COVID-19 research to inform housing policy

The University of Adelaide is leading two rapid response research projects to help governments at all levels make the best housing policy decisions during and following the Coronavirus pandemic.

The projects are part of the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute’s (AHURI) COVID-19 Research Agenda. 

AHURI has announced a total of eight projects being delivered by university research partners designed to enhance decision making that affects many of the most vulnerable Australians, as well as supporting the economic recovery from the crisis. 

Professor Anton Middelberg, Deputy Vice-Chancellor – Research at the University of Adelaide said housing had emerged as one of the most challenging policy areas through the COVID-19 pandemic.

“AHURI has recognised the urgent need for quality research to support urban housing policy innovation given the impacts of Coronavirus,” Professor Middelberg said.

“The University of Adelaide is ready to respond with research teams who can provide governments with the most up-to-date research findings and recommendations.”

“The University of Adelaide is ready to respond with research teams who can provide governments with the most up-to-date research findings and recommendations.”Professor Anton Middelberg, Deputy Vice-Chancellor – Research, The University of Adelaide

The research, which will be fast tracked to deliver findings in the second half of 2020, examines topics across the housing continuum. The University of Adelaide’s projects are:

Renting in the time of COVID-19: understanding the impacts (Led by Professor Emma Baker) 
The economic downturn resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic has placed many in the rental market at risk; they face uncertainty, tenure insecurity and financial hardship. Guided by the needs of policy, this project will rapidly generate a nationwide dataset and essential reporting on the impact of COVID-19 in the rental market. 

Professor Emma Baker from the Housing and Healthy Cities Research Group said: “The COVID-19 pandemic, and the subsequent economic and social lockdown, rapidly changed our housing system: the way we use our homes, our ability to afford them, and the role of government safety nets. This large dataset will quickly track who’s affected, how, and what governments can do to help”.  

Supporting Australia’s housing system: modelling pandemic policy responses (Led by Professor Chris Leishman) 
This project will deliver the rapid redevelopment of economic / housing system modelling approaches to provide deep policy insights into COVID-19 housing interventions, focussing on impacts to employment, earnings, and outcomes for owners, renters and investors. The economic simulation model will simulate the probable impacts of three principal policy interventions.

Professor Chris Leishman, Director of the Centre for Housing, Urban and Regional Planning, said: “The University of Adelaide AHURI Research Centre has been disproportionately successful in this funding round, and I am delighted that our leading housing researchers are making such a strong contribution to post-pandemic housing research and policy thinking.”

The University of Adelaide is also involved in two other projects, ‘After the pandemic, can building homes rebuild Australia?’ being led by Curtin University, and ‘Post pandemic landlord-renter relationships in Australia’ led by RMIT.

For more information visit AHURI.