved in developing and determining health, housing and other economic and social programmes affecting them and, as far as possible, to administer such programmes through their own institutions.

24 UN Special Rapporteur Of Indigenous Peoples The UN Rapporteur visited the urban based Town Camps in Darwin in March Ms Tauli-Corpuz was surprised by living conditions of Aboriginal people - she said could understand if she Was in the Philippines - but this is Australia!

25 Further Contact APO NT CEOs Joe Morrison (NLC), Priscilla Collins (NAAJA), Leeanne Caton (CAALAS) John Paterson (AMSANT) & David Ross (CLC) Louise Weber Housing Policy Officer APO NT (08)