Education and public housing

![CDATA[Government housing assistance is provided to achieve various outcomes, including greater affordability. The shelter outcomes of assistance packages have been well documented by Australian policy makers and researchers. However, beyond the shelter impacts, housing programs can affect other important aspects of recipients’ lives. These outcomes are known as non-shelter impacts of housing. Recent studies give clear indications that housing has an influence on people’s health, education, safety and employment. Among these factors, the relationship between housing and health has been subject to greatest attention. Although the link between housing and education has been mentioned in some studies, to date there is only limited research on the impact of housing upon children’s education in the Australian context. Much research has targeted broad factors affecting educational outcomes but it is only in recent years that the role of housing in this equation has been addressed directly. In a recent longitudinal survey of new public housing tenants in Brisbane, about 50 percent of parents reported improved educational performance and motivation of their children after their housing situation had stabilised, and only 10 percent reported a decrease in performance or motivation. The impact of mobility is a significant issue in this regard. The research supporting this paper consists of qualitative interviews given by public housing tenants in Brisbane who have school-aged children, and who have lived in their present housing for a few years. The purpose of the interviews was to help identify pathways between housing and educational outcomes. In conclusion the paper addresses policy implications of the research findings.]]