Dr Emma Baker

Biography/ Background

Dr Emma Baker is a Senior Research Fellow, and the Housing and Health Program Leader for CHURP.  She has a PhD in Geography from Adelaide University and BA (Hons.) from Adelaide University. Her PhD thesis was entitled “Public Housing Tenant Relocation: Residential Mobility, Satisfaction, and the Development of a Tenant’s Spatial Decision Support System”.  Most recently she held a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Post-Doctoral Fellowship focussed on examining the relationship between health and housing.

 

A geographer, her work examines the impact of housing and location in urban and regional environments, producing academic, as well as policy-relevant research.    Dr Baker’s recent publications include a major analysis of the housing implications of economic, social, and spatial change in Australia, work quantifying health effects of housing tenure and affordability, research on the effects of precarious and vulnerable housing for the Victorian government, and a spatial analysis of housing need in Australia.  

 

Some current and recently completed grants:

Pathways to Health and Wellbeing through Housing: A new Causal Understanding of Relationships, Processes and Interventions. ARC Discovery Project. (Baker, E, Beer, A, Bentley, R, Pevalin, D, Whitehead, C)

 

New directions in health inequalities research: Understanding the intersection between housing, employment and health in Australia ARC Linkage Project. (Bentley R, Baker E, Mallett S, LaMontagne A, Beer A, Kavanagh A, Keys D, Kolar V.)

 

The importance of gender and socioeconomic disadvantage for the mental health of people living with disabilities. ARC Linkage Project. (Kavanagh AM, Bentley R, LaMontagne A, Baker E, Beer A.)

 

Housing Assistance and the Life Course: Understanding the Impact of Policy Alternatives, ARC Linkage Project.  (Beer, A, Baker, E., Wood, G.)

 

Housing implications of social, spatial and structural change, Australian Housing and Research Institute Research (AHURI). (Flood J and Baker E)

 

Addressing Homlessness amongst person with a Disability: Identifying and enacting best practice, National Homelessness Research Project, FaHCSIA (Beer, A, Mallett, S, Bentley, R, Baker, E, Pate, A,)

 

Mitigating negative health outcomes of vulnerable & precarious housing. VicHealth Project Grant. (Bentley R, Mallett S, Baker E., Gronda H, Keys D, Kolar V.)

 

Awards & Achievements

Australian Housing Minister’s Early Career Researcher Award for excellence in housing and urban research by those beginning their careers.

Publications

Refereed Publications

• Baker, E., Bentley, R., Mason, K. (forthcoming) The mental health effects of tenure: Causal or Compositional? Urban Studies.

• Bentley, R., Baker, E., Mason, K. (2011) Measuring the dose-dependent mental health effect of poor housing affordability for men and women, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

• Bentley, R., Baker, E., Mason, K., Subramanian, S.V. and Kavanagh, A. (2011) Association Between Housing Affordability and Mental Health: A Longitudinal Analysis of a Nationally Representative Household Survey in Australia, American Journal of Epidemiology 174(7):753-760.

• Beer, A, Baker, E, Wood, G & Raftery P (2011): Housing Policy, Housing Assistance and the Wellbeing Dividend: Developing an Evidence Base for Post-GFC Economies, Housing Studies, 26:7-8, 1171-1192

• Flood, J and Baker, E. (2010) Housing implications of social, spatial and structural change, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) Peer-Reviewed Final Report.

• Flood, J and Baker, E (2009) Housing implications of social, spatial and structural change, AHURI Peer-Reviewed Positioning Paper.

• Baker, E. (2008) Improving Outcomes of Forced Residential Relocation: The Development of an Australian Tenant's Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS), Urban Studies, Volume 45 (8).

• Baker, E. and Tually, S. (2008) Women, Health and Housing Assistance: Implications in an Emerging Era of Housing Provision, Australian Journal of Social Issues, 43, 1, 123-138.

• Baker, E. and Beer, A. (2007) Developing a workable model of housing need: Applying geographical concepts and techniques to a problem of public policy, Applied Geography, Volume 27, Issues 3-4, October 2007, Pages 165-180.

• Baker, E. and Arthurson, K (2007) Housing, Place or Social Networks: What's more important for Relocating Tenants?, Australian Planner, 44,4, pp. 29-35.

