NT News

Journalist: (A)Manda Parkinson.

PUBLIC housing waitlists may reduce under the Territory government’s new 10-year plan.

According to the government’s own data, there were 3022 applications for public housing as of December 2021, with some families averaging six to eight years for a home, including those on priority lists.

However, under the Northern Territory Community Housing Growth Strategy 22-32, more than 2000 public housing properties will be given to housing providers across the Territory.

The government is calling for immediate expressions of interest from community organisations for the management of 500 new homes in Darwin and Palmerston. They have also committed to release an extra 250 properties in Alice Springs and Greater Darwin into the 2023/24 financial year.

The public housing strategy will include $22.3m for the next two financial years, but no further funding details.

Urban Housing Minister Kate Worden said the strategy had included 18 months of consultation with the community housing sector.

“We’ve been working with the sector (on the strategy) … well before my time so this has been coming for a while, the sector’s been patient,” she said.

Under previous agreements public housing has been predominantly managed by the Northern Territory government but the new agreement will see a major shift to community based organisations.

NT Shelter chief executive Peter McMillan said it was an important “transformation”.

“It’s an important transformation in the way housing is done in the NT with up to 40 per cent over the next five years being managed by registered community housing providers,” Mr McMillan said, adding the sector was working to upskill providers in preparation for the rising volume.

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