Strategic Indigenous Housing Infrastructure Program
Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Program (SIHIP)
SIHIP Profile
The SIHIP is a jointly funded program of the Northern Territory and Australian Governments to address, in-part, the disadvantage Indigenous Territorians suffer in regard to condition and availability of appropriate housing and accommodation in remote communities across the Territory.
The SIHIP is currently set to deliver $647 million of new and upgraded serviced land and related infrastructure and new and upgraded housing in remote communities across the NT over the next 5 years.
The program has a diverse set of objectives that will improve Indigenous communities with better housing and related infrastructure, employment and training outcomes along with Indigenous participation in both program development and delivery.
Indigenous Housing in the Northern Territory
Indigenous people make up almost 30% of the Northern Territory’s population compared to just over 2% nationally. Of these people, over 70% live in remote or rural areas, from large communities such as Wadeye, with a population over 2,300, to small outstations with a population of only four or five. Housing conditions and designs also vary from newly constructed three and four bedroom dwellings to makeshift shelters such as tin sheds. There is little doubt about the important role that housing plays in the wellbeing of people and that substandard housing can lead to social, emotional and physical problems.
The Australian Government (AG) and NTG recognise the increasing problems faced by Indigenous people in sourcing appropriate housing and have significantly increased their efforts to address the problems. In April 2005, the AG and NTG signed an Overarching Agreement on Indigenous Affairs which set the framework for more specific bilateral agreements to be negotiated.
One of the first bilateral agreements to come out of this process was the Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Agreement 2005-2008, signed in December 2005. This agreement provided for the pooling of NTG and AG funds and programs, and delivery of these programs by the NTG, specifically the integration of the NT Housing component of the National Aboriginal Health Strategy (NAHS) into the Northern Territory Indigenous Housing Program (NTIHP).
This arrangement resulted in reducing administration costs and improved efficiencies of Indigenous housing program administration, leaving savings to be devoted to improving housing outcomes. Under these new pooled arrangements and through the NTIHP, the Government aims to increase the access for Indigenous people to affordable and appropriate housing, improve management of housing in Indigenous communities and promote employment and training for Indigenous people in housing management and construction.
In September 2007 a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the AG and the NTG to deliver the SIHIP under an Alliance Contracting methodology utilising the current Organisational Framework. A Joint Steering Committee has been established by the two funding bodies that will oversee the governance of the program and act as representatives of the respective clients.