Providing housing for our people is at the heart of NSWALC’s Strategic Plan. It recognises that there are numerous challenges that Aboriginal people face when it comes to achieving housing security in NSW.
In 2017, it was identified that there was a shortfall of over 24,000 social and affordable dwellings for Aboriginal people in NSW that is forecast to rise to 65,000 dwellings by 2031. Homelessness and housing insecurity can negatively impact health and educational outcomes not only for individuals but communities as well.
Our goal is to reduce the current fragmentation across the Aboriginal community housing sector and support the sector to achieve greater scale and impact. Service provision by Aboriginal organisations strengthens self-determination and Aboriginal organisations are better at delivering culturally appropriate services.
NSWALC is helping LALCs and their communities address these housing issues by:
- Providing strategic vision and leadership as outlined in the NSWALC Housing Strategy
- Supporting LALCs in the provision of residential accommodation to their members under the Community Benefits Scheme (Residential Accommodation) or CBS(RA) policy
- Establishing Birribee Housing in 2019 with strong growth targets so it can make a substantial contribution to the development of new and improved housing for our people
- Researching opportunities and providing advice on Home Ownership models for Aboriginal people in NSW that recognise the needs and financial capabilities of different communities
- Delivering projects that expand the opportunities for Aboriginal people to participate in delivering services across the full spectrum of housing need, and in the management and governance of social and affordable housing in NSW
NSWALC remains committed to a sustainable, Aboriginal controlled housing sector in NSW that meets the current and future needs of our people.