Evaluation of the Resilient Homes Fund

This report presents the findings of an independent evaluation of the Queensland Resilient Homes Fund (RHF), undertaken by the University of Queensland and University of Melbourne for the Queensland Reconstruction Authority and Natural Hazards Research Australia. The RHF was a $741 million program, jointly funded (50:50) by the Queensland and Australian Governments under Category D of the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DFRA). The program consisted of three key voluntary flood resilient interventions for homeowners, including Voluntary Home Buy-Back (VHBB), Home Raising and Resilient Retrofit. In total, the RHF attracted 6,558 homeowner Registrations of Interest, with 685 VHBB contracts settled, and 341 Home Raising and 805 Resilient Retrofit grants completed.

The evaluation assesses the extent to which the RHF, implemented in a post-disaster recovery context, supported intended recovery and resilience objectives through its design and delivery. The report adopts a policy-oriented perspective, recognising that while programs conclude, their lessons for policy may inform future recovery and resilience responses. Accordingly, the evaluation examines both program performance and the policy lessons arising from the RHF. Limitations of the review are listed in Section 2.4. While the RHF was designed primarily to improve the physical resilience of housing, this evaluation also considers broader financial, social and emotional resilience effects where they are relevant to program delivery and participation. This includes how program design and delivery shaped homeowners’ capacity to engage with the program, navigate complex decisions and sustain progress over time. The overall conclusions of the evaluation are that the RHF was an effective recovery program that delivered valued resilience outcomes to many homeowners.