Housing initiatives and strategies

If you are currently, working and living in the Northern Territory the Affordable Housing Scheme provides rental options for those in key service industries.

For more information and to find out if you are eligible to apply, go to Northern Territory Government website.

For renters

There are a number of initiatives open to people renting in the NT.

Head-leasing initiative

This program provides NT Government backed head leases over privately owned dwellings, which are then rented to key service industry workers at 30% below market rates.

More information about the head-leasing initiative, including criteria can be found on the Northern Territory Government website.

National Rental Affordability Scheme

Provides affordable rentals to eligible low income earners at no more than 80% of market rates.

Venture Housing Company

Provides affordable rental housing for low to moderate income earners in the Territory who are unable to afford private rents and may not qualify for public housing.

For buyers

The NT Government is encouraging home ownership through initiatives, such as the:

Home Buyers Initiative

Provides opportunities for eligible NT residents to purchase their own land at affordable price points.

HomeBuild Access

Provides low deposit and low interest loans, targeted at new dwellings, eligible to NT residents.

Find out more about HomeBuild Access initiatives.

To keep houses safe, it is important that they are maintained and repaired as quickly as possible, when required.

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Community Development is currently responsible for repairs and maintenance of remote public housing.

The department has engaged contractors to deliver tenancy management, and repairs and maintenance services, in remote communities. For minor repairs and maintenance items that do not need a qualified tradesman such as a plumber or electrician, there are currently housing maintenance officers.

Housing inspections are conducted each year by tenancy contractors, repairs and maintenance contractors and the department.

From 1 July 2021, the former Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics will be undertaking Housing Maintenance Services on behalf of the Department of Territory Families, Housing and Communities.

A new Housing Maintenance Services model will be phased in following the transition, which will include a dedicated contractor for a community, or cluster of communities, who will allocate the works accordingly.  It is important to note that staff will not be required to relocate under the arrangements.

You will be advised before any changes are made to the way you report any repairs and maintenance issues.

You can continue reporting repairs and maintenance issues to your local housing maintenance officer or the local community housing officer. Alternatively you can contact the Department of Housing, Local Government and Community Development.

If something breaks or stops working you should report it straight away.

Some things will be fixed more quickly than others. Things that are dangerous will be repaired as a priority such as:

• blocked toilets, blocked drains, or sewage leaks
• leaking water mains and pipes
• exposed electrical wires
• gas leaks.

You should also report things like:

• dripping taps or taps that are tight to turn
• stove elements that are not working
• fans that are not working properly
• power points that are not working.

The sooner you report the item to your housing officer, the sooner it can be fixed.

You can read about repairs and maintenance, on the Northern Territory Government website.

Learn more about the National Partnership on Remote Housing.

Public housing tenants who take pride in their house and yard are being rewarded for their efforts.

Formerly known as the Public Housing Garden Competition, the Pride in your Place awards are open to all public housing tenants in urban and remote areas of the Northern Territory.

Tenants are eligible to win a monthly prize of a $200 gift voucher and a certificate signed by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Community Development.

The monthly awards are designed to recognise and thank tenants who look after home and garden and maintain their property.

Tenants can be nominated any time during the year by a staff member from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Community Development.

So whether a tenant has a sparkling clean kitchen, their fruit trees are at their best in the wet, or their pot plants are in top shape in the dry - any public housing tenant is in with a chance to be one of our monthly winners.

To find out more, contact your local housing tenancy officer.

Past winners

2025

• December - Linda Margaret Rendell, Majidah Hitam & Rhonda Yunupingu
• June - Kelly Bryant
• May – Delaine Cutta
• April – Constantine Mamarika & Gina Wurrawilya
• March – Camron Rankine & Lorraine Bathern

2023

• October - Kaylene Dinnie
• September - Mahaya Penny
• August - Jean (Val) Doyle
• July - Elizabeth & Bridget Mamarika
• June - Kunbry PeiPei
• May - Kathy Marrawungu
• April - Fay Burke
• March - Beryl Gleeson
• February - Roger Battison
• January - Alec Wilson

The Social Housing Energy Performance Initiative (SHEPI) is a nationwide Commonwealth Government program managed by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

The Northern Territory (NT) SHEPI is administered by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Community Development.

The program delivers housing upgrades to better equip remote and urban public housing properties to withstand changing environmental conditions. The current improvements may also contribute to a reduction in energy bills. For example, through more energy efficient cooling and heating options.

The 3 core objectives of the SHEPI are to reduce energy consumption, reduce energy bills, and improve thermal comfort for tenants and residents.

The target cohort for the current NT SHEPI rollout is occupants residing in remote and urban public housing properties, with a focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are disproportionality disadvantaged by climate change and extreme temperatures. The upgrades aim to improve the liveability of these dwellings.

The program leverages Commonwealth investment in partnership with the NT Government to support energy system reliability and contributes to Australia’s emission reduction targets through reduced power consumption.