Yard Improvement
Yard areas contain a wide range of activities and service provision and these can contribute significantly in reducing crowding and improving health.
Learn MoreResearch and Development
Healthabitat undertakes a series of Research and Development projects aimed at key aspects of the Living Environment. These entail detailed design solutions for particular parts of the living environment requiring special attention or can have a large impact on people’s health. All these projects are trialled in the field to ensure knowledge is tested in real world conditions.
Living Environment Filter
Training Materials
In an environment requiring constant introduction of Housing for Health principles and operating methods to new staff and communities, a range of training materials has been developed to assist in accessibility to the details of the Housing for Health program.
Learn More
Tool Belts for Survey/Fix teams
These Tool Belts were developed to make carrying all the equipment needed to test 250 items in each house easier for the survey/fix teams whilst they move around communities.
Learn More
Temperature Control Inside the House – warm houses in cold climates
In cold climates, it can often be colder inside the house than outside in a sunny, wind protected place in the yard. Extremes in temperature inside houses can impact on the health of people.
Learn More
Temperature Control Inside the House – cool houses in hot climates
In hot climates, it can often be hotter inside the house than outside in the shade under a tree. Extremes in temperature inside houses can impact on the health of people.
Learn More
Tap Evaluation – Finding better taps
Housing for Health Survey data shows that taps are not working well. Poorly performing taps impact on the ability of the householder to maintain personal hygiene and health.
Learn More
Stove Function – finding a better solution
Housing for Health survey data shows stoves are performing poorly in Indigenous communities nationally with an average lifespan of between 6 months to two years. This project aims to address the issue of stove function.
Learn More
Pre-fab Shower, Laundry & Toilet Block
This project developed and tested a shower, laundry and toilet area including HWS, rainwater storage and filter for drinking water supply and monitoring equipment for power and water.
Learn More
Planning Assessment Tool (PAT)
The aim of this project was to produce a Housing for Health data analysis tool to help scope major upgrade works following a Housing for Health Survey Fix project.
Learn More
National Indigenous Housing Guide (NIHG) – Assessment Tool
A House project that was established to develop a range of designs to construct prototype houses that demonstrate best practice in all aspects of design, construction and detailing.
Learn More
Monitoring Water Flow
Experience has shown that the success of the Housing For Health survey/fix program can be measured directly by measurement of total water consumption into the community during the survey/fix program.
Learn More
Maintaining Houses for Better Health (MHBH)
The aim of MHBH is:
Improve targeting of housing repair and maintenance (R&M) funds to maximise value for dollar investment
Emphasise workflow outcomes to ensure quality control of R&M work
Develop IT to support flexible, secure data collection, management and reporting capabilities
Kitchen Module Design
Most kitchen areas in surveyed houses showed poor design and construction, use of poor quality materials and health hardware, and a lack of maintenance. This project tests a modular kitchen design.
Learn More
Infrastructure Survey
Nationally, essential infrastructure in Indigenous communities performs badly. House function and health rely heavily on mains services such as power, water supply and waste water. The Infrastructure survey was designed to detect faults and fix mains services that impact on house function.
Learn More
Hot Water Systems
The failure of hot water systems identified during Housing for Health survey/fix projects continues to be high and running cost a major expense.
Learn More
Gas bottles and Safety
Householders may have gas connected to their houses for cooking (oven and/or stove and/ or fridge/freezer), for heating water and for heating and/ or cooling. Non-complying gas installations are a potential and serious threat to residents and property.
Learn More
Doors: Locks, Hinges, Handles
Identify and encourage the provision of longer lasting and better quality door furniture.
Learn More
Demonstration House
A House project that was established to develop a range of designs to construct prototype houses that demonstrate best practice in all aspects of design, construction and detailing.
Learn More
