"Indigenous people trash their houses"
One of the most prevalent media images of Indigenous communities shows dilapidated, poorly maintained houses. Unfortunately, this is a reality, but it has given rise to the myth that Indigenous people purposely trash their own homes.
Data collected over a long period by healthabitat shows the majority of all repair works (70%) to houses in Indigenous communities are needed because of lack of routine maintenance of public housing by government - less than 3% arose because of vandalism, intentional damage or misuse.24 Other major causes include the chronic shortage of housing and lack of consultation with communities about their needs.25
The high cost of maintenance in remote areas and the harsh climates in which homes are built are also contributing factors.
LINKS
- Housing tenure and Indigenous Australians in remote and settled areas
A study by Will Sanders, Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research at the Australian National University.
24 Paul Pholeros. ‘Housing for Health, Or Designing to get Water in and Shit out’ in Paul Memmott (ed.) Take2: Housing and Design in Indigenous Australia.
25 Indigenous Housing: Findings of the review of the Community Housing and Infrastructure Programme (CHIP review). p. 20