COVID-19 research projects on housing policy response

Stretton Institute Program Directors, Professor Emma Baker and Professor Chris Leishman, awarded two of eight priority COVID-19 research projects announced by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI).

Professor Emma Baker will lead a project on Renting in the time of COVID-19: understanding the impacts. 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 rapidly generates a nationwide dataset and essential reporting on the impact of COVID-19 on tenants.

Professor Chris Leishman will lead a project on Supporting Australia’s housing system: modelling pandemic policy responses. 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.

Emma leads the Institute's Building a City for the Future policy research program and is Professor at the School of Architecture and Built Environment. Chris leads the Economic Productivity through Population program and is also Director of the Hugo Centre for Population and Housing.

Congratulations Emma and Chris!

More information AHURI eight COVID-19 research projects here.