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Dr Kate Raynor

Director, Centre for Equitable Housing

Dr Kate Raynor is the Director of the Centre for Equitable Housing. Her career spans digital communication, academia and consulting, with previous roles as Post Doctoral Research Fellow and coordinator of housing research at the University of Melbourne and Principal Social Consultant at Umwelt Environmental and Social Consultants. She holds a Bachelor of Urban Planning and a PhD in Urban Planning from Queensland University of Technology.

Kate is passionate about the role of research and advocacy in supporting a more just housing system. Kate is an acknowledged thought leader and expert in social and affordable housing and has published widely in academic journals, industry reports, news media and articles. She has provided commentary across radio, tv and print media and is a regular contributor to The Conversation where her articles have reached over 160,000 viewers. She has lead research projects on older women’s homelessness, experiences of stigma and housing satisfaction in public housing, housing stress during COVID-19, access to crisis accommodation for survivors of family violence, just transitions in Australia’s renewable energy zones and perceptions of high-density housing.

She is currently a member for the City of Melbourne Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, formerly a member of the Lord Mayors Charitable Foundations Affordable Housing Challenge committee and a frequent guest lecturer at the University of Melbourne and Monash.

Kate's Publications

Equitable Housing
August 11, 2025

Poverty and Housing in South Australia

South Australia is experiencing rising levels of housing stress, poverty, and homelessness, driven by a combination of low incomes, rapidly increasing rental costs, limited housing supply, falling provision of social housing and under-resourced support systems.
Equitable Housing
April 9, 2025

Submission to the Inquiry into the Redevelopment of Melbourne’s Public Housing Towers

Per Capita joins many others in questioning the lack of transparency around the costs associated with retrofit or knock-down and rebuild of public housing towers in Melbourne. We also question the rationale that underpins the decision-making process.