Media Release
May 3, 2004
Study looks at how your house effects your job prospects
Living in community housing in Noarlunga may make a difference to whether or not you can find and keep a job.
The theory that the sort of housing you live in may or may not effect employment opportunities is about to be tested in a new study focussing on Adelaide’s Southern and Northern Suburbs.
Researchers from The University of South Australian and Flinders University are joining forces to look at how aspects of where you live and the kind of accommodation you rent impact on your job prospects.
UniSA’s Dr Kathy Arthurson and Flinders University’s Dr Anna Ziersch will be using Noarlunga and the Parks as key areas for the study which will look at how living in community housing, public housing and private rental housing may help or hinder people in their quest to find and keep a job.
Funded through the Southern Australian Housing Urban Research Institute and the Department of Human Services the project will focus on how renters find out about job opportunities and how they feel issues related to accommodation impact on their progress in getting a job and maintaining working life.
“We want to interview a wide range of people who are in rental accommodation and we are especially interested in hearing the views of people renting from private landlords in The Parks and Noarlunga areas who are also receiving Commonwealth Rental Assistance payments,” Dr Arthurson says.
“We are also keen to talk to tenants living in public housing and community housing. We are interested in people’s own perceptions of the impact their accommodation may have on finding and maintaining work. We are also hoping to get some input from people on what factors might be improved to make finding and keeping work easier.”
The researchers are keen to have people come along to one of six group discussions (three held in the Parks area and three in the Noarlunga area) which will be held the week beginning May 24.
“We hope to talk with about 60 people who are living in three styles of accommodation – community housing, public housing and private rental housing in the areas selected so we can get the broadest possible perspective.”
The discussions will be facilitated by one of the researchers and participants will receive light refreshments and a $30 Westfield shopping voucher for their involvement.
Any information collected, including personal information, will remain confidential and no information which could lead to the identification of any individual will be made public.
If you would like to participate in the group discussion please register your interest at UniSA on (08) 8302 2227 – details of session times will be forwarded to you by post or telephone.
More information
- Dr Kathy Arthurson office (08) 8302 2232 email kathryn.arthurson@unisa.edu.au
Media contact
- Michèle Nardelli office (08) 302 0966 mobile 0418 823 673 email michele.nardelli@unisa.edu.au