He Kainga Oranga, the Housing and Health Research Programme, examines and clarifies the links between Housing and Health. Although the association between poor housing and ill health is known, the links that make up the causal chain have until recently been poorly understood.
Conducting our own studies and examining existing evidence enables us to identify and evaluate housing-related interventions to improve individual, family and community health. Our multi-disciplinary team has expertise in both qualitative and quantitative disciplines.
We are based at the University of Otago, Wellington. We are funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand and Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
Recent News
Reduced Aurora charges still pose affordability concerns. Senior research fellow Kimberley O’Sullivan said it was clear that the infrastructure investment needed to happen, and that households needed reliable access to electricity. Please Read for more details.
Women supporting women in making change to energy poverty. Dr Kim O'Sullivan and student Isobel Harris Clark both attended the same high school and are now working together as part of Isobel's summer studentship. Please Read for more details.
The winter "energy poverty" and its wide public health impacts has been the major focus of Dr Kimberley O'Sullivan's research at Otago University. Please Read more about ' How are you keeping your place cool this summer?" .
Current Research
Past Research
- Cool? Exploring fuel poverty with youth
- Mixed Tenure Research
- Rental housing
- Rental Housing Warrant of Fitness
- Safe Housing Enabling Long Term Effective Recovery (SHELTER)
- Home Injury Prevention Intervention (HIPI)
- HHI Outcomes Evaluation Service Cross-Agency Consortia
- Metered Out: Household Management of Electricity
- Blitz Study
- Lyall Bay Solar Energy Potential
- Close-contact infectious diseases
- Postal Survey of Electricity Prepayment Meter Users
- Evaluation of Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart
- Healthy Housing Index
- Housing and (Dis)ability Study
- Housing and Health of Medical Students
- Housing and Meningococcal Disease
- Household Energy Affordability
- Housing & childhood respiratory illness (HOME)
- Housing, Heating and Health Study
- Housing, Insulation and Health Study
- Latent Tuberculosis Infection
- Mould in Homes
- Homelessness (Severe Housing Deprivation)
- Social Housing Outcomes Worth (SHOW)
- Residential Movement, Attachment and Health
- Rheumatic Fever and housing conditions
- Second hand smoke at home
- Warm Hearts
- Warm Homes for Elder New Zealanders (WHEZ)
- Tokelau Extended Family Housing Study
Student Research
- Fraser – 2019 – LGBTIQ+ Homelessness
- Chisholm – 2016 – action to improve rental housing
- Grant – 2013 – private rental housing market
- Kimberley O’Sullivan – 2013 – fuel poverty and prepayment
- Preval – 2015 – evaluating large interventions
- Tiatia – 2014 – family centred healing
- Aspinall – 2013 – boarding houses
- Pierse – 2011- causality in community trials
- Severinsen – 2010 – camping ground residence
- Telfar-Barnard – 2010 – winter hospitalisation
- Bierre – 2008 – beliefs on private rental housing
- Free – 2008 – home heating and school absence
- Gillespie-Bennett – 2008 – home heating and NO2
- Kimberley O’Sullivan – 2008 – warm homes pilot
- Preval – 2008 – home heating cost benefit
- Amore- 2007- homelessness and policy
- Vujcich – 2007- home heating choices
- Widmer – 2006 – crowding in the 1990s
- Jera- 2005- wellbeing and subsidised housing