Housing insecurity and the hidden legal crisis in rental housing

Hannah Gray, Senior Researcher at Tenants Victoria, has a strong background in research focused on legal and community service responses to renters, people experiencing homelessness, those affected by or at risk of family violence, and the LGBTQI+ community. 

Hannah has a passion for developing projects through collaborative research partnerships in the government and not-for-profit sectors. Through these partnerships, she has led and authored research that interrogates the complex pathways to justice and housing stability among communities who face discrimination and heightened barriers when seeking support.  

In her role at Tenants Victoria, Hannah has been instrumental in advancing policy development and research aimed at improving service impact, design, and delivery. Her work includes establishing approaches to elevate renter voices through qualitative research, implementing renter feedback processes to capture deeper insights into service experiences, and creating visual tools that map the help-seeking journeys of renters. 

Studying legal need and capability from every angle, Hugh has worked on several landmark access to justice and legal needs projects. 

Previously at the Law and Justice Foundation of NSW for 15 years, Hugh joined Victoria Law Foundation in September 2019 as Principal Researcher, taking on the Research Director role in August 2024. He led the Foundation’s Data Mapping Project, a sustained examination of the use and utility of Victoria’s civil justice data and continues to work on the Public Understanding of Law Survey.

Throughout his career, Hugh has worked closely with legal aid commissions, community legal centres, and state and federal governments, giving him a deep understanding of legal institutions and access to justice issues throughout Australia.