We are growing into this work
AHNT is young, learning and growing. We are determined to keep our founders’ vision in mind, and to embody the values we have embraced. Our first steps are to:
- gain and maintain a good view of the current Aboriginal housing and homelands sector
- understand the policy landscape and reform agendas of governments and land councils so we can work together respectfully and productively
- clearly define the concepts we are all using – see the glossary
- encourage ourselves and our partners to take risks, to innovate and adapt
- put in place ways to monitor and evaluate our work so we know what is and isn’t working.
Our role
As a peak body we have several overlapping duties.

Support the members
We do this through:
- general (members’) meetings
- small grants
- engagement work to gather data and provide support
- our annual conference on housing and homelands
- capacity-building workshops
- tools and resources
- projects such as investigating the appetite for self-build housing

Advocate for the sector and urge good policy
We do this by:
- researching and writing policies
- lobbying and negotiating
- preparing submissions to inquiries
- conferring with counterparts
- keeping up with relevant media and research
- producing media releases
- talking up Aboriginal homelands

Raise awareness and deepen understanding of Aboriginal housing in the Territory
We do this through:
- newsletters, emailers
- annual conference
- media releases
- media interviews
- social media
- website
Our approach
The Aboriginal housing sector is connected to various aspects of Aboriginal people’s lives: health, education and training, employment, livelihoods, country. As we do our work, we strive to keep in mind the whole system and how we can improve it. Fundamentally, our success will depend on the quality of our relationships with everyone involved.
Monitoring and evaluating
As a small agency, AHNT has limited capacity to independently monitor and report on improvements to Aboriginal housing. We do have a small set of data our engagement officers have collected on the extent and condition of infrastructure and housing on homelands they visited in 2023, and we have aggregated that data to gain a sense of the big picture. It’s far from perfect but it gives us a baseline from which we can track changes over time.
To track improvements over time in Aboriginal housing – its availability, appropriateness and affordability – AHNT works in partnerships with NT Shelter and the land councils, and engages with research produced through agencies such as the Menzies School of Health Research, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research, and so on. We endeavour to keep abreast of relevant research, and to become and remain familiar with the ever-shifting evidence about the quantity and quality of Aboriginal housing. In that way, our work is well-informed, so we can set good priorities and remain true to our purpose.
Our Strategic Plan 2024–27 includes a set of measures for each of our targets, so we will monitor and evaluate our own progress as a peak body.