In many remote communities, state and territory governments or community housing providers manage housing and infrastructure. Around two in five Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Remote Areas are living in overcrowded housing conditions.70
In addition to health and social impacts, overcrowding can affect the performance of in-home water-based infrastructure or 'health hardware' (which includes toilets, washing machines and taps). Having properly functioning health hardware is an essential step towards improving the performance of water services in remote communities.
State and territory municipal service agencies and social housing departments must improve water services to remote communities. This will involve addressing both the shared infrastructure that delivers water and wastewater services to dwellings and the provision and maintenance of facilities within the housing.
Since 2019, the Infrastructure Priority List has identified remote housing overcrowding as a High Priority Initiative. The Social infrastructure chapter of the 2021 Plan addresses the topic of reforming social housing, including in remote communities.