The AHURI Research Centre at the University of South Australia is a member of the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI), a national, independent research network that provides high quality research to influence and improve policy development in relation to housing and urban needs. 

Our Focus

Providing critical, evidence-based research for policy development on a range of issues, including:

  • housing supply and affordability;
  • urban planning and infrastructure development;
  • homelessness; economic productivity;
  • social cohesion and wellbeing.

AHURI Logo

Mission Statement

The aim of the AHURI Research Centre at UniSA is to support high-quality, policy-relevant research. Our researchers collaborate across UniSA and nationally on a range of topics in the area of housing and urban development. Along with the research funding opportunities that arise through our partnership with AHURI, we also source grants and projects through industry and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Our People

Leadership and Management Team

Dr Jack Wilde
Administrative and Project Officer

Current UniSA AHURI  Projects

Published AHURI reports by UniSA researchers

The past year has seen successful publications by UniSA researchers through AHURI, as follows. All project reports are available for download from the AHURI website (www.ahuri.edu.au):

AHURI reports 2022

AHURI reports 2020/2021

AHURI COVID-19 reports

NHRP2021:

Sustainable housing at a neighbourhood scale

Led by Professor Stefanie Dühr, the project is part of a larger Inquiry into housing in a circular economy led by Professor Ralph Horne (RMIT). Other UniSA researchers involved in the ‘Sustainable housing at a neighbourhood scale’ project are Dr. Stephen Berry, and Dr. Jack Wilde.

A data-driven policy roadmap for the rental sector in post-pandemic Australia

Professor Andrew Beer is involved in this project led by Emma Baker (University of Adelaide).

Rethinking social housing stock matching and allocations: innovations in policy and practice

Dr. Selina Tually and Professor Ian Goodwin-Smith are involved in this project led by Iris Levin (Swinburne University of Technology).

Regulation of residential tendencies and impacts on investment in changing rental markets

Professor Eileen Webb is involved in this project led by Chris Martin (UNSW).

Crisis Accommodation in Australia: Now and for the Future

Dr. Selina Tually, Professor Ian Goodwin-Smith and Dr. Veronica Coram are involved in this project led by Deb Batterham (Swinburne University of Technology).

 

NHRP2020:

Inquiry into Growing Australia’s smaller cities to better manage population growth.

Led by Professor Andrew Beer (Business), the inquiry involves UniSA researchers Professor Stefanie Dühr (Creative) and William Veitch (Business). The inquiry project ‘Understanding the drivers and motivations of migration to smaller cities’ is led by Dr Akshay Vij (Business).

Inquiry into Housing policies and practices for precariously housed older Australians

Led by Dr Debbie Faulkner, the inquiry includes the projects ‘Housing models for precariously housed older Australians’, led by Dr Selina Tually (Business/TAASE) and ‘Mapping where older low-income renters live’ led by Dr Helen Barrie.

 

Urban Indigenous homelessness: much more than housing

Research statement: This project reviews policy, practice and service delivery in relation to Indigenous homelessness in urban settings. It explores culturally safe responses to homelessness from Indigenous perspectives and considers options for more holistic and better targeted, coordinated and operated support for Indigenous people experiencing homelessness in urban settings.

Research team: Associate Professor Deirdre Tedmanson, Associate Professor Alwin Chong, Dr Skye Akbar, Dr Selina Tually, Professor Ian Goodwin-Smith and Associate Professor David MacKenzie from UniSA, and Associate Professor Daphne Habibis from University of Tasmania.

News and Events

New AHURI Report released - 'Australia's COVID-19 pandemic housing policy responses'

AHURI has released a new report by a team including UniSA's Chris Leishman, Andrew Beer, and Sofia Torchia.

From the AHURI website: 'This research reviewed Australia’s COVID-19 housing policy responses to better understand their intervention approach, underlying logic, short and long term goals, target groups and level of success. It considered literature and policy from Australia and a small number of international comparator policies; conducted online surveys of landlords and of economists; and consulted key stake holders.'

Please see the following link to access more information and the full publication: https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/376

NHRP Inquiry brief and National Cities Research Program Funding Round

AHURI will issue a brief to the network for the Inquiry into social housing demand, tenancy support and client outcomes from the NHRP Funding Round 2022.

AHURI will also call for applications for a National Cities Research Program Funding Round.

