A framework for the future of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander housing in Australia

This is the third and final report arising from the AHURI-funded Inquiry into developing a long-term governance and resource framework for sustainable and effective Indigenous housing. The research uses the term ‘Indigenous’ when referring to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The report provides an overview of the Inquiry and its findings; a vision for the future of Indigenous housing; recommendations for a National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Housing Strategy framework; and a pathway to system reform.

Key findings

The Inquiry’s first report, released February 2025, established that Indigenous people had the highest levels of unmet housing need.

It showed around 45,700 low-income Indigenous households had unmet housing needs in 2021 – equivalent to one in every eight Indigenous households or roughly double the rate of all Australian households.

This figure was projected to rise by 26,400 households over 20 years, driven by unaffordable rents, overcrowding, and inadequate housing.

The second report, released alongside the final report, examined how the Indigenous housing system was structured, operated and funded, and explored housing tenure choices for Indigenous people.

A comprehensive national analysis revealed a fragmented Indigenous housing system where accountability was lacking, governance arrangements were complex and poorly coordinated and efforts at reform had fallen short.