Refereed Conference Papers

• Baker, E, Lester, L and Beer, A Housing Assistance and Non-shelter Benefits: An examination of health and financial stress, paper presented to the Asia Pacific Network of Housing Researchers Conference, Hong Kong, December 2011.

• Lester, L, Baker, E, and Beer, A Does housing assistance mitigate the impact of a disability on labour force participation and employment outcomes of those on lower income? Paper for the 22nd Australian Labour Market Research Workshop, February 2012.

• Baker, E, Mason, K, Bentley, R, Mallett, S (2011) Evidence on the relationship between unaffordable housing and poor health, paper presented to the State of Australian Cities Conference, November 2011.

• Baker, E., Bentley, R., Mason, K. (accepted) Is there really a mental health effect of housing tenure? Proceedings of the 5th Australasian Housing Researchers Conference, Auckland, November 2010.

• Beer, A., Baker, E., Raftery, P. and Wood, G. (2011) Is There a Wellbeing Gradient in Housing Assistance? Proceedings of the 5th Australasian Housing Researchers Conference, Auckland, November 2010.

• Beer, A., Baker, E., Raftery, P. and Wood, G. (2011) Gatekeepers and Pathways: The Impact of Administrative Processes in Shaping Access to Housing Assistance Proceedings of the 5th Australasian Housing Researchers Conference, Auckland, November 2010.

• Baker, E (2007) Housing and Health: Examining the Impacts of Generational Housing Reform on Vulnerable Urban Households, paper presented to the State of Australian Cities Conference, Adelaide, December 2007.

• Baker, E. (2006) Public Tenant Relocation: The Development of a Tenant's Spatial Decision Systems (SDSS). Australasian Housing Researchers Conference 2006, Adelaide, SA.

Refereed Book Chapters

• Beer, A and Baker, E (forthcoming) Adaptation, Adjustment and Leadership in Australia’s Rural Margins, in Sotarauta, M, Horlings, I & Liddle, J (eds.) Leadership and Change in Sustainable Regional Development, Routledge.

Conference Papers

• Bentley, R., Baker, E., Mason, K., Subramanian, S.V. and Kavanagh, A. (2011) Understanding Housing Affordability as a Determinant of Health: Isolating a Mental Health Effect of a Change in Housing Affordability, Paper presented to the 2011 HILDA conference.

• Baker, E. (2009) On a journey from housing to health: Conceptual developments and challenges, Proceedings of the Regional Studies Association Winter Conference; Global Recession: Regional Impact on Housing, Jobs, Health and Wellbeing, London, November 2009.

• Beer, A., Raftery, P., Baker, E. and Wood G. (2009) How does Housing Assistance Improve the Health and Well Being of Low Income Households? Proceedings of the Regional Studies Association Winter Conference; Global Recession: Regional Impact on Housing, Jobs, Health and Wellbeing, London, November 2009.

• Raftery, P., Beer, A. Baker, E. and Wood, G. (2009) Housing Assistance and the Life Course: Comparing the Effects of Three Interventions, Proceedings of the Regional Studies Association Winter Conference; Global Recession: Regional Impact on Housing, Jobs, Health and Wellbeing, London, November 2009.

• Baker, E. and Bentley, R. (2009) Whose health does poor housing affordability hurt more? Quantifying the mental health effect of housing stress for Australian men and women, paper presented to Australasian Housing Researchers Conference, Sydney.

• Bentley, R. and Baker E. (2009) Cumulative Housing Stress: Examining the mental health effects for men and women, paper presented to the European Network of Housing Researchers Conference, Prague.

• Baker, E. and Bentley, R. (2008) House, health and changing place: exploring the mental health effects of moving, paper presented to the 2008 ANZRSAI/ARCRNSISS Conference: People, Place and Space, Adelaide, December.

• Baker, E., Tually, S, Beer, A, Faulkner, D, Raftery, P and Cutler, C (2008) Housing careers and housing preferences of older Australians: emerging trends in the 21st century, paper presented to the Aged and Community Services Australia National Conference, Adelaide, September 2008.

• Baker, E. and Bentley, R. (2008) Changing House, Changing Health? Exploring Health Effects of Housing in Two Residential Contexts, paper presented to the European Network of Housing Researchers Conference, Residential Context of Health Working Group, Dublin, July 2008.

