Communities and Justice

November 2025: Housing, Home and Health: Understanding Aboriginal social housing tenants’ experiences

Webinar

Missed the live webinar? A captioned recording will available to view in the coming days.

Details

Housing is an important social and cultural determinant of health. Aboriginal people thrive in good quality, stable housing that facilitates connection to Country, spirituality and culture, and is close to family, community, and culturally safe services. However, decreasing social housing stock and a complex housing provider system mean these priorities are not always met - impacting tenants’ wellbeing. In partnership with Dharawal and Bidjigal people connected to La Perouse in South-East Sydney, the Housing, Home and Health study sought to understand Aboriginal social housing tenants’ meanings of home, housing priorities and experiences living in mainstream (non-Aboriginal-community-controlled) social housing.

In this FACSIAR Lunch and Learn webinar, non-Aboriginal researcher Jacek Anderst from the Gunnu-maana (Heal) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Program, The George Institute for Global Health, UNSW shared findings from the Housing, Home and Health study. Jacek shared the views of Aboriginal social housing tenants in South-East Sydney, outlining their housing priorities and highlighting areas where lived experiences diverge from their housing needs, and offered practical recommendations for change.

Following Jacek's presentation, a panel of experts shared their perspectives on the research as well as their personal experiences, and discussed practical ways to better support Aboriginal social housing tenants.

The webinar was chaired by Dr Jessica Stewart, Executive Director, FACSIAR, Department of Communities and Justice.

Presentation

Housing, home and health: Understanding Aboriginal social housing tenants’ experiences

  • Jacek Anderst – Research Fellow, Guunu-maana (Heal) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Program, The George Institute for Global Health, UNSW

          Download Jacek Anderst's Presentation slides (PDF, 4.4 MB)

(For permission to use or reproduce content from these slides, please contact the author)

Panel members

  • Aunty Lola Ryan (Dharawal woman) - Aboriginal Health Worker, Child & Family Health Team, Community and Population Health, South East Sydney Local Health District

  • Rhianna Russell - A/Senior Program Officer, Aboriginal Strategy, Housing Strategy & Policy, HOMES NSW

  • Georgeina Clear - Manager, Aboriginal Housing Office Research & Analysis, HOMES NSW

  • Natalie Clark - Manager, Operational Policy & Rent Systems, Practice & Permanency, HOMES NSW

Additional resources

Publications from Jacek Anderst

Homes NSW resources

HOMES NSW Blak Vlog training Series:

For DCJ staff only        

DCJ email contact details

Services/referrals

Aboriginal Housing Office (AHO) resources

Contact

Email: ResearchPartnerships@dcj.nsw.gov.au


Copyright 2025 NSW Department of Communities and Justice

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