Expressions of Interest are now open for a new research project that will evaluate the Resilient Homes Fund in Queensland.
Post-disaster reconstruction incentivisation programs have been adopted on the basis that investing in resilience measures in the home can significantly reduce the effort, cost and time to recover from disasters.
The Resilient Homes Fund was established to allow Queenslanders whose homes were damaged by floods to access grants to raise, retrofit or have their home voluntarily bought back. The program is being implemented across 39 Local Government Areas impacted by the 2021-22 Queensland floods.
Overall, studies investigating key indicators for evaluating post-disaster shelters were too focused on outputs, rather than outcomes and the impact of resilience on communities. Therefore, this research will provide actionable findings that improve the responsiveness and efficacy of recovery activities and ultimately enhance the resilience of communities.
The scope of this new two-year Evaluating the Resilient Homes Fund project will consider:
- the Resilient Homes Fund program’s design
- engagement with stakeholders
- implementation
- achievement of desired outcomes, including how key aspects of the program have supported disaster affected communities to:
- increase their resilience, thus increasing their ability to withstand and recover from future disasters
- become more sustainable, increasing their capacity to manage their own recovery without government assistance
- lessons learnt to date.
The outcomes of this project will be:
- New knowledge and evidence on how Resilient Homes Fund programs can reduce the effort, cost and time to recover from disasters. Including reducing the physical, financial, social and emotional impacts on members of the community.
- Lessons identified regarding the design and implementation to improve the Resilient Homes Fund program and other similar programs in the future to address future disasters and to adapt to a warming climate.
- Greater understanding of opportunities and barriers to the successful implementation of programs similar to the Resilient Homes Fund.
This project is co-funded by the Centre and the Queensland Reconstruction Authority.
Expressions of Interest are open until 5pm Tuesday 18 July 2023. EOIs must be prepared using the Centre's EOI submission form. Find out more about this EOI, including the submission form and any frequently asked questions, on the Evaluating the Resilient Homes Fund project page.