The Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative Plus (HASI Plus) is a program for people with severe mental illness and significant difficulties managing day to day living. The Ministry commissioned the Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC) to evaluate the HASI Plus program. This is the report...

This study explores how critical life events can be used to predict short-term, medium-term and long-term periods of housing stress for individuals and households, which might, in turn, lead to further housing and related forms of disadvantage and support needs.

This research looks at the appeal, benefits and disadvantages of living in retirement villages, as well as at the business models employed and how the Australian government can help the sector to expand.

This research investigates lower income older households’ preferences for a range of alternative housing models and examines which of these would best meet their needs, as well as identifying ways to support households deciding their housing options.

The 2022 flooding events in the Northern Rivers worsened an already strained housing system. This project report examines the extent to which existing constraints in the housing system have hindered the flood recovery process.

The NSW Ministry of Health commissioned the Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC) to evaluate the CLS-HASI programs. The evaluation involved two rounds of qualitative interviews and focus groups, as well as the analysis of quantitative program data and statewide outcomes data about consumers. This report...

COVID-19 has radically changed the housing landscape - not only for tenants, but also for landlords, real estate agents, advocacy groups, and all levels of government. This research finds that it is likely that many of the negative impacts of the pandemic on the rental...

This research investigates models for engaging private sector investors and developers in financing or delivering social and affordable housing, across different market segments and tenures in Australia and internationally. It also identifies key existing and potential players, and financial, regulatory or development barriers to wider...

The Victorian state election in November 2022 creates an opportunity for Victorians to encourage decision makers to make the changes needed to end homelessness. This position paper calls on the next Victorian government to implement 27 changes that would help to end homelessness.

Policy makers are investing heavily in rental assistance programs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper discusses a randomised experiment to evaluate the effect of reducing the psychological costs associated with accessing emergency rental assistance on benefit take-up, and on subsequent eviction rates.

This report provides insightful narratives from people who have experienced homelessness, as well as an analysis of the successes and challenges of the Housing First programme.

This review aims to identify appropriate approaches to supporting Aboriginal people to live on their ancestral lands.

This study gathered data on the scale and scope of policy interventions in the housing system during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia—a critical first step for on-going assessment of the outcomes and impacts of the broad suite of initiatives deployed by governments in response to...

This research surveyed and analysed the circumstances for Australian renters during the initial phase of the COVID-19 lockdowns in July and August 2020. It identifies challenges for the rental sector, and provides insights into how the rental market is performing, the uptake of existing support...

This report explores the housing constraints facing diverse populations of lower income Australians and to establish how existing and innovative housing solutions can support their shelter and non-shelter aspirations across the life-course from young adulthood to later-life.

This report delivers a comprehensive account of the diverse housing circumstances of Australians at mid-life (35–54); elicits their housing aspirations and trade-offs; examines housing challenges and enablers; and ‘market tests’ future housing possibilities, including among vulnerable populations, to inform optimal policy development.

This paper is about an initiative emerging out of Perth (Western Australia) which is taking a different approach to addressing Aboriginal homelessness.

This study examines how local and international funding interventions focussed on specific regions, such as 'city deals,' deliver affordable rental housing for low income households to enhance urban productivity. Such strategic policy interventions offer some promise in creating new economic opportunities. However, explicit policies are...

Housing affordability issues were apparent in the United Kingdom even before the coronavirus pandemic, which has exposed just how vulnerable many people are to a sudden economic shock and the inadequacy of the housing safety net. This report is not just about the housing benefit...

This study investigated the homelessness services system and families to identify what is working well, what could be expanded to improve housing and wellbeing outcomes, and the potential for beneficial system redesign.

This research report documents that the ‘Australian dream’ of home ownership is no longer relevant in the contemporary era. Analysis of statistical trends for Australian tenure change and comparative analysis of the direction of ownership in equivalent countries are the basis for this conclusion.

The purpose of this paper is to establish the true extent of existing demand for social housing in Australia, and to model the potential future demand that could be created by shifts in the labour market as a result of automation and artificial intelligence (AI).

The ongoing trend of increasing housing cost pressures on lower-income Australians over the past decade provides the context for the high incidence of financial stress, particularly among tenants in low-rent areas of Sydney and Melbourne.

Education First Youth (EFY) Foyers expand upon the original Youth Foyer concept by prioritising education as key to a sustainable livelihood. This report describes the outcomes of 162 EFY Foyer participants who exited between September 2013 and July 2017, making them eligible for a twelve-month...

This research modelled five alternative pathways to funding social housing and found the ‘capital grant’ model, supplemented by efficient financing, provides the most cost effective model for Australia. The research also established the current and future unmet need for social housing in different parts of...