Funders:    
  • Yilli Rreung Housing Aboriginal Corporation 
Collaborators:
  • Yilli Rreung Housing Aboriginal Corporation
  • Larrakia Nation Aboriginal Corporation 
Aims: 

This project aims to examine the drivers influencing rough sleeping in the Greater Darwin region. Commissioned by Yilli Rreung Housing Aboriginal Corporation and partnered with Larrakia Nation Aboriginal Corporation’s HEAL Team, the project is focused on the experiences of First Nations people rough sleeping in Greater Darwin, including their engagement with existing homelessness services.  

Background and Objectives: 

This research will examine the social, economic, and cultural drivers influencing rough sleeping, with a particular focus on the experiences of First Nations people. The Northern Territory has the highest rate of homelessness among Australian states and territories and Aboriginal people make up 87 per cent of the individuals recorded homeless in the NT. Reasons for this prevalence include a lack of access to suitable housing, systemic racism in the housing market, temporary mobility between urban and remote communities, and ongoing marginalisation grounded in settler colonialism. These factors contribute to high rates of rough sleeping.

The project aims to: 

Provide an overview of government policy and programs relating to homelessness in the NT 
Engage with people sleeping rough in the Darwin and Palmerston region regarding the drivers for homelessness and their interaction with existing services 
Inform government policy development and investment into homelessness services in the Northern Territory, especially in the Darwin and Palmerston region.  

Chief Investigator:    

Liam Grealy

Investigators:    

James Harley
Sophie Pascoe
Gillian Gorham

Contact:

liam.grealy@menzies.edu.au 


Key Dates:

April 2025 – June 2026

  1. Grealy, L., Bendict, R. and Moskos, M. 2025. Aboriginal-Controlled Governance for the Remote Housing System in the NT – Discussion Paper. Darwin: Menzies School of Health Research 
  2. Grealy, L., Howey, K. and Lea, T. 2024. Intermittent Urgency and States of Deferral – Or, How Many Houses for a Mine? Australian Journal of Social Issues. 60(1): 94-111. 
  3. Grealy, L. 2021. Governing Disassembly in Indigenous Housing. Housing Studies. 38(2): 327-346. 
  4. Grealy, L. 2017. Paperless Arrests as Preventive Detention: Motion and Documentation in the Governance of Indigenous Australians. Sites: A Journal of Social Anthropology and Cultural Studies. 14(1): 80-105.