In what is shaping up as a massive year for national housing and homelessness reform, there has never been a more important time for the Northern Territory Government to step up to the plate and secure needs-based funding for the Territory, says NT Shelter.

With the Commonwealth Government’s key social and affordable housing legislation before the Senate and an expected overhaul of the National Housing and Homelessness Plan, there is much at stake for the Northern Territory in terms of direct investment by the Commonwealth Government in social and affordable housing as well as a rethink on the way in which funding to State and Territory Governments is allocated.

“We have the support of the Northern Territory Government for needs-based funding for essential front-line homelessness services and from other quarters such as the Productivity Commission and a recent Parliamentary Inquiry into Homelessness,” said Peter McMillan, NT Shelter CEO.

“Population-based funding has been a disaster for the Northern Territory and it is essential that any new agreement to which the Northern Territory Government is signatory to rectify this and delivers the NT a fair share of national funding.”

McMillan highlighted that while NT Shelter had the Commonwealth Government in its sights regarding priority action on Northern Territory housing and homelessness, the NT Government was by no means off the hook and had to step up its efforts and funding for much-needed housing, short-stay accommodation and support services.

Key areas of attention that NT Shelter are seeking from the Northern Territory Government include a coherent supply and demand plan for social and affordable housing over the Budget’s forward estimates, clear policy positions for zoning and future residential construction with a minimum of 25% of housing lots set aside for social and affordable housing, and contemporary, modernized and progressive legislation for renters.

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“While other jurisdictions have been getting on with the job of modernizing the laws that govern the relationship between landlords and tenants, the Northern Territory Government has been dragging the chain with nothing to show on rental reform despite commitments to a comprehensive review of tenancy laws five years ago. The NT Government has some serious catching up to do”, McMillan added.

McMillan added that recent discussions at National Cabinet had firmly put the spotlight on residential tenancy legislation with consideration being given to the frequency and size of rent increases. He welcomed the attention that National Housing Ministers would finally be giving to this issue given the current rental crisis in the Northern Territory and the rest of Australia.

NT Shelter is also calling for the restoration of NT Government funding for specialist homelessness services in real terms, underwriting National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) entitlements to save 890 affordable rentals from being lost in the Territory, a strengthened assertive outreach response, and the delivery of short-stay accommodation for Katherine and Alice Springs.

“Fixing our broken housing system is going to take time and we can’t expect miracles overnight. But we do expect the NT Government to move from low gear into high gear in a number of areas that aren’t fiscally prohibitive, deliver modest but sensible reform for struggling renters, and ensure that no one misses out on housing as we look to grow our population towards 2030”, he said.

A full copy of NT Shelter’s Pre-Budget Submission to the Northern Territory Government 2023-24 is available on the NT Shelter website.