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Common Ground in Australia: An Object Lesson in Evidence Hierarchies and Policy Transfer

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  • Cameron Parsell
  • Suzanne Fitzpatrick
  • Volker Busch-Geertsema

Abstract

Developed in New York City in 1990, the Common Ground model of supportive housing has recently been embraced in Australia as a high-profile solution to chronic homelessness. Combining on-site support services with a congregate housing form accommodating ex-homeless people and low-income adults, Common Ground is presented as an innovative model which permanently ends homelessness, enhances wellbeing, and strengthens communities. This article critically examines the process of transferring the model into Australia's social housing sector, drawing on the perspectives of the high-level stakeholders closely involved. It argues that, despite official commitments to evidence-based policy, the 'advocacy coalition' driving this international policy transfer employed a 'knowledge hierarchy' wherein professional intuition and personal experience were afforded a higher status than formal evaluative evidence. The article provides an example of the contested nature of what 'counts as evidence' in housing and homelessness policy, and considers what role academic research - as well as other knowledge sources - should play in the policy development process.

Suggested Citation

  • Cameron Parsell & Suzanne Fitzpatrick & Volker Busch-Geertsema, 2014. "Common Ground in Australia: An Object Lesson in Evidence Hierarchies and Policy Transfer," Housing Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(1), pages 69-87, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:chosxx:v:29:y:2014:i:1:p:69-87
    DOI: 10.1080/02673037.2013.824558
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    Cited by:

    1. Cameron Parsell, 2016. "Surveillance in supportive housing: Intrusion or autonomy?," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 53(15), pages 3189-3205, November.
    2. Flanagan, Kathleen & Martin, Chris & Jacobs, Keith & Lawson, Julie & Hayward, Richard Donald, 2019. "A conceptual analysis of social housing as infrastructure," SocArXiv wmuc4, Center for Open Science.
    3. Laurence Murphy, 2016. "The politics of land supply and affordable housing: Auckland’s Housing Accord and Special Housing Areas," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 53(12), pages 2530-2547, September.
    4. Stephen Metraux & Yi-Ping Tseng, 2017. "Using Administrative Data for Research on Homelessness: Applying a US Framework to Australia," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 50(2), pages 205-213, June.
    5. Stefan G. Kertesz & Guy Johnson, 2017. "Housing First: Lessons from the United States and Challenges for Australia," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 50(2), pages 220-228, June.
    6. Tom Baker & Pauline McGuirk, 2021. "Out from the shadows? Voluntary organisations and the assembled state," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 39(7), pages 1338-1355, November.
    7. Clifford, Brendan & Wilson, Andrew & Harris, Patrick, 2019. "Homelessness, health and the policy process: A literature review," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(11), pages 1125-1132.

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