Who deserves a home? | Panel discussion with Alana Hunt, Alan Morris, Jessie Hohmann, and Famey Williams
About the event
With housing inequality continuing to rise, what factors shape our understanding of home, ownership and belonging?
Home is more than a roof over our heads. It shapes our sense of security, identity, connection and opportunity. Yet for many Australians, secure and affordable housing is becoming increasingly out of reach.
Bringing together leading contemporary voices across housing law, policy, community leadership and advocacy, this panel discussion will explore some of the most pressing questions facing housing in Australia today. Our expert panel will examine how experiences of home are shaped by legal, social and historical forces, including the enduring impacts of colonisation, and consider what a more just and equitable housing future could look like.
Join us for a timely conversation about housing, human rights and belonging, and the role they play in building a more democratic and inclusive society.
Panellists
Alana Hunt, artist and writer
Professor Alan Morris, UTS Institute of Public Policy and Governance
Professor Jessie Hohmann, UTS Faculty of Law
Famey Williams, CEO, Aboriginal Housing Office
Moderator
Professor Carl Rhodes, Director, The Ultimo Institute (UTS)
About the public program
The panel discussion is part of the wider public program series delivered alongside Alana Hunt’s first solo exhibition in Gadigal Nura/Sydney, To the Owner (UTS Gallery, 8 September – 18 December 2026). The program includes a series of free screenings, discussions and talks on the themes of property rights, housing and displacement.
For more information on the series, see UTS Gallery's program page.
Who deserves a home? is presented in partnership with The Ultimo Institute.
About the Panellists
Alana Hunt
Alana Hunt is a non-Indigenous artist and writer, formerly based on Gija and Miriwoong Countries in the East Kimberley region of Western Australia, now living in Gadigal Nura/Sydney. Working across film, photography, printed matter, installation, and publishing, her research-driven and socially engaged practice examines how colonisation continues to shape relationships to land, home and complicity.
Alan Morris
Professor Alan Morris is based at the UTS Institute for Public Policy and Governance, where his research focuses on housing insecurity, social housing and urban inequality. A leading voice on housing justice in Australia, his work has illuminated the lived consequences of the housing crisis for renters, older Australians and communities facing displacement, while exploring the relationship between housing, well-being and social inclusion.
Jessie Hohmann
Professor Jessie Hohmann is recognised for her innovative and thoughtful scholarship across the fields of human rights and international law. She is particularly known for her expertise on the human right to housing, her contributions to the relationship between international law and Indigenous Peoples, and her use of innovative methodologies in understanding and conveying international law's impact on everyday life. Her commitment to international law and human rights as tools for more just futures ties together her research interests and propels her work.
Famey Williams
Famey Williams is a proud Githabul woman (Mother's Country), with connections to Gomeroi country (Father's Country), and has more than 18 years' experience working with Aboriginal communities across NSW in senior government and non-for-profit organisations. She is the Chief Executive of the NSW Housing Office and has previously held positions as Deputy Secretary, Director of Housing and Client Services, among other roles.
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