Indigenous Australians are more likely to rent than to own their
homes, and they are more likely to be homeless and to live in
overcrowded conditions than non-Indigenous Australians, according
to a report released today by the Australian Institute of Health
and Welfare (AIHW).
Indigenous Housing Needs 2005, a Multi-measure Needs
Model assesses five aspects of Indigenous housing:
homelessness, overcrowding, affordability, dwelling condition and
connection to essential services.
The report shows that in 2001 just under 2% of Indigenous
Australians (7,500 to 10,500 people) were considered homeless.
The rate of homelessness was 18 per 1,000 - 3.5 times as high as
for non-Indigenous people and the pattern of homelessness also
differed from that of non-Indigenous Australians.
'Well over a third (35%) of homeless Indigenous people have no
conventional accommodation in contrast to 13% of non-Indigenous
people,' said report author, Dr Fadwa Al-Yaman, Head of the AIHW's
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Welfare Unit.
The report also found that a higher proportion of Indigenous
households just under (10%) were overcrowded, with the rate of
overcrowding among Indigenous people 953 per 10,000 households -
six times the rate of overcrowding among non-Indigenous people.
'Overcrowding is a serious issue and, coupled with poor dwelling
condition and lack of connection to essential services, can
contribute to the spread of infectious diseases.
'We found that in 2001, 27% of dwellings (5,814 of 21,287) were
in need of major repair or replacement. Some of these dwellings
were not connected to essential services - 147 were not connected
to water, 257 were not connected to electricity, and 301 were not
connected to sewerage,' Dr Al-Yaman said.
About two-thirds of Indigenous households rented (66%), with 25%
renting privately and 38% renting public or community housing.
Only 30% of Indigenous households in 2002 owned or were buying
their own home - with two-thirds of these having a mortgage.
Insecurity of tenure was found to be a problem for people living
in caravan parks and in the private rental market. It is estimated
that over 1,700 people lived in caravan parks and nearly 126,000
people (40,700 households) in the private rental market.
Data from the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Social Survey show that 38% of those renting privately had lived in
two dwellings in the previous 12 months, and 15% had lived in three
dwellings or more in that time. Similarly, Census data show that
45% of Indigenous private rental households had moved in the last
year.
'Because the Indigenous population has a generally younger age
profile and a higher fertility rate, the population is projected to
increase, and demand on housing and associated infrastructures is
likely to increase,' Dr Al-Yaman said.
25 October 2005
Further information: Dr Fadwa Al-Yaman, AIHW,
tel. 02 6244 1146, or mob. 0407 068 033
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, AIHW, tel 61 2 6244 1032.
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue for availability of Indigenous Housing Needs
2005, a Multi-measure Needs Model