Housing and land affordability and availability remain a key focus for the Kimberley Development Commission as the housing crisis affects all communities across the Kimberley.

Housing is a social determinant of health and a critical enabler for economic participation, and the Commission plays a key role in addressing this significant challenge.

The Kimberley Housing and Land Snapshot released by the Commission in 2023 was a comprehensive analysis of housing in each of the 6 main population centres in the Kimberley.

Following the release of the Kimberley Housing and Land Snapshot, the Commission presented at the Kimberley Housing Roundtable, an event organised by the Kimberley Regional Group (KRG), an alliance representing all four Kimberley Local Governments. Sponsored by Housing Australia. This event brought together over fifty attendees focused on housing and land issues across the Kimberley bringing together federal, state and local government, industry and the non-government sector, to develop a collaborative strategy to increase housing and land supply across the Kimberley.

The Commission continues to collect, analyse, and distribute data related to housing to assist Federal and State Government agencies, Local Governments, indigenous housing providers, community housing providers, non-government organisations and others in understanding the dynamics of the housing sector.

Our housing analysis includes:

• engagement with the construction sector to understand the potential for new construction techniques, such as transportable and modular dwellings;
• meeting with industry and government to ensure new projects consider the need for housing as part of any new development;
• participating in workshops such as the Department of Communities workshops held in Broome, Derby, Halls Creek and Kununurra as the Department develops its Ten-Year Housing Plans and the Community Housing Futures WA workshop a WA State Government funded initiative managed my Shelter WA to support Community housing organisations.

Through these efforts, the Commission is helping to ensure that housing remains a central consideration in the region’s future planning and investment.