Recent research at AHURI

To accompany the release of new research, AHURI produces a Policy Evidence Summary (PES), which distils the reports key findings and presents key visualisations, tables and graphs in a concise 4 page-summary.

A Policy Evidence Summary is available for each of our two most recently published AHURI reports:

Policy Evidence Summary: The missing link—housing and Indigenous domestic and family violence

This research focuses on the housing needs of Indigenous women and children who are severely over-represented in rates of both homelessness and domestic and family violence (DFV). Some of the key findings of the research include:

• Indigenous women in situations of domestic and family violence are at particular  risk of losing their children due to difficulties of finding appropriate, safe and affordable accommodation.
• A shortage of emergency and long-term housing is a contributor to high rates of injury and death amongst Indigenous women in situations of domestic and family violence, as many women have no choice but to return to unsafe homes.
• Current policy settings pay inadequate attention to the cultural and situational complexities of many Indigenous women, adding to their difficulty in escaping violence.
• While more needs to be done to address the housing issues that compromise the safety of Indigenous women and children, long-term solutions require holistic responses that include provision of services and housing options for men.

Download the Policy Evidence Summary or view the full report.

Policy Evidence Summary: Examining the impacts of growing mortgage debt amongst older Australians

This research investigated the growing numbers of Australians who are carrying mortgage debt into retirement and paying off higher levels of debt relative to house values and income.

These trends have significant consequences for older Australians’ wellbeing and affect the ways in which older home owners manage their wealth portfolios and labour market transitions. Mortgage indebtedness later in life also presents significant ramifications for retirement incomes policy and housing assistance programs. Some of the key findings of the research include:

• Average mortgage debt among older mortgagors (aged 55+ years) blew out by 600 per cent between 1987 and 2015.
• Average mortgage debt to income ratios for this age group tripled from 71 per cent 1987 to 211 per cent in 2015.
• Older mortgagors report lower mental health and higher psychological distress scores than older outright owners.
• The number of Australians aged 55 years and over eligible for Commonwealth Rent Assistance to increase from 414,000 in 2016 to 664,000 in 2031 (a 60 per cent increase).