Research in progress

Supporting research projects

• Climate resilient homes and households

  This project will review existing international guidelines for climate-resilient homes, develop guidelines for Australia, and test those guidelines against best-practice case studies. It will then use focus groups to examine the climate-resilience needs and experiences of householders and property professionals.

  Lead researcher: Dr Michaela Lang, Monash University
  Project number: 52351

• The cost to deliver climate resilient housing in Australia

  This project investigates the extent of resiliency deficit across the Australian housing stock, and the costs and benefits (financial and non-financial) to retrofit this stock to resiliency best practice by 2050.

  Lead researcher: Associate Professor Trivess Moore, RMIT University
  Project number: 53352

Supporting research projects

• Aligning affordable housing with occupant needs: scaling and diversifying affordable housing programs

  Drawing on the lived experience of affordable housing occupants, this project identifies the alignment of products, delivered under recent affordable housing programs, with their needs. The project identifies where mismatch in housing characteristics might undermine the systemic and strategic functions of affordable housing in reducing pressure on low-cost market housing.

  Lead researcher: Ryan van den Nouwelant, University of New South Wales
  Project number: 71373

• Establishing the national affordable housing evidence-base: stock estimates, demand dynamics and rental impacts

  This project delivers critical evidence to support affordable housing policy. It estimates the sector's size and distribution, analyses affordability stress dynamics among low- to moderate-income renters, and tests rent-setting models. Addressing key data gaps, it generates robust empirical evidence to understand affordable housing's strategic role within Australia's housing system.

  Lead researcher: Dr Piret Veeroja, Swinburne University of Technology
  Project number: 51372

• Unpacking affordable housing: an Australian and international policy review

  This project examines the conceptualisation, definition, delivery and operation of affordable housing across Australia and internationally. Combining policy document analysis, expert interviews and a policy workshop, the project identifies policy settings that could optimise affordable housing's contribution to addressing Australia's housing policy goals.

  Lead researcher: Dr Catherine Gilbert, The University of Sydney
  Project number: 73371

Supporting research projects

• Insurance, finance and the cost of housing resilience. Who pays?

  Climate change and natural disasters are increasing risk profiles and costs for insurers, financiers, developers, and households. This project explores how key housing stakeholders, including households themselves, will adapt to this rapidly changing landscape and analyses who will pay for the cost of delivering climate resilient housing?

  Lead researcher: Dr Stephen Glackin, Swinburne University of Technology
  Project number: 51364

• Measuring climate change vulnerability in Australia’s housing system

  This project uses resilience science to measure housing system vulnerability to climate change across Australia. A multi-dimensional risk index comprising socio-economic and housing risk factors will be applied at national and small area levels to identify priorities for policy intervention, informing the transition to a resilient housing system.

  Lead researcher: Dr Francesca Perugia, Curtin University
  Project number: 81361

• Planning for a climate resilient housing system

  This project investigates the planning controls and approaches required to foster a climate resilient housing stock, and the extent to which current local plans across Australia embody these approaches. Through a national survey of local planning instruments and interviews with planners, the project charts a path for effective planning interventions.

  Lead researcher: Dr Catherine Gilbert, The University of Sydney
  Project number: 73363

• Strengthening Australian homes against climate risks

  This project assesses the resilience of Australia’s housing stock to climate risk, examining building typologies, hazard susceptibility, and adaptation strategies. It aims to enhance resilience in high-risk areas through informed guidelines and standards, leveraging architectural science to address future climate hazards effectively.

  Lead researcher: Dr Ozgur Gocer, The University of Sydney
  Project number: 73362

• A data framework for understanding children’s housing circumstances and their consequences in Australia

  Housing plays an important role in children’s lives in ways that are policy amenable and highly relevant to policy concerns. Yet children are relatively understudied in housing research. This project will investigate the existing evidence and data, and develop a framework for the comprehensive study of children and their homes.

  Lead researcher: Dr Amy Clair, University of Adelaide
  Project number: 31354

• Advancing systemic implementation of Housing First in Australia

  This mixed-methods study examines how Housing First can be operationalised in Australia while maintaining fidelity and outcomes. It analyses Australian and international models, identifies system enablers and barriers, and co-develops monitoring, evaluation and learning principles through literature reviews, stakeholder interviews and expert panels to support nationwide implementation of the approach.

  Lead researcher: Chris Hartley, University of New South Wales
  Project number: 71383

• An evidence-based evaluation framework for sustainable office-to-housing conversion

  This project examines drivers and barriers of office-to-housing conversion and evaluates its potential to boost sustainable housing supply. It analyses exemplary case studies to identify influencing factors and uses these to assess convertibility of buildings. These investigations are tested through investigative panels and inform an evaluation framework to assist policymaking.

