Stream One: Life Course | Healthy Housing CRE

Stream one

Life course, prevention and intervention

What are the short and long-term health benefits of improving the condition, affordability and security of housing for children and adults?

Projects:

Housing affordability and security and the health of Indigenous families across the life course.
Understanding the impact of rental reform on health in Australia: a natural experiment.Is the social housing sector maximising health for Australian families in need?

PhD Projects:

Adelle Mansour

Working title: Towards climate resilient and healthy housing: what is the role of citizen science?

Maria Gatto

Understanding the mental health impacts of mould-affected housing.

Journal articles

Arundel, R., Li, A., Baker, E., & Bentley, R. (2024). Housing unaffordability and mental health: dynamics across age and tenure. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOUSING POLICY, 24(1).
Bentley, R., Baker, E., Martino, E., Li, Y., & Mason, K. (2021). Alcohol and tobacco consumption: What is the role of economic security? ADDICTION, 116(7).
Bentley, R., Daniel, L., Li, Y., Baker, E., & Li, A. (2023). The effect of energy poverty on mental health, cardiovascular disease and respiratory health: a longitudinal analysis. LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH-WESTERN PACIFIC, 35.
Fleckney, P., & Bentley, R. (2021). The urban public realm and adolescent mental health and wellbeing: A systematic review. SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE, 284.
Howard, A., Mansour, A., Warren-Myers, G., Jensen, C., & Bentley, R. (2023). Housing typologies and asthma: a scoping review. BMC PUBLIC HEALTH, 23(1), 1766.
Lai, G., Morphett, K., Ouakrim, D.A., Mason, K.E., Howe, S., Rees, V.W., Li, S. and Gartner, C. (2024). Tobacco control interventions for populations living in subsidised, low-income housing: a scoping review. Public Health Research & Practice, 34(1).
Lee, S.M., Martino, E., Bismark, M. and Bentley, R., 2022. Evidence to guide ethical decision‐making in the management of older people living in squalor: a narrative review. Internal Medicine Journal, 52(8), pp.1304-1312.
Li A, Mansour A, Martino E, Bentley R. 1366 Environmental noise exposure and mental health: an analysis of a longitudinal survey of Australian households. International Journal of Epidemiology. 2021;50(Supplement_1):dyab168-378.
Li, A., Baker, E., & Bentley, R. (2022). Understanding the mental health effects of instability in the private rental sector: A longitudinal analysis of a national cohort. SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE, 296.
Li, A., Baker, E., & Bentley, R. (2024). Housing and mental health inequalities during COVID-19: the role of income and housing support measures. HOUSING STUDIES.
Li, A., Mansour, A., & Bentley, R. (2023). Green and blue spaces, COVID-19 lockdowns, and mental health: An Australian population-based longitudinal analysis. HEALTH & PLACE, 83.
Li, A., Martino, E., Mansour, A., & Bentley, R. (2022). Environmental Noise Exposure and Mental Health: Evidence From a Population-Based Longitudinal Study. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 63(2).
Li, A., Mason, K., Li, Y., & Bentley, R. (2025). The challenges of quantifying the effects of housing on health using observational data. Annals of Epidemiology, 102, 23-27.
Li, A., Toll, M., & Bentley, R. (2023). Health and housing consequences of climate-related disasters: a matched case-control study using population-based longitudinal data in Australia. LANCET PLANETARY HEALTH, 7(6).
Li, A., Toll, M., & Bentley, R. (2023). Mapping social vulnerability indicators to understand the health impacts of climate change: a scoping review. LANCET PLANETARY HEALTH, 7(11). Li, A., Toll, M., Candido, C., & Bentley, R. (2025). The validity and accuracy of self-reported measures in assessing indoor mould exposure. Journal of Building Engineering, 111932.
Li, A., Toll, M., Martino, E., Wiesel, I., Botha, F., & Bentley, R. (2023). Vulnerability and recovery: Long-term mental and physical health trajectories following climate-related disasters. SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE, 320.
Mansour, A., Bentley, R., Baker, E., Li, A., Martino, E., Clair, A., Daniel, L., Mishra, S. R., Howard, N. J., Phibbs, P., Jacobs, D. E., Beer, A., Blakely, T., & Howden-Chapman, P. (2022). Housing and health: an updated glossary. JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY AND COMMUNITY HEALTH, 76(9).
Martino, E., Li, Y., Kali-Opio, J., & Bentley, R. (2022). Between liminality and a new life in Australia: What is the effect of precarious housing on the mental health of humanitarian migrants? Cities, 131.
Martino, E., Mansour, A., & Bentley, R. (2023). Housing Vulnerability and COVID-19 Outbreaks: When Crises Collide. URBAN POLICY AND RESEARCH, 41(1).
Meadows, J., Mansour, A., Gatto, M., Li, A., Howard, A. and Bentley, R. (2023). Mental illness and increased vulnerability to negative health effects from extreme heat events: a systematic review. Psychiatry research, p.115678. Singh, A., Martino, E., Mansour, A. and Bentley, R. (2024). Smoking uptake amongst adolescents in Social Housing Australia. Nicotine and Tobacco Research.

