ARC Discovery project takes a new approach to understanding precarious living situations

30 January 2022

An Australian Research Council Discovery grant has been awarded to Professor Libby Porter and Dr David Kelly.

State budget bounce-back: experts on where funding should go

13 May 2021

After undergoing the harshest lockdowns in the country, how should Victoria spend its budget to bounce back? RMIT academics share their expert view on where best to splash the cash for the state’s COVID-19 recovery.

Three key takeaways ahead of the Victorian budget

19 November 2020

As Victoria turns the corner, economic, social housing and urban planning experts point to three key shifts in the upcoming Victorian Budget.

CUR researchers among The Conversation’s leading thinkers

27 October 2020

Two of our RMIT CUR researchers have been recognised in The Conversation’s 2020 annual yearbook examining a life changing year and what comes next.

Melbourne tower lockdowns unfairly target already vulnerable public housing residents

06 July 2020

This week, the Victorian government unilaterally placed the residents of nine public housing towers in inner Melbourne under “hard lockdown” due to the “explosive potential” of increasing COVID-19 cases.

Public land is being sold exactly where thousands on the waiting list need housing

27 May 2020

The need for public housing is greater than ever before – Australia has a shortfall of at least 433,000 dwellings. Using public land for public housing is a no-brainer. But, at the time of writing, the Victorian government is preparing to sell over 2,646 hectares of land.

Reforming land policy for affordable and inclusive housing

13 May 2020

How policy makers regard and manage the ownership and use of land has profound consequences for the affordability of our homes and the inclusiveness of our neighbourhoods.

Victoria wastes potential for public housing on own land: study

03 May 2020

Victorian governments have wasted two decades of opportunities to address the state’s housing crisis, selling surplus public land that could have been used for 11,000 public housing units, new analysis reveals.

How 1 bright light in a bleak social housing policy landscape could shine more brightly

22 November 2019

In the year since the Australian government created the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation (NHFIC), its bond aggregator, AHBA, has raised funds for affordable housing providers, allowing them to refinance loans under better conditions.

Shh! Don’t mention the public housing shortage. But no serious action on homelessness can ignore it

10 October 2019

Today, October 10, is World Homeless Day. Next week the Council to Homeless Persons will convene the Victorian Homelessness Conference to discuss options for ending homelessness.

From hospital to homeless: Victoria’s mental health system fails the most vulnerable

11 July 2019

People experiencing homelessness and poor mental health are among Australia’s most vulnerable citizens. Without secure housing and an accessible mental healthcare system, recovery from mental illness is seriously compromised.

Australia’s social housing policy needs stronger leadership and an investment overhaul

03 July 2019

Australia will need another 730,000 social housing dwellings in 20 years if it is to tackle homelessness and housing stress among low-income renters.

Public housing program risks reducing homes for vulnerable groups: report

29 May 2019

A new report evaluating the Victorian Government’s program to redevelop inner suburban public housing estates says the plan may reduce the amount of homes available for vulnerable households.

Is social housing essential infrastructure? How we think about it does matter

06 February 2019

As house prices subside from recent record highs, Australians are struggling to obtain the housing they need to be as healthy, well and secure as they could be yet many Australians have no home at all.

Labor’s housing pledge is welcome, but direct investment in social housing would improve it

18 December 2018

Despite recent falls in the housing market, housing costs and indebtedness bite deeply into household budgets, especially at Christmas time.

Australia needs to triple its social housing by 2036. This is the best way to do it

18 November 2018

Australia needs to triple its small stock of social housing over the next 20 years to cover both the existing backlog and newly emerging need.

Social housing in Australia must triple to meet demand: report

Australia needs to triple the amount of social housing built over the next 20 years if it is to meet future demands, a new study has found.

Urban researchers shape Federal Budget plans for affordable housing

23 May 2017

Research to help reduce the financing costs for community housing providers by RMIT and the Australian Housing for Urban Research Institute (AHURI) is shaping national plans to improve housing affordability.

Sustainable housing’s expensive, right? Not when you look at the whole equation

25 August 2016

Sustainable housing can also have important benefits for some of the most vulnerable members of our community, as the report released this week shows.