Highlights
A Better Housing Future
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Housing Action Plan 2019 – 2023
Acknowledgement
We respectfully acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Traditional Owners and Elders of the lands and seas on which we meet, live, learn and work.
We acknowledge those of the past, the ancestors whose strength has nurtured this land and its people, and who have passed on their wisdom. We acknowledge those of the present for their leadership and ongoing effort to protect and promote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures. We acknowledge those of the future, the Elders not yet born who will inherit the legacy of all our efforts.
We recognise it is our collective efforts and responsibility as individuals, communities and governments to ensure equality, recognition and advancement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders across all aspects of society and everyday life.
Artwork and design by Iscariot Media, a Brisbane-based Indigenous design studio.
The front-cover illustration represents new beginnings for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders with a sun rising over red earth into a blue sky. The symbols inside the sun’s rays represent the three focus areas of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Housing Action Plan 2019-2023: respond to individual needs, take a local approach and build a stronger sector.
A better housing future
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Housing Action Plan 2019-2023 is about more than just housing – it’s about government, communities and the housing sector working together to create stronger housing outcomes to enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders to prosper.
The Action Plan sets out a range of support to empower communities to participate in shared leadership and decision-making, to provide culturally-responsive housing assistance and to build a stronger housing sector for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders. It outlines the specific tasks to achieve this, driven by a new way of working together, that places local communities at the centre of decision-making about housing services.
This highlights overview provides information on key initiatives delivered under three focus areas.
Place-based responses
Local and community-led housing responses
Supporting healthy and empowered Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities through shared leadership and local solutions.
Person-centred responses
Improved housing assistance
Providing culturally-responsive services and housing support to respond to individual needs, wherever people are along the housing continuum.
A stronger sector
A stronger, more sustainable and responsive sector
Building a strong, resilient and culturally-responsive housing sector to better support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders.
Investing in a better housing future
The Queensland Government will invest $898 million over four years from, 2019 to 2023, to improve housing outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders, including $728.3 million in remote communities.
This investment sees Queensland making good on its commitment to invest up to $1.08 billion to improve remote Indigenous housing over ten years, from 2018 to 2028, to deliver new and upgraded housing, repair and maintain existing housing and contribute to housing operations across the 34 discrete communities and the Torres Shire.
2019-20 Statewide investment
$271.8 million to improve housing outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders, which consists of:
•	$171.3 million to improve social rental housing and deliver housing services
•	$40.1 million to improve state-owned and managed Indigenous housing across Queensland
•	$35 million for the first year of the Action Plan, including $28 million of a $40 million remote capital program
•	$16.5 million to support private home ownership in discrete communities
•	$8.9 million to fund homelessness responses including construction of crisis shelters in Pormpuraaw and Woorabinda
2019-20 Investment in remote and discrete communities
Which includes $228.3 million for housing services in remote and discrete communities 
•	$163.5 million to improve social rental housing and deliver housing services in remote communities
•	which includes $10.9 million to improve state-owned and managed Indigenous housing in remote communities
•	$32 million for the first year of the Action Plan, including $28 million of a $40 million remote capital program
•	$16.5 million to support private home ownership in discrete communities
•	$5.4 million to construct new crisis shelters in Pormpuraaw and Woorabinda
The Action Plan sees targeted investment of $67.1 million over four years to support a better housing future for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders.
Place-based responses
Local and community-led housing responses
Supporting healthy and empowered Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities through shared leadership and local solutions.
$43.7m place based
•	$3.7 million to develop place-based local housing plans, including establishing community toolbox libraries and trialling a repairs and maintenance social reinvestment approach in discrete communities.
•	$40 million to deliver new housing in remote and discrete communities.
Empowering communities
The Queensland Government is committed to supporting healthy and empowered Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities through shared leadership, transparency and accountability.
The Action Plan supports self- determination, community leadership and decision-making through a co- design approach under the Local Thriving Communities reform agenda.
Local Thriving Communities outlines how the Queensland Government will work collaboratively with communities to achieve structural, economic and service delivery reform.
Working openly and collaboratively, to get housing right, and to create the
benefits that flow on to improved health, education, social and economic outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, is at the heart of the Action Plan.
Community-led decisions
All communities have their own unique strengths, opportunities and challenges, and local people are best placed to understand these. That means reframing the way housing decisions are made.
The Action Plan’s focus on delivering a place-based approach to designing and delivering housing solutions, empowers communities to identify and respond to local housing challenges and priorities – and to influence and make decisions at the local level, wherever possible.
As government, local councils, Elders and community members work together there is greater opportunity to understand priorities, aspirations and needs, to support the delivery of culturally appropriate housing solutions.
By working collaboratively, policies and programs can be co-designed to build thriving communities and better housing outcomes.
Local housing plans
Local housing plans empower community decision-making, choice and control about how and where new housing is delivered.
Community-led local housing plans, developed with up to 30 communities across the state, will respond to local housing priorities and aspirations.
Delivering new housing through our existing investment programs, as part of the local housing plans, will help to grow and support communities.
