JONATHAN O’BRIEN

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The Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute: a case for radical reform

2026 · REPORT · INDEPENDENT · PUBLIC

AHURI is the main body Australian governments fund to research housing and land use. We audited all 462 of its Final Reports, and 49 more it has sold to governments and peak bodies through its private consulting arm.

What we found is an institute failing at the job it is paid to do. The report argues for a new, centralised research organisation—rather than for reforming an institute that by all measures is likely beyond repair.

Written with Ethan Gilbert.

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