More than 400 new homes are set to be built in Victoria for Aboriginal people and their families as part of a $150 funding injection.
The Victorian government announced on Thursday it has set aside $150 million to build the homes through various Aboriginal grants programs, helping to combat homelessness among First Nations people.
One in six Aboriginal Victorians require homelessness assistance and are ten times more likely to contact these services than other residents, according to the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service's 2021 annual report.
"Having a home means security, stability and staying safe," Housing Minister Richard Wynne said in a statement.
Aboriginal households on the Victorian Housing Register will be eligible for the new grants, which open for applications in early May.
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Gabrielle Williams said the extra money would go a long way to fostering self-determination and culturally safe housing options for Aboriginal Victorians.
"When First Nations Victorians manage their own affairs, such as housing, we know outcomes are better for everyone," she said.
The new grants are on top of $35 million to upgrade existing Aboriginal housing as part of the state's $5.3 billion Big Housing Build scheme.
Under the plan, 12,000 new social and affordable homes were expected to be built over a four-year span in a bid to boost the state's housing supply by 10 per cent.
The projects, located across 38 local government areas, ranged from a 152-home development in Melbourne to several two-home developments in regional areas including Ballarat, Bendigo Shepparton, Wodonga and Warrnambool.
The state government is chipping in $740 million to the scheme, with the rest of the bill footed by 22 community housing agencies.
