Description
This Investigative Panel will consider the current challenges and opportunities that exist in the provision of housing and support services to temporary visa holders in Australia, including focussing on the individual and collective roles of local, state, and federal governments, and the interface with other agencies who support temporary visa holders (TVHs).
Over three decades, temporary migration has become a significant part of Australia's migration program and an important contributor to economic growth through skills and labour, yet the rights of TVHs in Australia and their access to services and supports are limited. This circumstance places many categories of TVHs in an ongoing situation of precarity. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the vulnerabilities of TVHs in Australia and the degree to which Australia is out of step with international counterparts in recognising and meeting its human rights obligations to all individuals residing in the country. As we emerge from the pandemic, migration will be critical in rebuilding the Australian economy, so it is timely to consider all facets of the migration process including how migrants are received into Australian communities. Housing impacts everyone but is a heightened issue for temporary migrants for whom precarity in migration status can have implications for precarity in housing and labour markets, levels of productivity and pursuit of permanent residency.
Given the pressures in finding affordable housing in Australia today the objectives of this Investigative Panel are:
- To establish the housing circumstances and experiences of TVHs (housing availability, security of tenure, housing quality and affordability) and the impact this has on other domains of life (family, education, employment, health) in the context of the different drivers of each form of TV migration;
- To critically interrogate current policies and their impact on service provision and gaps for TVHs, including in relation to housing needs and homelessness services, internationally, nationally and across jurisdictions, to identify what needs to change to improve outcomes for this group;
- To examine how federal, state and local governments and other agencies can work individually and collectively to facilitate better housing outcomes for TVHs.
After identifying the housing circumstances and experiences of TVHs in Australia and the support available to them, including best practices nationally and internationally, this investigative project will share the findings as a foundation for panel discussions and focus groups with experts in the areas of housing and migrant settlement. These forums will bring together experts in the research, policy and practice arenas fostering cross-sector dialogue to identify opportunities and challenges in the provision of housing and supports for TVHs going forward, including mechanisms for collaboration between sectors and levels of government.
This investigative panel will produce three outputs: a data report for stakeholders, a scoping paper to inform expert panels and focus groups, and a peer reviewed AHURI publication with recommendations.
The project brings together a multi-disciplinary research team of early, mid and senior-career researchers from four Australian universities. Led by a senior-researcher with extensive AHURI experience, the team brings a mix of skills and specialist experience to this topic.
SERC researchers
Project dates
2023–2024
Funding body
AHURI
