This study investigated how social housing pathways are conceptualised and constructed by housing policies in Australia; who is moving into and out of social housing; and what is the lived experience of people who have moved into, within or out of social housing.

Social housing pathways are the housing experiences of tenants and their households over time and space. These pathways are not linear and also include changes in tenure, household form, experiences and attachment to social housing.

Key points:

• Demand for social housing in Australia significantly exceeds supply.
• The policy response to the demand has focused on ‘pathways’, with pathways being shaped by increased targeting to people with the highest needs.
• As a result, there are inconsistencies between operational policies and the reality of people’s lives as they traverse housing pathways.
• As a society, it is critical we can answer the most frequent question that emerged from this research project: ‘A pathway to where?’