A Partnership in Practice: Aboriginal Housing Victoria

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up less than 4% of the Australian population, yet account for around one in five people experiencing homelessness nationally.¹ In Victoria, Aboriginal Victorians are accessing homelessness services at almost four times the rate of the rest of the state.²

It's this considerable gap that Assemble's partnership with Aboriginal Housing Victoria, a specialist community housing provider, is working to address. Earlier this year the partnership welcomed its first Aboriginal residents at Swift Walk in Kensington, where 10% of the social homes have been prioritised and allocated to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents.

"Projects like Swift Walk show what’s possible when government, investors and community housing providers work together with Aboriginal organisations to ensure Aboriginal Victorians are part of the fabric of every neighbourhood, living where they want and need to be housed,” said Darren Smith, CEO, Aboriginal Housing Victoria and Chair, Aboriginal Housing and Homelessness Forum, at the opening event of Swift Walk, Kensington.

Opening in November 2025, Swift Walk is home to the partnership's first residents, including Duane* and Wesley*. When asked what home means to them, their answers land in almost the same place: security, safety, and family. For two people who've spent years in housing uncertainty, it's no small feat to finally have that stability.

Through this long-term, strategic partnership with Aboriginal Housing Victoria, Assemble continues to expand access to secure, well-designed homes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, advancing the commitments set out in Assemble's Reconciliation Action Plan. Looking ahead, Assemble is pursuing similar partnerships across its national portfolio.

Find out more about the partnership with Aboriginal Housing Victoria or read more from their residents at Swift Walk in our latest resident story.

 *The resident’s name has been changed to protect their privacy. All quotes are shared with permission

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics, "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Experiencing Homelessness," released June 27, 2023, https://www.abs.gov.au/articles/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-peoples-experiencing-homelessness.

2. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Specialist Homelessness Services Annual Report 2024–25 (AIHW, 2025), as reported in Victorian Aboriginal Housing and Homelessness Framework, "New report finds homelessness rate rising four times faster for Aboriginal Victorians," 4 December 2025, https://vahhf.org.au/resources/news/aihw-report-reveals-homeless-rate-rising-four-times-faster/