Taking a local approach to housing service design and delivery provides opportunities to identify and strengthen links with other projects, services and government agencies and provide flexibility to ensure the specific responses match each community’s unique needs, circumstances and strengths.
Local housing plans will align with the Local Thriving Communities reform agenda.
Housing as the foundation
Safe, appropriate and sustainable housing is critical to achieving better health, economic and social wellbeing.
Considering the unique needs, strengths and challenges of communities can
help ensure well-designed, culturally appropriate housing for individuals and families is developed.
Good housing is critical for good health. In partnership with Queensland Health, the Action Plan will support healthier home environments across
the state – particularly in remote and discrete communities – including through focused and timely repairs and maintenance, health promotion and disease prevention.
Invest in homes
Remote and discrete communities will have the opportunity to reinvest repairs and maintenance savings into locally identified housing priorities.
By using an incentive-based approach, we can demonstrate how shifting behaviours to take better care of homes will create real benefits for communities.
Strengthening local capacity
Remote and discrete communities face significant challenges with having access to the tools and knowledge they need to undertake their own repairs and maintenance. There is an opportunity to grow local skills and capacity by providing the necessary mechanisms home owners and tenants need to undertake this work themselves.
By establishing community tool lending libraries in up to three remote and discrete communities, home owners and tenants will be able to undertake everyday repairs and maintenance.
The community toolbox approach will be supported by maintenance demonstrations and locally available hardware supplies.
Delivering differently
Planning and development of works programs for the delivery of new and upgraded social and affordable housing will occur in collaboration with communities.
Through existing works programs in discrete and remote communities, and across the state under the Housing Construction Jobs Program, there will be a stronger focus on local planning. That includes engaging local community representatives in making recommendations for allocating funds.
Communities will have greater opportunity to experience the benefits, including opportunities for employment, training and business development.
A new way of working
A working group of Mayors has come together to inform decision making on how the Queensland Government’s $40 million capital program will be delivered.
Person-centred responses
Improved housing assistance
Providing culturally-responsive services and housing support to respond to individual needs, wherever people are along the housing continuum.
$15.8m person-centred
•	$2.3 million to strengthen support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to access and sustain housing, including more support for home ownership.
•	$5 million to expand employment, education and training opportunities.
•	$8.5 million to strengthen assistance for people at risk of or experiencing  homelessness.
A housing service guarantee
The Queensland Government is committed to delivering an extended service offer to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders seeking housing assistance.
Housing is foundational to creating thriving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and to closing the gap on social and economic outcomes.
By delivering culturally-responsive pathway planning, and strengthening case coordination, we can connect people to the support they need to improve their housing and wellbeing outcomes. This is particularly important for women and children escaping domestic and family violence.
That includes enhancing the service offer for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, including through providing priority access to social housing for people experiencing multiple barriers to sustainable housing in the private market.
This approach is supported by transforming and strengthening housing service delivery to provide culturally appropriate and coordinated assessment in response to peoples’ needs.
Recognising cultural need
An improved service offering recognises that cultural requirements impact on housing and that stable housing is foundational to social and economic wellbeing.
Housing services will be strengthened by ensuring that social housing policies recognise cultural responsibilities and prioritise the opportunity for longer term social housing tenancies and tenancy transfers where they support housing tenure.
“I’ve been the family matriarch since my mum passed away. So, my responsibility is my extended family - that they have shelter and a home that’s always there for them. If someone is having problems with their other house, then they know where they can come to.” 
Nancy, shared housing arrangement, Brisbane
Community connections to housing
A new Elders support service, delivered in an urban area, will strengthen community connections to 
Sustaining tenancies
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tenants typically experience lower housing security than non-Indigenous households.
There are a range of issues that can contribute to tenancy instability, such as discrimination; failure to understand cultural, kinship and family structures; and access to appropriate support.
Establishing a stable tenancy helps renters by creating a consistent rental history, providing security and contributing to the confidence they need to access employment, training and education opportunities.
Extra support for new social housing tenants can build positive tenancy habits. This will include access to financial literacy, budgeting and literacy skills courses to help tenants understand their rights and responsibilities, and early intervention services to prevent problems before they escalate.
Cultural awareness will be supported in the private rental market to ensure tenants are given fair and equitable treatment.
Pathways to home ownership
For a range of historic, economic, structural and family reasons, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have lower levels of home ownership than other Queenslanders.
Home ownership is a more secure form of housing than renting. It offers a greater level of control over one’s environment and supports economic advancement. Low levels of home ownership means that the majority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander households are more reliant on renting.
Home ownership opportunities will be enhanced through a range of programs to build independence and provide information, education and support, including exploring a ‘Good Renter’s discount’ to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander public housing tenants buy their homes.
Delivering home ownership ‘roadshows’ will also provide pathways, referrals and tailored support to improve home ownership outcomes.
A home of your own
75 social housing properties have been transferred or sold into private home ownership in remote and discrete communities since 2014.
“We’re about to embark on building our own home. When it’s built, it will be a dream come true for all of us.”
