Reimagining Indigenous Housing, Health and Wealth: The Necessary Ecological Response to Unlock the Potential in the Indigenous Estate

Karabena Consulting was subcontracted by PricewaterhouseCoopers’ (PwC) Indigenous Consulting, with funding coming from Shelter WA.

Who funded the project

 

Karabena Consulting was contracted to assist in the facilitation of consultations and the development of a report to reimagine Indigenous Housing, Health and Wealth.


Karabena Consulting and PwC’s Indigenous Consulting undertook a number of face-to-face and telephone interviews with key stakeholders around Australia. We also facilitated a workshop at the National Housing Conference in Darwin in 2020.

After months of consultation, we developed an ecological approach to realising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians’ aspirations for a high standard of health and housing, and of personal and collective wealth. In doing so, the project concluded that improvements in these areas – health, housing and wealth – can be powerful agents of population-level betterment, and that they are inextricably part of a larger ecology.

Summary

 

The aim of this project was to identify possible solutions to address the issue of housing affordability, sub-quality housing and homelessness, and the associated impacts on health and wellbeing in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Project aims

 

Overall, the project used methodologies inclusive of First Nations research leadership, narrative practices, cultural protection and data sovereignty strategies.

The project was managed by a project steering committee including State-based, national and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander housing corporations and advocacy groups.

A mixed methods approach was taken to data collection, with semi-structured interviews conducted both via telephone and face-to-face. The literature review was based on desktop research.

Shane Hamilton (PwC) and Kerry Arabena jointly facilitated an experts’ workshop in Darwin with representatives from various agencies involved in the Indigenous housing sector.

Methodologies

 

Final Report
Summary Report
Social Media
Presentation at the 2020 National Housing Conference, Darwin
Experts’ Workshop, 2020 National Housing Conference, Darwin

Outputs

 

The final report was launched at the National Housing Conference, with recommendations endorsed by major national housing agencies. It has also been presented to NACCHO and national health, wealth and housing agencies.

The report has been presented in Parliament by representatives of National Shelter, Shelter WA and the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI). National Shelter has also made a policy response to the report.

Project outcomes

 

Public response

 

Indigenous Housing; Indigenous Estate; assets; wealth; tangible assets; intangible assets; cultural and intellectual property; households; overcrowding; poor quality housing; collective wellbeing; ecological sustainability; investment; infrastructure; equity

Keywords

Kerry Arabena