The housing/wellbeing connection: the role of public housing across the life course

Dec 1, 2025

This joint Motu Research/Home Foundation public policy seminar had Motu Fellow Jaimie Monk and Senior Fellow Arthur Grimes explore the relationship between public housing and wellbeing across different stages of life.

They brought together evidence on adult tenant wellbeing and children’s developmental outcomes to show how public housing can shape wellbeing. They then considered what this evidence means for policy, design and investment in public housing in Aotearoa New Zealand. 

Read Jaimie's and Arthur's recent relevant research on how starting life in public housing can set children up for a brighter future and this journal article on housing tenure and wellbeing, looking at the importance of public housing.

The presentation was followed by audience questions.

Here is the seminar recording (seminar starts 37 mins into the recording), Arthur's presentation and Jaimie's presentation.
 
Arthur and Jaimie's research was supported by the MBIE Endeavour Programme, Public housing and urban regeneration: maximising wellbeing. 

Heartfelt thanks to the Home Foundation for sponsoring this event.

When: Monday, 1 December 2025 from 12pm to 1.30pm 

Where: Russell McVeagh, Level 24, NTT Tower, 157 Lambton Quay, Wellington AND online

About the speakers
 
Prof Arthur Grimes 
Arthur is a senior fellow at Motu Research, and Professor of Wellbeing and Public Policy at Victoria University of Wellington’s School of Government. Arthur’s current research focuses on the economics of wellbeing and public policy, and on urban economics (including housing). He has published widely in both these fields, and has published also on monetary and related topics. Arthur was Reserve Bank of New Zealand Chair from 2003–2013 and Chief Economist at both the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and the National Bank of New Zealand. 
 
Dr Jaimie Monk
Jaimie is a fellow at Motu Research and the Research Lead at Home Foundation. Her work focuses on family wellbeing, housing, child poverty and children’s technology use in Aotearoa. Jaimie is passionate about developing high-quality quantitative evidence that is valuable for policy design. Her work is guided by an ecological approach which recognises children as anchored in their families and their wider communities. She is based in Ōtautahi Christchurch and is a mother of three.

Motu Public Policy Seminars are free to the public, but please subscribe to receive email notifications of Motu's events and publications.

Thanks to The Treasury, EECA and Russell McVeagh for their generous support of our seminars.