CANBERRA, July 23 (Xinhua) -- The Victorian state government in Australia officially made 470 state-owned properties available to disadvantaged Indigenous Australians on Sunday.
Aboriginal Housing Australia (AHA) has been granted full financial control over the properties, meaning the body will have complete control over who inhabits the properties, the amount of rent they pay and maintenance.
It was the first official handover under a government scheme that will see 1,448 properties across the state controlled by AHA.
"The housing needs of Aboriginal people aren't just about providing a safety net for the Aboriginal community," Darren Smith, chief executive officer (CEO) of the AHA, told reporters in Melbourne.
"It should be a part of how the Aboriginal community can actually move forward and improve their circumstances.
"There's a lot of evidence that self-determination delivers results for Aboriginal people. That's actually the best way to improve outcomes for Aboriginal people."
The landmark move has been described as a major step in the campaign by Indigenous Australians to be allowed to freely determine their own economic, social and cultural development.
"A lynch pin for that is to make sure that they've got accessible, appropriate managed housing and the elders of that community have been calling for that for many years," Victorian Minister for Housing Martin Foley said.
The total value of the properties to be transferred is 316 million U.S. dollars with the AHA also granted the right to apply for capital grants from the government.
"It allows us the ability to actually think into the future, (in) 10, 20 and 30 years, about what the housing needs are for the Victorian Aboriginal community and what we are going to do to meet those needs," Smith said.
