Rose Wurrguwurrgu's home in Arnhem Land is so overcrowded some of her family have to sleep outside in tents.
About 12 people live under the same roof but sometimes that balloons to 30 when relatives come to stay in her community of Ramingining, about 560km from Darwin.
"I always worry about my people," she said.
"We've got big families ... we need more houses."
Ms Wurrguwurrgu is getting one extra room as part of the government's 10-year $1.1 billion project to combat chronic housing shortages.
The NT has the worst rate of homelessness and overcrowding in the country, and Ramingining is one of 21 remote indigenous communities to receive more living spaces in existing houses.
Ms Wurrguwurrgu's home in the 900-strong community is one of 100 remote homes to begin renovations so far.
Her brother-in-law is working on the construction, as part of Labor's pre-election target of building 600 extra remote bedrooms per year and delivering jobs to communities.
Contractor Bukmak Constructions, operated by the Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation, has employed four locals.
The workers have completed a two-week literacy and numeracy course to help them understand 'balanda', or non-Aboriginal language, on construction sites, ALPA Deputy Chair Mickey Wunungnurra said.
It's not clear when the rollout of new homes will begin, and Chief Minister Michael Gunner says an obstacle is freeing up land from traditional owners and Aboriginal land councils.
Labor has pledged an additional $45 million over two years in separate funding for servicing land with housing infrastructure.
And Mr Gunner insisted the remote housing program would be fully funded regardless of the NT's heavy GST cuts announced earlier this year.
"It has a flow-on effect across a whole lot of policy areas, it's very much a foundational investment and it's important we don't touch a cent of it," he said.
The NT government continues to call on the commonwealth to match its record investment, as well as its infrastructure funding which will total about half a billion dollars over a decade.
Mr Gunner said Canberra was making "good noises" in negotiations but a deal won't be reached for another 12 months.
