Building homes which fit the needs of the community was a key area for the discussion at the Maningrida Housing Reference Group (HRG) meeting last month. Members talked about how homes in a new sub-division in the community would be allocated.
Local decision making and community engagement are key principles of the $1.1 billion remote housing investment package Our Community. Our Future. Our Homes.
HRG member Shane Namanurki says community members have a strong voice in Maningrida, where the Department of Local Government, Housing and Community Development (DLGHCD) is working hard to ensure the housing meets the needs of their community.
“It’s good for them (DLGHCD representatives) to come and listen and it’s good for us, it’s good for our people.”
“We talk about what kind of houses we need, where to put them, how many bedrooms they need," Shane said.
Department staff visited Maningrida last month to discuss the details of the next group of houses to be constructed in the community.
Members had the chance to decide how many bedrooms would feature, the construction type either block or steel-framed, as well as what colour each house was painted.
The next step will be to bring an architect into the community to work with the residents on the designs of the houses.
Since September 2016, 20 new homes have been built in Maningrida, with a further 90 planned.
“The overcrowding in the community, we want it stopped. That’s what the Housing Reference Group is here to do,” Shane said.
The Maningrida HRG meeting involved a discussion on housing locations and housing needs of the community.