  Lead researcher: Associate Professor Sandra Löschke, The University of Sydney
  Project number: 73365

• Australian housing aspirations in transition: trends, impacts and opportunities

  This project examines the housing aspirations of Australian households. It will provide a critical evidence base to inform the Housing Accord and the innovative solutions needed to address short- and long-term housing aspirations into the future amidst persistent cost-of-living pressures and a growing dual tenure divide between renting and owning.

  Lead researcher: Professor Wendy Stone, Swinburne University of Technology
  Project number: 51356

• Barriers and enablers of off-site construction

  It is critically important for Indigenous Australians to be included in decision-making processes about policies and programs that affect them. With findings drawn from a literature review, expert panel, and consultations, this Investigative Panel will provide new insights into enhanced engagement with Indigenous people and how they can be actioned to inform housing policy and practice.

  Lead researcher: Associate Professor Megan Moskos, University of Adelaide
  Project number: 31327

• Collaborative homeownership in Australia: benefits, barriers and growth opportunities

  This research identifies how collaborative homeownership can be integrated into Australian housing and housing assistance policy. It maps and typologises established/ emergent Australian collaborative homeownership models; examines community motivations and resident outcomes; identifies financial, governance and regulatory requirements and barriers; and draws lessons from international cases to inform Australian policy.

  Lead researcher: Professor Wendy Stone, Swinburne University of Technology
  Project number: 51366

• Culturally grounded, self-determined approaches to Indigenous housing on reclaimed boodja (Country) in WA and NSW

  This Aboriginal-led project will develop a policy-ready framework for achieving sustainable, self-determined housing outcomes on reclaimed boodja (Country). Using Indigenous methodologies, the project will engage with urban and rural communities in WA and NSW, responding to questions that reflect priorities, strengths and aspirations of Elders, families and young people.

  Lead researcher: Dr Naama Blatman, University of New South Wales
  Project number: 71382

• Delivering well-located dwellings: opportunities and challenges

  The National Housing Accord has a target of 1.2 million well-located dwellings. There is a need to better define what ‘well-located’ means, and to identify supply barriers and enablers in these locations. This project conceptualises and maps well-located areas, and explores policy options to deliver well-located housing that is affordable.

  Lead researcher: Professor Rachel Ong ViforJ, Curtin University
  Project number: 81353

• Financial risk reduction interventions to boost housing supply: policy levers and impacts

  This project will examine the risks assumed by key stakeholders in the residential development process, including developers, landowners, lenders and building contractors, and assess how government interventions can mitigate risk for each stakeholder and the extent to which these interventions could stimulate new housing supply.

  Lead researcher: Dr Lyndall Bryant, Queensland University of Technology
  Project number: 22376

• Finding space for homes: a geospatial framework to support infill housing policy

  This project delivers a policy-focused geospatial framework to identify and prioritise vacant residential land for infill housing. By uncovering where underutilised capacity exists and diagnosing regulatory barriers, the research provides actionable evidence to inform subdivision reform and support the National Housing Accord’s goal of delivering more well-located homes.

  Lead researcher: Dr Jorge Ochoa Paniagua, Adelaide University
  Project number: 33377

• First Nations-led house building in Australia: construction technologies, supply outcomes and future opportunities

  This project charts existing and emergent Indigenous-led housing construction across diverse communities nationally. An Indigenous Knowledge methodology will facilitate collection and analysis of case study data, identifying modes of construction, dwelling types, community capacity, and institutional barriers and opportunities for the growth of Indigenous pathways in building and construction.

  Lead researcher: Professor John Evans, Swinburne University of Technology
  Project number: 51386

• From towers to townhouses: comparative analysis of costs and obligations in strata living

  This project examines the comparative costs, and legal, governance and tax obligations of various strata models, including those with mixed social and private tenures. It identifies key challenges facing strata living including sustainability and affordability, and the opportunities for practical reform to enhance governance, maintenance and liveability.

  Lead researcher: Rebecca Leshinsky, RMIT University
  Project number: 53374

• Harnessing global Insights on housing affordability and density: implications for Australian policy

  Housing affordability and housing density have been central challenges for Australian and global policymakers. This project uses data, literature, policy surveys, scenario analysis, and engagement with experts and practitioners to identify insights for Australian policymakers from the diverse range of policies, systems, and housing outcomes across global cities.

  Lead researcher: Daniel Melser, Monash University
  Project number: 52379

• Headleasing and its role in Australia’s social and affordable housing sector

  Headleasing can contribute to the rapid supply of housing, but its scale, costs and service impacts are under-researched due to fragmented state-level data. This project will map headleasing nationally and use mixed methods to analyse its impacts across different rental submarkets, generating new insights into headleasing’s utility and effectiveness.

