MEDIA STATEMENT: First Nations housing getting off the ground in Townsville 

First Nations housing getting off the ground in Townsville  

• Construction has started on a new First Nations social housing project in Townsville.
• Community housing provider Yumba-Meta is delivering 24 social homes with support from the Crisafulli Government. 
• Work continues to expand home ownership opportunities in Queensland’s Indigenous communities, starting on Palm Island. 

The Crisafulli Government is supporting Indigenous community housing provider Yumba-Meta to deliver a place to call home for more First Nations people in Townsville, with construction on 24 social homes underway.  

The social homes will be built in Rasmussen, and are among 52 homes that Yumba-Meta will deliver in Townsville with Queensland Government support – including another 24 units and two duplexes.  

These homes contribute to the social and affordable housing pipeline across North Queensland, with more than 140 homes currently in construction or under contract to be delivered across the region with many more to come. 

The Crisafulli Government is continuing to meet with First Nations councils to explore home ownership pathways, as work progresses to roll out a rent-to-buy scheme for Palm Island.  

The Palm Island Home Ownership Scheme will allow residents to purchase their Queensland Department of Housing owned social home by entering into a rent-to-buy agreement with the Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council. 

State Government Housing teams have now run roadshows in 14 remote communities to discuss new home ownership options with potential future homeowners. 

To continue to help vulnerable Queenslanders, the Crisafulli Government will deliver 53,500 additional social and community homes by 2044 to ease Labor’s Housing Crisis. 

Under the former Labor Government, almost 50,000 Queenslanders were left languishing on the social housing waitlist due to a lack of supply. 

Minister for Housing Sam O’Connor said the Crisafulli Government was unlocking more housing opportunities for First Nations Queenslanders. 

“We are working with community housing providers to deliver more social and affordable housing supply, particularly in our regions,” Minister O’Connor said. 

“Our partnership with Yumba-Meta will deliver safe, secure and affordable homes for First Nations people who are disproportionally feeling the impacts of this housing crisis. 

“Projects like this are an essential part of our plan to deliver 53,500 social and community homes across the state by 2044. 

“While we deliver more supply, we’re also meeting with remote and discrete councils to explore new opportunities for First Nations families to own their own home. 

“By working alongside local leaders and Indigenous communities, we can deliver home ownership models that reflect their unique aspirations and needs.”