Ian Axford Fellowships seminar: Christian Stearns – Rebuilding Sustainable Communities: Partnerships for Social Housing

Fulbright New Zealand, IPANZ and the Ian Axford (New Zealand) Fellowships in Public Policy Board invite you to the last in a series of public seminars by this year’s six Ian Axford (New Zealand) Fellows in Public Policy.

About the author

Christian Stearns, 2012 Ian Axford (New Zealand) Fellow in Public Policy

Christian Stearns is the former Director of the Greensboro Field Office of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development in Greensboro, North Carolina. During Christian’s Ian Axford Fellowship exchange to New Zealand he has been based at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (formerly Department of Building and Housing), researching the use of sustainability as a framework for social housing in New Zealand.

Abstract

The global economic crisis and related housing issues have led the New Zealand government to reappraise one of its largest assets – social housing. Similarly, the United States seeks to reform its public housing. This is an exploration of current social housing reform in New Zealand. The report uses an Action Research Model to Think, Plan, Act and Measure social housing policy.

• Think – using sustainability as a framework for social housing reform;
• Plan – social housing as part of the sustainable community infrastructure;
• Act – through sustainable community partnerships;
• Measure – sustainable outcomes and return on investment.

Using Appreciative Inquiry, the report highlights unique New Zealand policy foundations and tries to build upon them to help construct sustainable social housing policy. Hopefully, some of these materials and designs can be exported to the United States to help rebuild sustainable public housing and communities.

Ian Axford (New Zealand) Fellowships in Public Policy seminars

Ian Axford (New Zealand) Fellowships in Public Policy are for outstanding mid-career professionals from the United States of America to research, travel and gain practical experience in public policy in New Zealand for seven months, during which time they are hosted at relevant government agencies in Wellington and work towards publishing a policy report. Their reports are launched at a series of seminars, and are subsequently available to download from the Fulbright New Zealand website.

There are six Ian Axford Fellowship seminars in 2012:

• Monday 20 August:
  Caroline Park – More with Less: Exploring Service Delivery Models for New Zealand Marine Fisheries;
• Tuesday 21 August:
  David Vannier – Primary and Secondary School Science Education in New Zealand (Aotearoa) – Policies and Practices for a Better Future;
• Wednesday 22 August:
  Cornelia Weiss – Respecting Human Rights and the Rule of Law: The New Zealand Defence Force;
• Friday 24 August:
  Bruce Vaughn – The United States and New Zealand: Perspectives on a Pacific Partnership;
• Monday 27 August:
  Craig Lebamoff – If You Trust Us, You Trust Us. New Zealand in the Post 9/11 World: Balancing Security and Privacy Rights the Kiwi Way
  We regret that due to unforeseen circumstances this seminar has been cancelled;
• Wednesday 29 August:
  Christian Stearns – Rebuilding Sustainable Communities: Partnerships for Social Housing.

The seminars are jointly presented by Fulbright New Zealand and IPANZ. Tea and coffee will be provided.

IPANZ members register at www.ipanz.org.nz, non-members by email to [email protected]