Experiences of home ownership in a remote Indigenous community

Abstract

In 2007, the Australian government introduced a program to encourage the uptake of home ownership in communities on Indigenous land. At the time the only community to take up the option was Wurrumiyanga on the Tiwi Islands in the Northern Territory. There have as a result been 16 grants of home ownership in the community and a further grant at a nearby outstation. This paper reports on the experience of homeowners under the program. That experience has been mixed. Participants identified a range of positive features, such as greater authority and control, but also a range of challenges and in some cases significant hardship. The experience of Wurrumiyanga demonstrates that remote home ownership is different to other contexts and that ongoing support is required. A key motivation for participants entering into home ownership was the hope that it would provide an opportunity to build wealth for themselves and their family. This occurs against a backdrop of considerable poverty and few accessible options for investment. There are, however, reasons to be concerned about the long-term financial impact of remote home ownership and its ability to perform this function of accumulating and transmitting wealth. There is a risk under current policy settings that participants will instead suffer financial loss. Where home ownership is offered in other remote communities, participants require clear advice on the policy framework and long-term prospects.