Sarah Bierre

PhD (Otago), BA(Hons. 1st Class) (Victoria)
Senior Research Fellow, University of Otago, Wellington

Dr Sarah Bierre is a Senior Research Fellow with the Department of Public Health at the University of Otago and part of He Kāinga Oranga – The Housing and Health Research Programme. She has a BA(Hons) in politics and geography from Victoria University and a PhD in Public Health from the University of Otago.

In her research she uses qualitative and critical methodologies to look at how housing policy, politics and law create and alleviate inequalities in access to affordable, secure, and decent housing, with a focus on the rental sector.

Her most recent work looks at the politics and narratives of rental housing standards, the consequences and experiences of eviction, and the function of the Tenancy Tribunal. Sarah is available to supervise Masters and PhD students in similar areas of research.

Key publications

  1. Ombler, J.
    Jiang, T.
    Fraser, B.
    Nelson, J. McMinn, C. Hawkes, K. Atatoa Carr, P. Pehi, T.
    Aspinall, C
    Bierre, S.
    Schick, K.
    Howden-Chapman, P.
    Pierse, N.
    Five-Year Post-Housing Outcomes for a Housing First Cohort in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
    International Journal on Homelessness, 2024, 4(1): page 1-17
    4(1), 1-17.
  2. Bierre, S.
    Keall, M.
    Howden-Chapman, P.
    Framing home injury: opportunities and barriers to regulating for safer rental housing in Aotearoa/New Zealand
    Housing Studies,
    Published online: 19 Jun 2023.
  3. Howden-Chapman, P.
    Crane, J.
    Keall, M.
    Pierse, N.
    Baker. M. Cunningham, C Amore, K
    Aspinall, C
    Bennett, J.
    Bierre, S.
    Boulic, M
    Chisholm, E.
    Davies, C.
    Fougere, G.
    Fraser, B.
    Fyfe, C.
    Grant, L.
    Grimes, A.
    Halley, C
    Logan, A.
    Nathan, K
    Olin, C.
    Ombler, J.
    O’Sullivan, K.
    Pehi, T.
    Penny, G.
    Phipps, R
    Plagmann, M.
    Randal, E.
    Riggs, L.
    Robson, B.
    Ruru, J Shaw, Caroline
    Teariki, M.
    Telfar-Barnard, L.
    Tiatia, R.
    Toy-Cronin, B Tupara, H
    Viggers, H.
    Wall, T.
    Wilkie, M
    Woodward, A.
    Zhang, W
    He Kāinga Oranga: reflections on 25 years of measuring the improved health, wellbeing and sustainability of healthier housing.
    Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand,
    Online.
  4. Toy-Cronin, B.
    Bierre, S.
    Sustaining Tenancies or Swift Evictions: Rent Arrears in the Tenancy Tribunal
    Victoria University of Wellington Law Review
    53(1), 105–128.
  5. Howden-Chapman, P.
    Bierre, S.
    Cunningham, C.
    TE TAPEKE FAIR FUTURES IN AOTEAROA
    Royal Society Te Apārangi; ISBN (digital): 978-1-877264-48-1, ISBN (print): 978-1-877264-49-8
    Download document
    Spotlight-on-housing-Te-Tapeke-digital.pdf
  6. Howden-Chapman, P.
    Chisholm, E.
    Telfar-Barnard, L.
    O’Sullivan, K.
    Bennett, J.
    Bierre, S.
    Preval, N.
    Tiatia, R.
    Ombler, J.
    Amore, K. Rivera-Muñoz, G.
    Davies, C.
    Aspinall, C
    Oliver, J.
    Keall, M.
    Crane, J.
    Pierse, N.
    Housing, energy and health in resilient cities.
    In P. Howden-Chapman, L. Early & J. Ombler (Eds.), Cities in New Zealand: Preferences, patterns and possibilities.
    (pp. 95-106). Wellington, New Zealand: Steele Roberts Aotearoa.
  7. Pierse, N.
    Carter, K
    Bierre, S.
    Law, D
    Howden-Chapman, P.
    Examining the role of tenure, household crowding and housing affordability on psychological distress using longitudinal data.
    Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
    70, 10
  8. Bierre, S.
    Howden-Chapman, P.
    Early, L.
    Homes People Can Afford: How to improve housing in New Zealand.
    Wellington, New Zealand: Steele Roberts, Aotearoa

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