 

Funding Amount

Opening

Closing

Notification - Contracting discussions

Contract finalised

National Housing Research Program  

Inquiry Brief

 

$500,000

Thursday 10 February 2022

Thursday 10 March 2022
12 noon AEST

April 2022

By 30 June 2022

 

Funding amount

Opening

Closing

Notification - Contracting discussions

Contract finalised

National Cities Research Program

Funding Round

Investigative Panel

$150,000

Scoping Project

$50,000

 

$200,000

Thursday 17 February 2022

Thursday 17 March 2022 12:00 noon AEST

April 2022

By 30 June 2022

 

For anyone interested in applying please contact Research Centre Director Braam Lowies (Braam.Lowies@unisa.edu.au), Deputy Director Stefanie Dühr (Stefanie.Duehr@unisa.edu.au), or the UniSA AHURI Research Centre (ahuri-research-centre@unisa.edu.au)

 

UniSA AHURI Scholarship Top-up Recipients

Zahra Yousefi:

This study follows the AHURI approach in “building an evidence-base of practical applied research to support policy development, and is adding new knowledge to cities, urban policy and related disciplines”. The PhD research evaluates the current policy frameworks for active travel as emerging from planning, transport and health policy sectors in Australia, and will seek to provide empirical data on how to achieve better active travel policies and outcomes for older residents. The research is expected to inform policymakers, urban planners and developers in improving built environments in the future. The outcome of this study can bring new insights for  the needs of an ageing population in urban environments to support active and healthy ageing.

During two years of research as a master’s degree student, my primary research focus was around the city growth models in the first rank university in Iran. During my PhD, I am now focusing more on urban planning, transport and health policies for older residents, in order to apply the findings to promote strategies and policies towards active travel of older residents. Both projects needed a

comprehensive overview of all the knowledge available on the topic, and a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods.

Anita Fairuz:

Recent studies show that home ownership rates among all Australians, including recent migrants are falling; primary reasons being- rising house price, deposit constraints, mortgage stress amongst others. Some people find initial deposit payment as a major obstacle of home ownership as it involves paying a large portion of lifetime savings which is hard for common people. Others find monthly mortgage payment as an impediment unless they have sound and stable income. Hence, analysis needs to be done to find out the demographic characteristics of people finding the type of obstacle more profound. Accordingly, new financial rules and regulations can be initiated to address the specific challenges of vulnerable groups. Part of this research aims to find the trade-offs people are willing to make between initial payment and mortgage payments to purchase a particular type of housing. This will enable us to understand the underlying barriers; and accordingly, new opportunities of home ownership can be introduced. Moreover, studies show that cities are not providing the type of housing that residents say they want. Detached and semi-detached houses are being constructed more than what is required; whereas there is under-supply of apartment-style housing facilities which are of greater preferences and needs of smaller households looking for rental and/or homeownership purposes. This research will look into peoples’ preferences over types of housing which can help to analyse the extent of mismatch that the market is delivering; and appropriate policy can be undertaken.

UniSA AHURI Research Centre News Archive 

Latest reports

New AHURI Reports

The AHURI website regularly publishes reports on research completed by its members, as well as work in progress, under 11 key themes. Their themes include: 

To access these reports and see the kind of research produced by AHURI funded collaboration, please visit the AHURI homepage, or click on the research themes outlined above and you will be redirected to the relevant pages.

Visit the AHURI homepage

UniSA-led AHURI Reports

The final report from the UniSA-led investigation with the University of Tasmania ‘Understanding Specialist Disability Accommodation funding’ (2019) has been published and is available to access on the AHURI website.  

Title: ‘Understanding Specialist Disability Accommodation funding’

Authors: Andrew Beer; Kathleen Flanagan; Julia Verdouw; Braam Lowies; Elizabeth Hemphill; Gina Zappia

Access the UniSA-led AHURI Reports

Contact information

For media enquiries please visit the Media Centre 

General enquiries
e: ahuri-research-centre@unisa.edu.au
t: +61 8 8302 0457
Internal Post: CWE-01

Address
AHURI Research Centre
University of South Australia,
Level 2, Way Lee Building, City West campus
Adelaide SA 5001

Are you supervising a PhD?
Part of AHURI's aim is to encourage and support the involvement of PhD candidates in AHURI-related topics. We invite supervisors whose PhD student's topic is aligned with AHURI's research interests to advise our centre administration. Students within the first year of candidature may be eligible to apply for an AHURI Top-up Scholarship.