Mariah and Fatu at their Brisbane rental, with children Le’Riah and Moses.
Strengthened support for vulnerable people
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders are over-represented in the homeless population and as users of specialist homelessness services.
Drawing together leading expertise and key community, government and non- government partners, there will be an opportunity to review and redesign a whole-of-system approach to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander homelessness, with a focus on Cairns and Mount Isa.
This approach will strengthen responses to vulnerable people across the health, safety and criminal justice domains.
Partnerships with the real estate sector, peak agencies and key groups will facilitate inclusive, fair and equitable housing responses, and actions to support vulnerable tenants such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability.
Joined up support will provide housing stability and social inclusion for vulnerable people who are over- represented in the criminal justice system. That includes stable housing and culturally sensitive tenancy management, and other wrap-around support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men exiting the criminal justice system in a regional centre.
Families, children and young people
Domestic and family violence is a significant contributor to homelessness. The Action Plan affirms our commitment to work with families at risk of and experiencing domestic and family violence to support stable housing outcomes.
Through the Queensland Housing Strategy 2017-2027, we are delivering improved support for women and children experiencing or at risk of domestic and family violence, families with children in contact with the child safety system, young people exiting care, and other vulnerable groups.
Housing hubs
Housing and homelessness hubs will be located in Logan, Moreton Bay, Cairns and Townsville to deliver housing services to local communities. A hub is already operating in Toowoomba.
Through co-design with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, communities, and organisations, these hubs will become culturally-responsive spaces providing coordinated assessment and response to housing and other support needs.
Delivering jobs, education and training
Having safe, secure and sustainable housing is a key foundation to undertaking employment, education and training opportunities. These opportunities provide the springboard to a better life and enable home ownership and economic independence.
Through a focused investment in housing services, there is greater opportunity to deliver more opportunities and benefits to communities.
By providing pathways to access stable housing, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples will have the security and confidence they need to thrive, prosper and plan for the future.
This includes working with the community housing sector to provide supported transitional housing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experiencing housing-related barriers to education, training and employment.
Driving economic growth
Education, training and employment provide the springboard to a better life, and enable home ownership, economic independence, and support improved health and wellbeing.
Communities will benefit from the delivery of social housing construction programs through increased local jobs, training and business opportunities.
Local jobs and apprenticeships are key to driving regional economic growth. Through the construction and upgrade of social housing, job and training opportunities will be delivered to enhance long-term community capability.
Apprenticeships, and mentoring and coaching opportunities will be delivered through the Housing Constructions Jobs Program to help start careers that can transition to ongoing employment.
By developing and implementing a localised approach to procurement, local business, employment and training outcomes can be supported wherever possible.
Local housing plans will assist small businesses to take full advantage of these economic opportunities by connecting them to skills and training on how to work with government.
Jobs are opportunities
The Department of Housing and Public Works’ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Traineeship program will be expanded to support 64 school-based trainees (32 full-time and 32 part-time) over four years.
Trainees will gain experience in a range of policy, programs and service delivery areas, across the department, and undertake a nationally accredited Certificate. School-based participants’ qualifications will contribute towards their Queensland Certificate of Education.
“I always wanted to do a carpentry apprenticeship, and I’m proud that I’m where I want to be. It means a lot to me. If there is something that interests you, don’t give up. Strive for the best – you can get where you want to be and reach your goals.”
Babetha, school-based carpentry apprentice from Badu Island and resident at NRL Cowboys House Girls Campus, Townsville.
A stronger sector
A stronger, more sustainable and responsive housing sector
Building a strong, resilient and culturally-responsive housing sector to better support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders.
$7.5m stronger sector
•	$5.5 million to establish a housing body and strengthen the Indigenous housing sector.
•	$2 million to expand the Department of Housing and Public Works’ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander housing traineeship program.
Growing a stronger sector
The Queensland Government is committed to working in partnership with Indigenous Community Housing Organisations, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Councils and Indigenous homelessness providers to deliver valuable services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples throughout Queensland.
By working with the sector to harness the strengths, knowledge and rich cultural traditions of the world’s oldest living cultures, quality, culturally-responsive housing services can be delivered for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders in need.
That includes establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander housing body to support Indigenous Community Housing Organisations and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Councils to improve housing outcomes in urban, regional, remote and discrete communities.
The housing body is expected to play a key role in strengthening the sector and supporting sustainability of registered and unregistered organisations through workforce development, organisational capability building, and strengthening registration and reporting.
Strengthening the private housing sector
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people face barriers in the private rental market, including discrimination. Many First Nations peoples experience housing circumstances that are more precarious and less stable and secure than non-Indigenous people.
By working closely with the real estate sector, peak agencies and advocacy groups, more inclusive housing responses can be facilitated to support vulnerable tenants such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with a disability.
Building cultural capability in the sector will help ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people receive fair and equitable treatment to secure and sustain tenancies, as well as opportunities for employment.
For more information
W: qld.gov.au/betterhousingfutures
P: 13 QGOV (13 74 68)
E: housingstrategy@hpw.qld.gov.au
T: #BetterHousingFutures