Rate My Professor Tiria Pehi

Tiria Pehi (Ngāpuhi, Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi) is a Research Fellow in the Department of Public Health at the University of Otago, Wellington, within the Division of Health Sciences. She holds a BA (Hons) and a BA in social science from Auckland University of Technology. Originating from Whangarei, Pehi has practical experience supporting individuals facing serious housing needs through community-based emergency and transitional housing services. This background has shaped her commitment to improving housing outcomes for Māori and all people in Aotearoa New Zealand. Currently, she is affiliated with He Kāinga Oranga, the Housing and Health Research Programme, where she contributes to research on housing interventions and their health impacts.

Pehi's research specializations include Māori housing and health outcomes, severe housing deprivation, the associations between racism and Māori housing, health, and wellbeing, homelessness, mental health, Māori identity, institutional racism, environmental factors, and the application of Te Tiriti o Waitangi to society. Her key publications demonstrate the influence of her work in public health and housing policy. Notable contributions are: Fraser et al. (2026), 'Evaluating fifth-year outcomes Housing First for women in Aotearoa New Zealand' in Discover Public Health; Yu et al. (2026), 'People receiving the Emergency Housing Special Needs Grant in Aotearoa New Zealand' in International Journal of Housing Policy; Ombler et al. (2025), 'Outcomes for Māori participants in Housing First' in International Indigenous Policy Journal; Pehi et al. (2025), 'What About the Kids? Identifying Children in the Housing Support System in Aotearoa, New Zealand' in Children & Society; Bierre et al. (2025), 'How many people can rent a house together? Why occupancy limits need reform' in The Briefing; Yu et al. (2025), 'The Importance of Housing Assistance on Reducing Youth Offending in New Zealand' in Urban Policy and Research; and Fraser et al. (2022), 'Post-housing first outcomes amongst a cohort of formerly homeless youth in Aotearoa New Zealand' in Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. These studies highlight the benefits of stable housing in reducing offending, supporting vulnerable groups, and informing policy on homelessness.