Change the Story

What if your right to a secure home was protected by law? Why is Australia one of the only liberal democracies without housing rights protection? Could a Human Rights Act help fix Australia’s housing crisis? Everyone should have a safe, secure and healthy place to call home, regardless of your postcode or bank balance. But this is not the reality for far too many people in the community. A 2025 report on the right to housing commissioned by the Human Rights Law Centre and authored by Professor Jessie Hohmann from the UTS Faculty of Law, helps shifts the focus of discussion to people. This is a talk that was originally published on the Impact Talks podcast feed, featuring Cassandra Goldie (CEO of Australian Council of Social Service and Adjunct Professor with UNSW Sydney), Professor Jessie Hohmann (Associate Professor at the UTS Faculty of Law), Tania Thompson (founder of Golden Oldies), and Caitlin Reiger (CEO of the Human Rights Law Centre). This event in February 2025 was hosted by the UTS Faculty of Law, Centre for Social Justice & Inclusion and the Human Rights Law Centre. VOICES Cassandra Goldie is the CEO of the Australia Council of Service and the Adjunct Professor of the University of New South Wales. Professor Jessie Hohmann is an Associate Professor at the UTS Faculty of Law. She is known for her expertise on the right to housing and the relationship between international law and Indigenous Peoples. Tania Thompson is the founder of Golden Oldies and the recipient of the NSW Local Woman Of The Year for Balmain in 2026. Caitlin Reiger is CEO of the Human Rights Law Centre and a human rights lawyer. CREDITS This talk was recorded on Gadigal Land in Eora, Sydney. The series was produced by Lachlan A’Court of UTS Impact Studios. It is presented by Amy Persson. CHANGE THE STORY Change the Story looks at what happens next: how people, communities, and movements are challenging and rewriting the narrative. You’ll hear podcast series on a single theme, such as challenging Australia’s monolingual mindset with new connections to Country; strengths-based approaches in community with asset mapping; and the story of Shopfront, a UTS design project that partners with community organisations to solve real-world problems. And you’ll hear talks, panels, and conversations that capture live debate and urgent thinking on social justice, social change, and community-driven solutions.

After 30 years of community engagement, a new question emerges - where to from here? Shopfront has survived changes in leadership, funding pressures, shifting university priorities and enormous changes in the communities it serves. So what has allowed it to endure, and what will it take for programs like Shopfront to continue into the future? In this episode, we explore how community engagement can become more than a collection of projects and partnerships. We reflect on what happens when engagement is embedded into the fabric of a university, how institutions can support and reward this work, and why creating opportunities for students to connect with communities remains as important as ever. Along the way, hear about hopes for the future of higher education, the challenges universities will need to navigate, and the role they can play in helping build stronger, more connected and more resilient communities. This episode asks a simple but important question - if community engagement matters, how do we make sure it lasts? Voices Professor Andrew Parfitt - Vice-Chancellor and President, UTS Pauline O’Loughlin – Founding program manager, UTS Shopfront Amy Persson - Pro Vice Chancellor of Social Justice and Inclusion, UTS Professor Verity Firth - Vice Chancellor of Societal Impact, Equity, and Engagement, UNSW Marisol Morales - Vice President, Outreach, Engagement and Regional Development,Northern Illinois University Dr Caspar de Bok - head of Educational Policy & Quality and International Affairs, Utrecht University Eva Cox AO - Sociologist, author and social commentator Scott Burns - Former Shopfront student and UTS Alumni Hosted by Dr Mehal Krayem Credits Produced by Ali Aitken Research and interviews by Dr Margaret Malone and Dr Cale Bain Change the Story is an Impact Studios podcast.

What happens when learning leaves the classroom and enters the real world? Recorded at Shopfront's 30th anniversary celebration, the final episode in this special series brings together founders, academics, community partners and former students to reflect on what happens when universities and communities work together. Through a live panel discussion, they explore the value of community-engaged learning from different perspectives. Community partners talk about the practical challenges facing the sector and the opportunities created through university partnerships. Academics reflect on the moment students encounter social issues not as theories, but as lived realities. Former students share how working with community organisations changed the way they think about their work, their responsibilities and the impact they hope to have. Part conversation, part reflection, this episode offers a glimpse into the relationships, experiences and moments of learning that have shaped Shopfront over the past 30 years, and continue to shape the people involved long after the projects themselves have ended. Voices Professor Paul Ashton – Co-Founder and former alternate director, UTS Shopfront Pauline O’Loughlin - Founding program manager, UTS Shopfront Christina Ho - Associate Professor in Social and Political Sciences at UTS Tracey-Lee Aristides - General Manager, Kings Cross Community Centre Melissa Lee - MACVAD Hosted by Dr Mehal Krayem Credits Produced by Ali Aitken Research and interviews by Dr Margaret Malone and Dr Cale Bain Change the Story is an Impact Studios podcast.

Universities are often described as places of teaching and research. But what responsibility do they have to the communities around them? In this episode, we move beyond individual projects and explore a bigger question: what can 30 years of community engagement teach us about the relationship between universities and the communities they serve? Drawing on perspectives from Australia, the United States, Germany and the Netherlands, we explore ideas of public purpose, co-creation, mutual learning, trust and the growing global movement for community engagement in higher education. Hear how universities can move beyond seeing themselves as the sole holders of expertise, and instead recognise the value of lived experience, local knowledge and community wisdom. Voices Professor Andrew Parfitt - Vice-Chancellor and President, UTS Amy Persson - Pro Vice Chancellor of Social Justice and Inclusion, UTS Phil Nyden - Professor Emeritus in Sociology, Loyola University Chicago Dr Caspar de Bok - head of Educational Policy & Quality and International Affairs, Utrecht University Professor Verity Firth - Vice Chancellor of Societal Impact, Equity, and Engagement, UNSW Norbert Steinhaus - Science Shop founder Marisol Morales - Vice President, Outreach, Engagement and Regional Development, Northern Illinois University Credits Produced by Ali Aitken Research and interviews by Dr Margaret Malone and Dr Cale Bain Change the Story is an Impact Studios podcast.

How did a small university program become a bridge between students, academics and communities for more than 30 years? In this first episode, we explore the origins of UTS Shopfront and the ideas that shaped it from the beginning. Through stories from founders, community partners and former students, we hear how collaboration, trust and a commitment to social justice helped create a program with lasting impact. From preserving overlooked histories to supporting emerging organisations, we learn that the most enduring outcomes are often not the projects themselves, but the relationships built along the way. Voices Professor Paul Ashton - Co-Founder and former alternate director, UTS Shopfront Pauline O’Loughlin - Founding program manager, UTS Shopfront Bonney Djuric - Historian and Activist Maia Ihemeje - Founder, Yung Prodigy Professor Alison Page - Former Shopfront student Scott Burns - Former Shopfront student and UTS Alumni Hosted by Dr Mehal Krayem Credits Produced by Ali Aitken Researchers - Dr Margaret Malone and Dr Cale Bain Change the Story is an Impact Studios podcast.