The North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA), The North Australian Aboriginal Family Legal Service (NAAFLS), the Darwin Community Legal Centre (DCLS) and the Top End Women’s Legal Service (TEWLS) are deeply saddened by the news that YiSSA has been given 90 days’ notice, bringing an end to its long-standing role as a provider of short-term accommodation for Northern Territorians experiencing homelessness and housing crisis.
YiSSA is an Aboriginal community-controlled organisation that provides safe, short-stay accommodation for people who have nowhere else to go. For many families escaping violence, experiencing homelessness, or facing significant disadvantage, YiSSA is a critical pathway to safety and stability.
The closure places the housing security of approximately 230 adults and 160 children at risk and leaves around 30 dedicated staff facing the loss of their employment.
At this stage, it is unclear what transition arrangements, if any, will be put in place. Whether families lose access to the service altogether or the service is transferred away from Aboriginal community control, the uncertainty is deeply concerning.
The decision also sits uneasily alongside the Australian Government’s commitment to strengthening Aboriginal community-controlled organisations through the National Agreement on Closing the Gap and the development of the Second Action Plan under the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children.
Northern Territory Legal Services are particularly concerned because this decision comes at the same time the Northern Territory Government is progressing significant reforms to the child protection system.
Specialist homelessness services are governed by the Department of Children and Families, the same department responsible for the child protection reforms currently expected to pass Parliament following the recommendation of the majority of the Scrutiny Committee, despite substantial evidence from Aboriginal organisations, legal services, researchers and frontline experts calling for significant amendment.
Across the Northern Territory, legal services are already seeing an increase in child protection intervention where the primary concern identified is housing insecurity. During the scrutiny process, the Department gave evidence that the proposed reforms were not intended to expand the cohort of families who would become involved with the child protection system.
The loss of a major homelessness service raises serious questions about how that commitment can be maintained.
“Housing is one of the most significant protective factors for children,” NAAJA CEO, Ben Grimes, said.
“When families lose access to safe accommodation, the risks to children’s wellbeing increase dramatically. We are already representing families where the central issue is not abuse or neglect, but the absence of safe and stable housing.”
“It is difficult to reconcile assurances that child protection intervention will not expand with decisions that reduce access to one of the Territory’s key homelessness services.” NAAFLS PLO, Clara Mills, said.
Northern Territory Legal Services note that this decision is similarly at odds with the Government’s Reducing Crime Strategy, where there are undisputed links between recidivism and homelessness.
Homelessness is equally acknowledged as a factor in rates of domestic and family violence, where the Territory continues to hold the highest rates of violence per capita across Australia.
The Legal Services are calling on the Northern Territory Government to urgently:
- Provide certainty about the future delivery of short-term accommodation services currently provided by YiSSA;
- Ensure there is no interruption to services for vulnerable adults and children;
- Prioritise the continuation of Aboriginal community-controlled service delivery wherever possible; and
- Publicly outline how the Government will ensure this decision does not result in increased child protection intervention driven by housing insecurity.
Every family deserves access to safe housing. Removing critical homelessness supports while simultaneously expanding child protection powers risks placing more families into crisis rather than preventing it.
The Northern Territory cannot afford to lose services that keep families safe, connected and together.
Ends.
Media contacts:
Joe Horner
Communications Officer
North Australian Aboriginal Family Legal service
0457 488 613
jhorner@naafls.com.au
Emily Murphy-O’Neill
Media Strategy & Communications Officer
North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency
0455 556 412
emily.murphyoneill@naaja.org.au