• Bentley R. and Baker E. (2008) Understanding the Health Effects of Housing: An Australian Mobility Approach, paper presented to the Australasian Housing Researchers Conference, Melbourne, June 2008.

 • Flood, J and Baker, E (2008) Housing implications of social, spatial and structural change, paper presented to the Australasian Housing Researchers Conference.

• Slatter, M, Baker, E., Petrie, L and Button, E (2008) When ignorance is bliss? Community title and purchasers of ‘affordable' housing, paper presented to the Australasian Housing Researchers Conference.

• Baker, E. and Arthurson, K (2006) Social Networks, Housing Quality or Residential Environment: What's More Important for the Wellbeing of Relocating Tenants. ENHR 06: Housing in an Expanding Europe, Ljubljana, Slovenia 2/07/2006.

• Beer, A. and Baker, E. (2006) Developing a Workable Model of Housing Need: Applying Geographical Concepts and Techniques to a Problem of Public Policy, International Geography Union Regional Congress, Brisbane, July 2006.

• Baker, E (2007) Generational Reform: The Health Implications of Housing Change, paper presented to the European Network of Housing Researchers Conference, Rotterdam. 

Major Reports

• Mallett, S, Bentley, R, Baker, E., Mason, K, Keys, D, Kolar, V., Krnjacki, L (2011) Precarious housing and health inequalities: what are the links?, Hanover Welfare Services, University of Melbourne, University of Adelaide, Melbourne Citymission, Australia.

• Mallett, S, Bentley, R, Baker, E., Mason, K, Keys, D, Kolar, V., Krnjacki, L (2011) Precarious housing and health inequalities: A summary, Hanover Welfare Services, University of Melbourne, University of Adelaide, Melbourne Citymission, Australia.

• Beer, A., Baker, E., Raftery, P. and Wood, G. (2010) The Wellbeing Dividend: Housing Assistance, Health and Wellbeing amongst Low Income South Australians, Linkage Partner Final Report, submitted to HomeStart.

• Beer, A., Baker, E., Faulkner, D., Lockwood, T., Kroehn, M. and Cutler. C. (2009) An assessment of the likely future demand for affordable housing in the Adelaide City Council, Final Report to Adelaide City Council, May 2009.

• Beer, A, Faulkner, D, Baker, E., Tually, S, Raftery, P, Cutler, C (Flinders Institute for Housing, Urban and Regional Research) (2009) Our Homes, Our Communities: The Aspirations and Expectations of Older People in South Australia, for ECH Inc.

• Slatter, M, Baker, E., Petrie, L and Button, E (2008) Community Titles and Affordability, report to the Affordable Housing Innovations Unit, South Australian Department for Families and Communities.

 • Beer, A., Tually, S., Faulkner, D., Raftery, P., Baker, E. and Cutler, C. (2008) Expectations of Older Age Cohorts in South Australia, Research Report Stage 3, Qualitative Outcomes, ECH, Adelaide.

• Faulkner, D. Tually, S., Baker, E. and Beer, A. (2007) Report on the Outcomes of Focus Groups for the South Australian Ageing Atlas: Ageing and its Implications for Social and Planning Policy, Report Prepared for Planning SA, Unpublished.

• Baker, E., Beer, A., Paris, C. (2006) The Development of a Methodology that Provides Indices to Measure and Monitor Housing Needs at Various Spatial Scales. Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute.

• Beer, A., Faulkner, D., Baker, E. (2006) Aspirations and Expectations of Older Age Cohorts in South Australia: Research Report Stage 1 Focus Group Outcomes.

• Spoehr J., Wright P., Baker E., O'Donaghue M. and NIEIR Centre for Labour Research, University of Adelaide, 2002, Living and Learning: A Profile of Young People, Employment, Education and Training in Northern Adelaide, Department of Education and Children's Services, State Government of South Australia.

• Baker E., Coffee N. and Hugo G. 2001, Suburbanisation vs. Re-urbanisation: Population Distribution Changes in Australian Cities, Australia State of the Environment, Second Technical Paper Series (Human Settlements), Department of Environment and Heritage, Canberra.

 

 

 

Entry last updated: Tuesday, 13 Mar 2012