For decades, the problem of overcrowding has plagued the town of Wilcannia in outback New South Wales, a systemic issue that attracted media attention during the predominantly Indigenous community's COVID outbreak of 2021.
While the spotlight has faded, the issue has remained.
The chair of the Wilcannia Local Aboriginal Land Council, Michael Kennedy, believed the living conditions were untenable.
"We've got people who use their lounge rooms as their bedrooms for quite a number of years," he said.
Mr Kennedy was raised on the banks of the Darling, or Baaka, and said the lack of available housing had been a constant source of frustration for community members.
"A lot of the elders still live in their houses that they've been living in for 30, 40, 50 years," he said.
"There have been a few generations grow up in those households and now we're running out of space for these newer generations."
'Excitement in the community'
For months, the sound of saws and the crash of hammers has echoed in Wilcannia.
Construction of five elder housing units has been completed, much to the delight of elderly resident and Nari Nari man William Charles Murray, who has lived in the town since 1965.
"This here will be good," he said.
Mr Murray lives in a house with his granddaughter, her partner, and six other relatives.
He was looking forward to moving into his new home.
"The kids can come and visit now and again, but they've got to move out after five, so I can go to bed," he said.
Each unit is equipped with a kitchen, bedroom, air conditioning and ramp, providing comfort and catering to some of the community's oldest and most respected residents.
"There's a lot of excitement in the community about them," he said.
"Elders are a big, big part of our life, mate, we need our elders around us.They're the backbone of our communities."
'It's a really big thing'
While the units are addressing the chronic issue of overcrowding, the construction is also helping tackle unemployment in the remote community — the rate of which varies depending on the number of infrastructure projects taking place.
Aboriginal Housing Office (AHO) chief executive and Githabul woman Famey Williams said jobs for residents were a pivotal part of the project.
"It keeps skills within community," she said.
"There's a sense of pride when you're building a property you know is going to house your family."
Across New South Wales, the AHO is spending more than $89 million over the next three years to address overcrowding.
Most of the money is being spent in regional and remote locations including Wilcannia, Wagga Wagga, Dubbo, Brewarrina, Walgett, and Broken Hill.
The construction has been in the works since 2017.
"We're actually seeing the fruition of something that's been planned for a long time and was instigated by the community," Ms Williams said.
Barkindji man Earl Dutton worked more than 1,300 hours over the course of construction.
"It's a really big thing. I can't explain it," he said.
Mr Dutton believed employment opportunities like this were important.
"Some young fellas around here have got nothing to do," he said.
"They smoke, yarn, they got drink … but this is a good opportunity for the boys to come and work, earn their own money."
More housing needed
While the new units are certainly a step towards solving the issue of overcrowding, locals said there was still a long way to go.
"It's a step in the right direction," Mr Kennedy said.
"It's not going to solve all the problems. We still need smaller units for a lot of the young ones who have now got one or two children," he said.
Mr Murray would also like to see more accommodation built in the future.
"I'd like to see a lot more houses in Wilcannia, especially up the Mallee," he said.
Contracts have been awarded for five developments, including multiple two and three-bedroom places along with a four-bedroom home.
"We've got five new builds coming up over the next few months," Ms Williams said.
The buildings are expected to be delivered in the next 18 months.
