Fiona Dhawunymurruwuy will be evicted on Sunday, along with 120 other First Nations people: ‘There’s no place for me’

Why are Fiona Dhawunymurruwuy and about 120 other residents being evicted from YiSSA on Sunday?

About 120 residents are being evicted because YiSSA’s five-year lease was not renewed. The Northern Territory government has rejected a federal offer to buy the demountable buildings for $6.5 million. That offer required Yilli Rreung Housing Aboriginal Corporation to keep providing the service.

YiSSA is the Yilli short-stay accommodation complex in Darwin. Residents are mainly from remote Aboriginal communities. Many come to Darwin for medical treatment, including dialysis, or need a safe place after escaping domestic violence. Fiona Dhawunymurruwuy moved there to stay near dialysis and her school job.

The facility is scheduled to close on Sunday. Its remaining residents will be relocated about 100 kilometres away to Batchelor. The federal offer remains available, but the NT chief minister called it a waste of taxpayers’ money. Residents and protesters are urging the government to reconsider before people lose access to services, schools, work and community support.

What is YiSSA, and why do many First Nations people need this kind of short-stay accommodation in Darwin?

YiSSA is the Yilli short-stay accommodation complex in Darwin. It provides temporary housing for residents who are predominantly from remote Aboriginal communities. It matters because people can need a safe, stable base in the city without having a permanent home there.

Many residents travel to Darwin for medical treatment, including dialysis, or to escape domestic violence. Others come for family visits or cultural reasons. Fiona Dhawunymurruwuy moved to YiSSA after kidney failure forced her from Millingimbi. She needed to be near dialysis and her teaching job. At its height, YiSSA housed almost 400 First Nations people, including women and children.

The facility is now due to close, leaving about 120 residents to move to Batchelor. Its closure threatens more than beds. It may separate people from hospitals, schools, workplaces, family networks and community support. The article links this kind of instability to Darwin’s wider homelessness crisis, where many people become stuck after travelling from remote communities.

How large was the demand for YiSSA, in terms of its number of residents, children, and people on the waiting list?

Demand for YiSSA was far greater than the number of available places. When the Territory government told Yilli Housing to leave the facility by 11 October, 383 people were living there. The population included 145 children.

The waiting list showed the pressure even more clearly. Another 300 people were waiting for accommodation. Earlier, the facility had housed almost 400 First Nations people, including women and children escaping domestic violence and people visiting Darwin for medical treatment. These figures show that YiSSA served a much larger need than its remaining residents alone.

The facility is now closing, with about 120 people still there. They are expected to relocate to Batchelor, about 100 kilometres away. The article reports concerns about Batchelor’s limited services, including its school and health service. Without enough suitable accommodation, more people could face homelessness or lose access to care, work and support networks.

Which governments and organisations are involved in deciding whether YiSSA stays open, and what roles do they play?

Several governments and organisations are involved in YiSSA’s future. The Northern Territory government allowed the lease to lapse and is arranging the closure and relocation of residents. The federal government offered $6.5 million to purchase the demountable buildings and said the offer remains available.

AUSCO Modular owns the buildings. The federal offer required Yilli Rreung Housing Aboriginal Corporation to continue as the service provider. Yilli Housing was told in July that all residents had to leave by 11 October. The remaining residents are being directed to Batchelor under the Territory’s plan.

The NT chief minister, Lia Finocchiaro, rejected the offer as a waste of taxpayers’ money. Federal minister Malarndirri McCarthy called the closure deeply sad and described the offer as fair and reasonable. Justice Not Jails protesters are urging the NT to partner with the federal government and purchase the facility. The dispute has left residents facing relocation.

What will happen to residents when YiSSA closes, and why could moving them about 100 kilometres to Batchelor create problems?

When YiSSA closes, its remaining 120 residents will be relocated to Batchelor, a small town about 100 kilometres away. The move is the Northern Territory government’s stated alternative after the facility’s lease was not renewed and the government rejected a federal purchase offer.

Residents may lose easy access to essential services. Fiona Dhawunymurruwuy moved to YiSSA so she could reach dialysis facilities and her job at Malak primary school in Darwin. Natalie Hunter said Batchelor’s health service only caters for the small town. She also questioned how its school could absorb more than 100 children without a plan.

The relocation could therefore disrupt medical treatment, education, employment and community connections. Residents are predominantly from remote Aboriginal communities and rely on networks at YiSSA. The closure also comes amid a severe public housing shortage and widespread rough sleeping in Darwin. Without suitable housing and services, some people may become homeless or return to the long grass.

Why do people from remote Aboriginal communities travel to Darwin, and how can medical treatment, family visits, and cultural responsibilities lead to homelessness there?

People from remote Aboriginal communities travel to Darwin for medical treatment, family visits and cultural reasons. Darwin offers services and connections that may not be available in their home communities. Some also come to escape domestic violence or to support relatives receiving care.

The journey can become permanent when people cannot afford to return home or find housing. A person may arrive for dialysis, surgery or a hospital visit, then remain in the city because of ongoing treatment, poverty or a lack of public housing. Family and cultural responsibilities can also require longer stays. YiSSA provides temporary accommodation during this uncertain period.

The article estimates that 1,000 people sleep in Darwin’s long grass on any given night. More than 90% are First Nations people. Many travelled from remote communities and became stuck. Closing YiSSA could increase this risk, especially for residents losing access to medical facilities, work, schools and community support in Darwin.

What is public housing, and how can a shortage of it contribute to people sleeping rough in places such as Darwin's 'long grass'?

Public housing is government-provided or government-supported housing intended for people who cannot afford suitable housing in the private market. It offers a stable home rather than temporary shelter. The article identifies a severe public housing shortage in Darwin, but does not explain the system’s detailed rules.

When too few homes exist, people who arrive for treatment, family visits or cultural responsibilities may have nowhere to stay after their immediate need ends. Poverty can prevent them from renting privately or returning home. Without a stable address, they may sleep in parks, open spaces or bushland. In Darwin, these people are known locally as long-grassers.

The article estimates that about 1,000 people sleep in the long grass on any given night, and more than 90% are First Nations people. Many came from remote communities and became stuck. Closing YiSSA could worsen this pressure unless residents can access suitable accommodation, services and support.

Key Facts:

📌 YiSSA’s lease was not renewed.

📌 The NT rejected a $6.5 million federal purchase offer.

📌 About 120 residents must leave on Sunday.

📌 YiSSA is a Darwin short-stay accommodation complex.

📌 Residents are predominantly from remote Aboriginal communities.

📌 It housed almost 400 First Nations people at its height.

📌 YiSSA housed 383 people when residents were ordered to leave.