Researching improvements for Indigenous housing outcomes

A collaborative study by three Australian universities into Aboriginal housing outcomes has been awarded $1.15 million funding.

The study is being conducted by researchers from The University of Queensland's School of Architecture’s Aboriginal Environment Research Centre (AERC) , Curtin University, and the University of Tasmania.

The project "Aboriginal Lifeworlds, Conditionality and Housing Outcomes" will address the issues of obtaining an optimum balance between conditionality and preserving Indigenous social capital.

As the Director of UQ’s AERC, and a researcher with UQ’s Institute for Social Science Research, Professor Paul Memmott thanked the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute for its generous support.

“Through this research we hope 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,” Professor Memmott said.

“To gain positive outcomes, an intercultural professional practice model needs to be developed that can assist both State and Aboriginal community agents to improve their professional practice of recognition engagement.”

The final report resulting from the research findings will integrate case study findings from across Australia, identify general learning across the case study sites, and identify the specific policy implications for Indigenous housing.

An architect and anthropologist with over 40 years of experience in the field of Indigenous environment relations, Professor Memmott has recently been recognised for his dedication to the welfare of Indigenous Australians.

Receiving a Life Fellowship from the Australian Institute of Architects, Professor Memmott was acknowledge for his outstanding contribution to the profession through research, education, public service and advocacy on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues.

UQ’s Head of School of Architecture, Professor John Macarthur congratulated Professor Memmott on receiving the Life Fellowship.

“Professor Memmott has made an outstanding contribution to the field of architecture and indigenous housing implications as a result of this,” Professor Macarthur said.

“This accolade is a result of great dedication and hard work, of which Professor Memmott is truly worthy.”

Media: Madelene Flanagan (m.flanagan@uq.edu.au or +61 7 3365 8525)