DrAkari Nakai Kidd

PROJECT TEAM: This project is led by Drs Akari Nakai Kidd and David Boarder Giles, Senior Lecturers at Deakin in Architecture and Anthropology, respectively, based in the Schools of Architecture and Built Environment, and Humanities and Social Sciences. Drs Kidd and Giles are members of Deakin’s HOME SRIC, and have recently completed a HOME-based research project entitled “Home Truths: Local insights into homelessness”, on which this project builds. They are joined on this project by several colleagues in HOME including: Associate Professor Ameeta Jain in the School of Finance; Associate Professor and HOME co-director Fiona Andrews and Professor Genevieve Pippin, of the School of Health and Social Development; and Professor and HOME co-director Richard Tucker, of the School of Architecture and Built Environment. Together, the team brings together a rich spectrum of expertise regarding housing systems, health outcomes, socioeconomic vulnerability, and co-design methodologies-particularly Systems Thinking in Community Knowledge Exchange (STICKE) which this project employs, and with which the team has a wealth of collective experience. PROJECT DESCRIPTION: While the negative health effects of homelessness are widely studied, far less understood are the health implications, for People Experiencing Homelessness (PEH), of the complex ecosystem of Specialised Homelessness Services (SHS) and related supports. This project investigates a critical, understudied aspect of that system: its informational infrastructures. We build on findings and community partnerships developed through pilot research with SHS providers and PEH in Greater Geelong (Giles, Nakai Kidd, et al., 2025), suggesting that barriers, bottlenecks, and redundancies in information circulation and knowledge-sharing represent systemic impediments to effective service delivery and client outcomes-with health implications including delayed care, treatment discontinuity, service fatigue, and mental distress. Through cross-disciplinary collaboration and community partnerships, this project will explore information pathways within the ecosystem and suggest interventions for the wellbeing of PEH.

Families in social and affordable housing (SAH) often face intersecting disadvantages, including trauma, domestic and family violence, housing insecurity, and poor mental health. While SAH provides essential support, poorly designed housing can compound distress. The built environment plays a critical role in psychosocial recovery, particularly for children, for whom home shapes development and wellbeing. Yet trauma- and psychologically informed design (TID) remains largely absent from SAH policy and practice. Homes that Heal addresses this gap through an interdisciplinary collaboration between Psychology and Architecture, with partners meli and Cottage by the Sea embedding lived experience in SAH design. Since 2024, the team has examined women’s housing needs and children’s relationships with home through interviews, “draw & tell” workshops, and co-creation with design professionals. The project translates children’s drawings and voices into practical Homes that Heal design principles to support recovery, development, and wellbeing.

Advocacy and Rights Centre Limited - $85,112.22

Give Where You Live Gift - GF00682 - $35,000.00

Alistair Swayn Foundation - Design Strategy Grant - 60 406 611 325 - $10,000.00

This project co-designed a Good Home-Design Blueprint for women escaping violence, informed by the lived experiences of victim-survivors and specialist housing and family violence practitioners. Focusing on women facing diverse and intersecting challenges, the project identified key design elements that support safety, wellbeing, inclusion, and long-term housing stability. The findings contribute to housing policy and practice aligned with the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022–2032.