Alice Springs Mayor slams NT homelessness funding as ‘national embarrassment’

The Northern Territory has the most homeless residents the country but a major shortfall in federal funding is a concern for Territory leaders.

Alice Springs Mayor Matt Paterson says a funding shortage is preventing the town from addressing serious issues with homelessness.

Mr Paterson said the Northern Territory was receiving just a fraction of the amount given to other states from the Commonwealth government under the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement.

“It’s quite a national embarrassment to be frank, if you piece us with the rest of the country,” Mr Paterson said.

“I just can’t work out how this is happening in the current climate.”

According to the 2021 Census data, there were 13,104 homeless people in the Northern Territory.

This was significantly more than in Western Australia (9729), South Australia (7428), Tasmania (2350) and the ACT (1777).

Yet the NT receives far less funding from NHHA than each of these jurisdictions.

An analysis by NT Shelter shows the NT receives just $1486 per homeless person through the NHHA, compared to $27,522 in Western Australia.

Alice Springs mayor Matt Paterson. Picture: Laura Hooper.

“There’s 13,000 people who are homeless in the Northern Territory and we receive $20 million worth of funding, if you compare that with other jurisdictions, Western Australia for example, there’s less homeless people in Western Australia, yet they’re receiving $180 million of the pie,” Mr Paterson said.

A one-year extension of the NHHA funding agreement will expire on June 30 next year, with a new agreement to be negotiated.

Federal Housing Minister Julie Collins said the Albanese government was committed to making sure more Australians have a safe, affordable place to live.

“The number of Northern Territory residents who are facing housing challenges is unacceptable, including in Alice Springs,” she said.

“That’s why our government has a broad and ambitious housing agenda which will address these challenges.

“We have committed to a number of new initiatives including $111.7 million for a one-year partnership with the Northern Territory government to accelerate building of new remote housing, targeted at addressing the worst overcrowding.

“This is on top of $200 million from the returns from the Housing Australia Future Fund for the repair, maintenance and improvements of housing in remote Indigenous communities.

“We will continue to work closely with the Northern Territory government to ensure we are addressing housing challenges in Alice Springs.”

- Matt Cunningham is the Sky News Darwin bureau chief and Northern Australia correspondent.