Federal Labor has promised to extend a housing funding agreement intended to reduce widespread overcrowding in remote Indigenous communities across the Northern Territory if elected next month.
The party says it would also immediately spend $100 million on urgent housing and infrastructure on the NT's homelands, which are tiny communities with small populations established on culturally significant lands.
In a media release, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney said the investment in remote housing would improve the livelihoods of Indigenous Territorians.
"Spending on health, education and employment will offer a much bigger return if we also improve access to safe and adequate housing in remote Australia," she said.
"Labor understands the need to work with First Nations peoples to address overcrowding and run-down housing if we are to be successful in closing the gap."
The party's commitment means if it forms government, federal contributions to the issue will continue beyond the expiry of the existing $550 million agreement in June next year.
The length and cost of the new agreement is expected to be reached in negotiation with the Northern Territory government.
The $100 million is intended to improve living conditions for thousands of people living on homelands, where numerous rundown homes are in need of replacement, according to a recent government report.
"One third of [2,400] houses had substantial or longstanding issues that necessitated rebuilding rather than repair," the report read.
But which tier of government would fund new homes has been subject to a bureaucratic stalemate.
The NT government took responsibility for some services in 2015, but its Remote Housing Minister, Chansey Paech, has previously asked the federal government to take responsibility for financing new builds.
Marion Scrymgour, Labor's candidate for the vast bush seat of Lingiari, said the promise was an important commitment.
"Homelands are generally safer and provide better health outcomes for families," she said.
"They allow traditional owners to properly care for and maintain their cultural obligations to country."
The money is in addition to $200 million Labor has already pledged for remote housing repair, maintenance and improvement across three states and the NT under its Housing Australia Future Fund.
It would also complement the NT government's $1.1 billion investment in remote housing over 10 years.
Both the federal and NT funding streams have previously been criticised for delays delivering new homes, and the federal government last year expressed concern that key deadlines would not be met.
Mr Paech has since said the government will reach those targets.
