An emerging body of international research suggests that housing is associated with many aspects of social and economic life, including personal and family wellbeing, mental and physical health, economic participation, social connectedness, community functioning, sustainable cities and social cohesion. It is less clear, however, just which dimensions of housing (and place) make a difference, and...

How do housing assistance programs impact economic participation outcomes, once we control for the mediating effects that intermediary variables such as ‘health’ and ‘neighbourhood’ have on economic participation outcomes?

Results indicate that various aspects of housing do have a direct relationship with social connectedness within communities, over and above the mediating impact of inequalities. Within Australian public policy it has become something of an orthodoxy to assume that housing and planning policy initiatives are positively linked to outcomes such as family functioning, educational attainment...

This final report of an AHURI research project identifies three dimensions of social cohesion: social connectedness, inequality, and cultural environment. Home ownership is more positively associated with each of these dimensions than either public or private renting.

Social housing in Australia is under pressure. Put simply, demand remains high, whilst the annual supply of vacant homes available to allocate to households has declined markedly over the last fifteen years. This report examines in detail some options to improve access to social housing.Social housing in Australia is under pressure. Put simply, demand remains...