Housing

Associate Professor Cameron Parsell was awarded a competitive Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) to produce new theoretical and policy relevant knowledge about what people do to exit chronic homelessness and sustain housing.

The two-year Mental Health Demonstration Project commenced in July 2015 to test a new integrated housing, mental health and welfare initiative to assist people in social housing to sustain their tenancies whilst managing mental illness or related complex needs.

ISSR researchers provided an interim process evaluation for the Queensland Department of Housing and Public Works to determine how the Project was being implemented across multiple agencies in the Fortitude Valley and Chermside Housing Service Centre catchment areas. We reviewed documents and guidelines and conducted interviews with program managers and key informants to assess the effectiveness of interagency collaboration and whether the Project had strengthened local response capabilities.

We also evaluated the outcomes of the Project using client data managed under a Client Outcomes Protocol designed to support open data-sharing between the Queensland Government and our research team whilst maintaining client confidentiality.

This study addresses the issues of obtaining an optimum balance between conditionality (especially tenancy rules and duties) and preserving Indigenous social capital, so as to enable an effective ‘recognition space’ between tenants’ life values and housing managers’ rule structures, to achieve positive housing outcomes within current Australian policy constraints.

The aim of this project is to analyse, quantify and improve our understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander housing needs by developing an innovative regional approach to needs assessment, that considers cultural protocols, access to services, sustainable design and regional governance.

This project examines the impact of the Queensland Government’s Anti-social behaviour management policy on social housing tenants with mental health and substance misuse issues. The project examines the relevant literature including policy and research evidence relating to sustaining tenancies; addressing anti-social behaviour in social housing; and housing provision for people with mental illness and substance misuse issues.

The study will evaluate the effectiveness of models of supportive housing.

Focusing on models with both onsite support in congregated forms and dispersed housing with support provided through outreach, it examines how different models operate, particularly the integration of support, and measures residents' experiences, preferences and outcomes.

Examine different theoretical models and practices of supportive housing by identifying:This research aims to contribute to housing and homelessness policy and practice by building an Australian supportive housing research evidence-base.

The proposed research is an examination of the role of models of supportive housing to end homelessness. It will specifically examine the practices, assumptions and effectiveness of diverse models of supportive housing in terms of ending homelessness and creating other non-housing outcomes for different groups of people exiting homelessness. The study will be informed by a multi-method, case study and comparative framework. The study will generate new data on supportive housing.

ISSR examined the effectiveness of Brisbane Common Ground, a supportive housing project that provides people experiencing chronic homelessness with access to secure, long-term accommodation and the relevant supporting services to assist them transition out of homelessness permanently. The study looked closely at the impact this supportive housing project had on the lives of the tenants, support staff and the community as a whole.