Aboriginal Rental Housing Program (ARHP)
The Aboriginal Rental Housing Program (ARHP) is funded through the Commonwealth State Housing Agreement (CSHA). It was introduced in 1979 to help with Indigenous housing needs.
Indigenous people have a significantly greater need for housing assistance than non-Indigenous people, with 21 per cent of Indigenous people experiencing homelessness or overcrowding. This compares with a figure of 3.6 per cent for non-Indigenous Australians.
Whilst there is significant housing need in both urban and rural and remote regions, ARHP funds are directed to rural and remote areas where there are no public or private housing markets. In these areas there are high levels of overcrowding and need for more housing and better quality housing.
Funding
$91 million is provided annually through the ARHP to state and territory governments to provide safe, healthy and sustainable housing specifically for Indigenous people.In the 2001 Budget, an extra $29 million was provided for ARHP for three years (2002-03 to 2004-05). The new funds are directed to states and territories who have the highest level of Indigenous housing need in rural and remote locations (Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia). The funding is to be mainly used for major upgrades of existing houses to ensure it is healthy and habitable and to train Indigenous community housing organisations to manage and maintain their stock.
How Do Funds Get Directed Into Areas of High Need?
A number of mechanisms have been developed to assist with the administration of ARHP funds. These are:- Indigenous Housing Agreements (IHAs);
- Annual Indigenous Housing Plans; and
- Annual Performance reports.
In 2003-04, the Australian Government will be working with state and territories to develop new IHAs which will reflect any changes that may occur as a result of the transfer of Indigenous specific funding to mainstream agencies.