Centre Research Fellow Dr Stefanie Plage has received a prestigious University of Queensland Foundation Research Excellence Award, which celebrates the exceptional research achievements and leadership potential of individual early and mid-career researchers.
The award will support Dr Plage’s research into the perceptions of social housing and the kinds of care and support systems needed to foster trust and build inclusive, thriving communities by bringing together homeowners, social housing residents and people with lived experience of homelessness.
“If you ask people, many agree we need more affordable housing but when it’s next door, support often fades instead of asking what would make it work for everyone,” Dr Plage said.
“The idea is to sit down with these three groups to talk openly about their concerns, what would build trust and what support is needed so housing developments feel welcome rather than imposed.
“The benefit of what I’m proposing to do is to create a community consultation process that takes everyone seriously and doesn’t dismiss any concerns from the outset.”
Dr Stefanie Plage: How can we meet demand for social housing to end homelessness? Towards greater social license for affordable housing developments.
Dr Plage said the project aimed to translate data into something that becomes actionable to take to policymakers and governments who approve social housing developments.
The project builds on Dr Plage’s novel photovoice research at the Centre, which enhances the richness of storytelling by allowing participants to express their experiences, feelings, and hopes through photography.
“Through participant photos of meals, we saw how people use food to create a sense of routine, joy or even celebration in the middle of really challenging circumstances,” Dr Plage said.
“Similarly, when we asked people to show us what ‘home’ meant to them it wasn’t about owning a house or even having a stable address.
“It was about feeling safe, being comfortable and having some sense of control over your space.”
Dr Plage’s research is supported through ongoing collaborations with partner organisations including Anglicare Southern Queensland, Micah Projects, St Vincent de Paul Society, Common Ground Queensland, and World Wellness Group.
Read more about Dr Plage’s previous research – Health Home Hope, Hanging by a Thread: Our Search for Home and Climbing, stalling, falling: How people experiencing housing instability anticipate their futures.