Housing

Regardless of your age, gender or race, everyone has a right to housing and shelter.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience considerable disadvantage in accessing adequate housing.

Housing conditions of Indigenous people remain well below those of the general population. While Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up only 2% of Australia’s population, they represent 9% of the total homeless population and 19% of people in improvised housing.

This is especially so in rural and isolated areas where housing and infrastructure support are major contributing factors to the poor health of Indigenous people, particularly children. Houses are typically overcrowded and lacking in basic amenities, such as adequate sewerage and access to fresh water.

The right to housing was first recognised in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) (Article 25). The UDHR provides everyone has a right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of themselves and their family.

The right to housing is also recognised in:

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) (Article 11)

UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (Article 21)

Convention on the Rights of the Child (Article 27)

International Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Racial Discrimination (Article 5 (e)(iii))

Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women. (Article 14 (2)(h))

Please click for more information on:

What is the right to housing and shelter?

How is the right to housing protected in Australia?

UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Housing

CESCR General Comment 4 on the right to housing

UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing