Aboriginal residents fight Darwin housing closures

Residents and community advocates are campaigning against the Northern Territory Country Liberal Party (CLP) government’s decision to close the Yilli Short Stay Accommodation (YiSSA) in Darwin. YiSSA is an Aboriginal community-controlled facility providing low-cost housing for vulnerable populations, including individuals undergoing renal dialysis, families escaping domestic violence, and those experiencing homelessness.

The CLP government has declined to purchase the facility, despite a $3.5 million funding offer from the federal government to assist with the cost. Instead, the government intends to evict residents and relocate them to Batchelor, a location more than 100 kilometres from Darwin. Critics argue this relocation will disconnect residents from essential healthcare, schools, public transport, and employment opportunities.

The campaign group Justice Not Jails is calling for federal intervention to purchase the site. Advocates highlight that the Northern Territory faces a homelessness rate nearly 12 times the national average, and express concern that the loss of safe accommodation could lead to increased child removals under recent protection laws.