In September 2009, World Vision launched the Mapoon Home Ownership Project in Cape York with a visit by the Deputy General Manager of Indigenous Business Australia, Kaely Woods, and CEO of World Vision, Tim Costello. The visit included a tour of the community, storytelling by Mapoon elders, and visits to a number of households with prospective home owners.

The Mapoon Home Ownership Project is supporting prospective home owners, the local council, traditional owners and trustees of the land to navigate their way through the complex legal, regulatory and financial processes involved in home ownership on Indigenous lands.

For many families living on communally-owned Indigenous land, the dream of owning their own home has long been out of reach. Land title in Mapoon is communally held; community members tend to live in “social housing” owned by the government. This project aims to facilitate the creation of private, individual title to land to enable families to take out a home loan and buy or build a home.

The national level of home ownership is 69% among all Australians and 34% among Indigenous Australians, but the option is currently limited to urban areas with freehold title.

Home ownership provides key benefits: it’s a source of security, pride, fiscal discipline and, over time, inter-generational wealth. Costello believes that “there is a strong link between housing and wellbeing. Home ownership is linked to education and getting and keeping a steady job. It underpins participation in the Australian economy.”

The history of settlement in Mapoon is complex. In 1963, the Queensland Government closed the existing Presbyterian Mission and relocated residents to New Mapoon and other settlements. Local police removed a small party of people refusing to vacate and some houses were burnt down.

This incident has become well known as a watershed political event in the Indigenous history of Queensland. A successful re-occupation in the 1970’s saw Mapoon spring back to life and grow again. Today, residents are eager to re-establish their roots in the community and have the option of buying their own home.  

Indigenous Business Australia has introduced a banking product to help residents access the financial resources they need, but affordability of the purchase prices of houses and creating a system that can issue secure home ownership leases have been major challenges.

World Vision will continue to advocate for an affordable and sustainable homeownership scheme in Mapoon and is working with land administration and housing experts, governments, and local residents to come up with an approach that will make this community’s dream of home ownership a reality.
 
To learn more about the Mapoon Home Ownership Project click here

To read Sandra’s story click here