The government’s new housing strategy will provide some rent reprieve to priority workers

Territory workers will be given a discount on rising rents after the government released hundreds of new homes under a housing strategy. Find out if you are eligible.

Territory renters have been handed a slight reprieve as the next phase of the government’s Community Housing Growth Strategy is rolled out.

On Thursday, 320 dwellings were transferred from the NT Government to Venture Housing to reduce rent for priority workers on low to middle incomes.

The properties are leased from landlords and homeowners and rented at 70 per cent of the market rate to professional workers in key areas.

In June 2022, Darwin’s rental prices increased 4 per cent for the quarter and currently Territory landlords are not subject to rental cap increases, as in other states.

“We are experts in delivering housing for key workers and people on moderate incomes that are essential to the economic viability of the Northern Territory,” Venture Housing chief executive Karen Walsh said.

“We actually deliver housing services and solutions to achieve outcomes for the people that are living in our homes, and also, to enable them to achieve their aspirations, to give them a foot in the door, and to move on to the private rental sector or to homeownership.”

Venture Housing Karen Walsh with Housing Minister Selena Uibo at the new low income residential homes in Fannie Bay. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson

Ms Walsh said profits from the rents would be reinvested in Venture Housing’s charitable organisation.

“We run a very tight ship - any surpluses that we make on any of our business goes back into our charitable purpose, which is about delivering homes to Territorians in need,” Ms Walsh said.

“So over the last 10 years, we’ve increased our portfolio by over 20 new builds and we’ve also got a pipeline of about 44 underway.”

While Housing Minister Selena Uibo announced the new affordable housing for the Northern Territory, the Community Housing Growth Strategy 22-32 also committed to delivering more than 2000 public housing properties.

According to the government’s own data, there were 3079 general applications for public housing as of June 30, an increase of 57 since the strategy was announced in April.

Families are still averaging six to eight years for public housing, including those on priority lists.