MEDIA RELEASE
Tuesday 5 August 2025

This Homelessness Week, funding boost brings fresh momentum to tackling homelessness in the NT.

This Homelessness Week (August 4-10), the Northern Territory is taking a significant step forward with a major boost in funding for frontline specialist homelessness services.

This long-awaited injection of resources from the National Agreement on Social Housing and Homelessness, announced last year, will allow services to expand their reach, increase their capacity, and add new, much-needed services into the system.

NT Shelter CEO, Annie Taylor, welcomed the boost in frontline services. “This is what the sector has been calling for; more resources to meet the rising demand. It’s a major step in the right direction and we congratulate the Northern Territory and Federal Governments for their work to ensure this funding goes to where it’s needed most.”

The Northern Territory continues to face the highest rate of homelessness in the country, more than 12 times the national average. Young people aged under 25, Aboriginal Territorians, and those fleeing domestic family violence are disproportionately impacted. The increased investment will support the delivery of over 70 programs focused on preventing and responding to homelessness, backed by a newly launched Northern Territory Homelessness Strategy.

Ms Taylor emphasised that whilst the Territory is heading in the right direction, more housing is needed to prevent homelessness from occurring and ensure that people exiting homelessness have an appropriate, accessible and affordable home.

“You can’t end homelessness without sufficient homes. While it’s promising to see homes going up in remote NT, our urban centres are lagging behind construction targets. We are not building enough homes to meet demand and this means growing social housing waitlists and families leaving the NT because it’s unaffordable to rent.”

The Territory and Commonwealth Governments have committed to deliver 1,200 well-located homes in the NT by 2029 through the Housing Australia Future Fund. To date, just 162 of those homes have been funded under the first two funding rounds.

“We need to make sure the NT gets its fair share. Round two of the Housing Australia Future Fund was allocated on population, not need. The NT’s housing need is the highest in the country and we need to bring housing online rapidly to meet that extraordinary need.”

Ms Taylor also underscored the broader community benefits of investing in good social housing:

“Building high-quality social and affordable housing will make our neighbourhoods better places for all of us, no matter how much we earn. Well-designed and supported social housing is a way to make our communities somewhere people can thrive, not just survive.”

Homelessness Week events are occurring across the Northern Territory. A number of cafes will also be participating in the CafeSmart initiative, where $1 from every coffee purchased on Friday 8 August will be donated to a local charity. Find out more here: https://streetsmartaustralia.org/cafesmart/.

Community Link Up Wednesday 6 August 2025 8:30-10:30am Casuarina Library
Outdoor Community Screening – Under Cover Thursday 7 August 2025 6:30-8:30pm Uniting Church Lawns, Todd Mall
Homelessness Week Fair Day Friday 8 August 2025 9:00am-1:00pm ASTC Chamber Lawns
Salvos Katherine Hub Sausage Sizzle Friday 8 August 2025 12:00-1:00pm 22 Railway Terrace

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Media contact: Annie Taylor (08) 8985 4389