Plain language

Bentley, R. and Baker, E. 2020. Australian homes on the line. Pursuit, 3 April. Available at: https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/australian-homes-on-the-line
Bentley, R. and Law, T. 2023. How do I know if a rental house is mouldy before I sign the lease? 12 things to check. The Conversation, 13 October. Available at: https://theconversation.com/how-do-i-know-if-a-rental-house-is-mouldy-before-i-sign-the-lease-12-things-to-check-214571
Bentley, R. and Law, T. 2023. What if I discover mould after I move into a rental property? What are my rights? The Conversation, 25 December. Available at: https://theconversation.com/what-if-i-discover-mould-after-i-move-into-a-rental-property-what-are-my-rights-215146
Bentley, R. and Li, A. 2022. Sudden mould outbreak after all this rain? You’re not alone – but you are at risk. The Conversation, 2 March. Available at: https://theconversation.com/sudden-mould-outbreak-after-all-this-rain-youre-not-alone-but-you-are-at-risk-177820
Bentley, R., Willand, N. and Law, T. 2023. Breaking the mould: why rental properties are more likely to be mouldy and what’s needed to stop people getting sick. The Conversation, 16 May. Available at: https://theconversation.com/breaking-the-mould-why-rental-properties-are-more-likely-to-be-mouldy-and-whats-needed-to-stop-people-getting-sick-205472
Li, A., Baker, E. and Bentley, R. 2022. Stability and security: the keys to closing the mental health gap between renters and home owners. The Conversation, 24 March. Available at: https://theconversation.com/stability-and-security-the-keys-to-closing-the-mental-health-gap-between-renters-and-home-owners-179481
Li, A., Toll, M. and Bentley, R. 2023. Climate-related disasters leave behind trauma and worse mental health. Housing uncertainty is a major reason why. The Conversation, 6 June. Available at: https://theconversation.com/climate-related-disasters-leave-behind-trauma-and-worse-mental-health-housing-uncertainty-is-a-major-reason-why-206861
Li, A., Toll, M. and Bentley, R. 2024. We aren’t all equal when it comes to climate vulnerability. Pursuit, 22 February. Available at: https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/we-aren-t-all-equal-when-it-comes-to-climate-vulnerability
Li, A., Toll, M., and Bentley, R. 2023. Why housing is a critical focus for climate and health policy. Croakey, 7 June. Available at: https://www.croakey.org/why-housing-is-a-critical-focus-for-the-forthcoming-national-health-and-climate-strategy/
Mansour, A., Martino, E. and Bentley, R. 2021. Why social conditions need to guide our COVID-19 policies. Pursuit, 2 August. Available at: https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/why-social-conditions-need-to-guide-our-covid-19-policies

PhD papers

Gatto, M.R., Mansour, A., Li, A. and Bentley, R., 2024. A State-of-the-Science Review of the Effect of Damp-and Mold-Affected Housing on Mental Health. Environmental Health Perspectives, 132(8), p.086001.
Howard, A., Li, A. and Bentley, R., 2023. Parental co-residence and young adults’ mental health. Plos one, 18(11), p.e0294248.
Li, Y., Singh, A. & Bentley, R. Housing Australian Children: A Snapshot of Health Inequities in the First 2000 Days. J Urban Health (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-024-00925-0