  Lead researcher: Dr Hazel Blunden, University of New South Wales
  Project number: 71384

• Housing futures: private rental systems beyond 2025

  Using innovative futuring methodology, this project aims to generate new ideal future models for private rental housing and identify key policy transitions needed to create a long-term sustainable rental system for Australia in the 21st century, informed by an evidenced account of current trends and international experience.

  Lead researcher: Dr Laurence Troy, The University of Sydney
  Project number: 73359

• Local government authorities' role in homelessness policy and services: barriers and growth opportunities

  This research will identify how local government can help tackle homelessness. Using case studies, it will examine Local Government Authorities' (LGA) initiatives and outcomes for people experiencing homelessness. It will identify financial, governmental and regulatory requirements and barriers, and draws lessons from these case studies for other LGAs.

  Lead researcher: Professor Karien Dekker, RMIT University
  Project number: 53375

• Lodging houses in Australia: a framework for coherent policy and practice

  Lodging houses can contribute to affordability, accessibility and support delivery, but also come with risks. This project, comprising analysis of laws, policies, business models and lived experience of lodging houses across three states, will produce a national lodging houses typology and a framework for appropriate policy development and regulatory practice.

  Lead researcher: Dr Chris Martin, University of New South Wales
  Project number: 71355

• Modelling the dynamics, predictors and mitigators of housing stress in Australia

  This project explores the dynamics of housing stress in Australia, using predictive analytics to identify leading indicators that can help target households at risk of housing stress, arrears, default or eviction. Dynamic event analysis and multi-stage budgeting will cast light on the journeys into housing stress and identify potential mitigators.

  Lead researcher: Professor Alan Duncan, Curtin University
  Project number: 81367

• Older Australians in private housing: modelling policy levers to improve housing outcomes

  As more older Australians retire without owning a home, understanding how housing markets impact wellbeing is critical. This project will use empirical analysis and life-cycle modelling to examine the links between housing costs, income support and wellbeing. It will quantify poverty risks and simulate reforms to support vulnerable older Australians.

  Lead researcher: Professor Kadir Atalay, The University of Sydney
  Project number: 73369

• Prospects for rent to buy in Australia

  This project will investigate the policy potential of rent-to-buy schemes in Australia, combining international reviews, stakeholder interviews, discrete choice experiments, and structured workshops to assess scheme feasibility, preferences, and design options that could support wider uptake and equitable access to home ownership.

  Lead researcher: Professor Akshay Vij, Adelaide University
  Project number: 33380

• Quality and appropriate housing for people with disability: improving delivery and access

  This investigative panel will critically examine how systems and practices across the housing and disability support sectors are being recalibrated in response to nation-wide reforms. The outcomes will offer policymakers and industry practitioners actionable, evidence-based recommendations and best-practice examples to enhance appropriate housing delivery and access for people with disability.

  Lead researcher: Dr Adam Crowe, Curtin University
  Project number: 81381

• Rental stock dynamics in Australia: building an evidence base for policy action

  This project will analyse Australia’s rental stock dynamics using innovative spatial and econometric methods. By linking rental bond, housing and population data, it will identify drivers of stock change, and test policy levers to improve rental market stability, affordability and equity, providing vital evidence to inform national and state housing strategies.

  Lead researcher: Professor Alan Duncan, Curtin University
  Project number: 81385

• Risk of homelessness in Australia: new data for policy development and evaluation

  Using HILDA and Census data this research will produce updated and improved estimates of the population at-risk of homelessness at multiple spatial scales and explore change over time. An advisory panel will shape exploratory analysis with existing homelessness indicators and explore implications for homelessness policy and its evaluation.

  Lead researcher: Dr Deb Batterham, Swinburne University of Technology
  Project number: 51378

• The balance of housing assistance across Australia: insights and implications

  This project maps out the program logic that shapes housing assistance across Australia, making comparisons between jurisdictions and internationally. Through policy review, interviews and a workshop, it provides policy makers with alternative solutions, best practice and ways to align public resources with housing assistance objectives.

  Lead researcher: Professor Andrew Beer, University of South Australia
  Project number: 32358

• The role of Commonwealth Rent Assistance in housing, financial, well-being and health outcomes

  This project conducts analysis to understand the impacts of Commonwealth Rent Assistance (CRA) on homelessness, financial insecurity, well-being and health of low-income and privately-renting parents and children. This project also examines the role of CRA in intergenerational transmission of disadvantages before providing advice to address the private rental unaffordability issue.

  Lead researcher: Professor Chris Leishman, University of South Australia
  Project number: 32345

• Understanding homelessness - new insights with new data

  Homelessness imposes significant costs on individuals and society. This research will merge data from a Specialist Homelessness Service provider to unit record files from the Person Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA) to better understand the relation between homelessness interventions, income support patterns and housing trajectories.

  Lead researcher: Professor Stephen Whelan, The University of Sydney
  Project number: 73346