Renters & Housing Union

Today, Invasion Day, marks the violent seizure of this continent by British colonial forces in 1788—a deliberate act of theft that initiated a system of exploitation and dispossession still at the heart of this nation. For First Nations peoples, it is a day of mourning, a reminder of the massacres, stolen children, and erasure of cultures committed in the name of empire. But this violence did not end; it continues, entrenched in the structures that govern land and housing today.

The housing crisis is not a crisis of mismanagement or market failure—it is the direct result of colonialism. Colonisation was built on the principle that land could be stolen, privatised, and commodified, with no regard for the sovereignty of the First Nations peoples who had cared for it for tens of thousands of years. The same colonial logic now drives the housing market, where land and homes are treated as assets to enrich the wealthy, while renters, the poor, and especially First Nations people are left to suffer in overcrowded homes, on waiting lists, or without shelter at all.

Invasion Day is not just an historical event; it is the foundation of the ongoing dispossession that fuels inequality. The exploitation of land for mining, agriculture, and property speculation aligns with a colonial legacy that prioritises profit over people. The same system that denied First Nations people the right to their lands now denies renters the right to secure, affordable housing.

The statistics tell the story of this injustice. First Nations peoples are disproportionately affected by homelessness, representing 20% of the homeless population while making up only 3% of the total population. Remote communities are neglected, underfunded, and subjected to punitive policies that perpetuate poverty and displacement. Meanwhile, wealthy landlords and developers profit from skyrocketing rents and speculative investments, creating a system where housing serves the market rather than meeting human need.

To address the housing crisis, we must address its roots in colonisation. Housing justice requires the recognition of Aboriginal sovereignty and the return of stolen lands to their rightful custodians. It requires dismantling the systems of profit-driven exploitation that have commodified the very land we live on. It means building public housing, enshrining renters’ rights, and ensuring that no one is displaced or denied dignity because of their income or background.

On this Invasion Day, we honour the resistance of First Nations peoples who have fought for justice and self-determination for over 235 years. Their struggle is not separate from the fight for housing justice—it is one and the same. Colonialism built the inequality we see today, but through collective action and radical change, we can tear it down.

– Keiran Stewart-Assheton, RAHU First Nations Officer

First Nations Committee
Email: [email protected]

The First Nations Committee is pro-actively organising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members, ensuring their voices are represented within the Union.

Read RAHU’s Commitment to Decolonisation here.