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Niche service the key ingredient

Anthony MatteoThe West Australian
Nicheliving has established a new division called Kambarang, created to bridge the gap for indigenous people and their communities, providing access to affordable housing opportunities to make their homeownership dreams a reality.
Camera IconNicheliving has established a new division called Kambarang, created to bridge the gap for indigenous people and their communities, providing access to affordable housing opportunities to make their homeownership dreams a reality. Credit: Julius Pang/Supplied.

Owning your own home has long been part of the Aussie dream, however for some indigenous Australians this pursuit is difficult to achieve for a number of economic, social and cultural reasons.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016 Census, 38 per cent of indigenous people owned their own home.

While this had increased slightly from the 2011 Census figure of 36 per cent, it still fell well short of the two-thirds of non-indigenous Australians who owned their own home.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) said that in comparison to non-indigenous people, indigenous people were 10 times more likely to live in social housing and half as likely to own their own home, whether it be with or without a mortgage.

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According to AIHW, “not having affordable, secure and appropriate housing can have negative consequences, including homelessness, poor health, and lower rates of employment and education participation - all of which can lead to social exclusion and disadvantage”.

Acknowledging this fact, Nicheliving has established a new division called Kambarang, created to bridge the gap for indigenous people and their communities, providing access to affordable housing opportunities to make their homeownership dreams a reality.

Kambarang Nicheliving Chairman Danny Ford said this unique department offered indigenous people an affordable pathway into the property market, as well as providing assistance with native titles and consultations, homeless response and affordable living.

“The team supports indigenous housing by helping secure affordable housing and assisting with homeownership,” he said.

With a strong cultural understanding, Kambarang Nicheliving’s staff aim to work alongside its clients to remove the fears associated with the large financial plunge taken with owning a home.

Nicheliving Managing Director Ronnie Michel-Elhaj said the specialist team’s goal was to reduce the difficulty in achieving homeownership.

“Our team assists and actively supports local communities by reducing the overheads associated with indigenous Western Australians owning their own homes,” he said.

“The unit’s main goal is to support homeownership through providing open discussions, cultural support, credit assistance, communication and process support, affordable housing options, loan support and an end-to-end experience, including settlement.”

Kambarang Nicheliving also seeks to mentor and develop future Aboriginal business leaders through strong partnerships and employment opportunities.

“We aim to incorporate Aboriginal services as much as possible,” Mr Michel-Elhaj said. “Whether this be through the use of indigenous electricians, plumbers or other trades on our projects, we are committed to improving social outcomes for all Aboriginal communities.”

Being WA operated means the Kambarang unit plans to benefit the local community through offering support and advice, while working with well-respected Aboriginal leaders in the property and real estate industry who understand the associated concerns and issues, working together to achieve all customers’ property goals.

“Our overarching aim with Kambarang Nicheliving is to continue our investment into the Aboriginal workforce and provide opportunities for the local community,” Mr Michel-Elhaj said.

According to the Indigenous Home Ownership report by Deloitte Access Economics for Indigenous Business Australia, there are several initiatives and programs in place across Australia which seek to assist first homebuyers and people on low incomes into homeownership.

In Western Australia, programs such as Keystart by the WA Housing Authority aim to provide low deposit home loans to those who are otherwise unable to meet the deposit requirements of mainstream lenders, offering a range of products for the loan recipient to have full ownership of the home and/or enter into a shared equity arrangement with WA Housing Authority.

The Deloitte’s report recognised indigenous Australians were significantly underrepresented when compared to non-indigenous Australians in relation to homeownership, saying that owning a home was a critical step in building intergenerational wealth for indigenous children and the future generations.

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