Housing The lack of sufficient housing in Alice Springs is a source of great concern. The permanent population of the town camps is approximately 1,200-1,800 people residing in only 183 houses and 70 tin sheds. Tangentyere Council has a considerable waiting list for houses. Those waiting include expanding families and people who come from remote areas to the hospital in Alice Springs for treatment. The houses lack furniture, kitchen facilities and air-conditioning.
Families sleep on quilts on the floor and have to cook outside.
Prior to being housed by Tangentyere, kidney patients were tenants of public housing provided by the Northern Territory Government. These patients were evicted as a result of not being able to meet high rental payments, the large numbers of families coming to visit and the increased surveillance of Aboriginal people. Tangentyere Council has limited funding to address this matter. Employment Levels of employment among Aboriginal people in Alice Springs are well below those of the rest of Australia. CDEP participation is officially counted as employment, effectively disguising the real levels of unemployment.