On-demand companion
The crisis of belonging
Why building community matters
The session at a glance
Start with the Bonnyrigg film, hear Debi’s perspective on the belonging crisis, explore six questions on loneliness and connection with Michelle, then join the audience Q&A.
Event details
- Date
- Tuesday 17 November 2026
- Session
- 11:00–11:45 am
- Room
- Ballroom
- Speakers
- Debi Marriott-Lavery and Michelle Lim
- Facilitator
- Sarah Toohey, CHIA Vic
- Format
- Bonnyrigg community film, Debi’s perspective, six discussion questions and audience Q&A
About Michelle Lim
Michelle brings research and evidence on loneliness and social connection to the conversation, exploring what helps people connect and how housing providers can create the conditions for belonging.
Bonnyrigg community
What the film shows
The two-minute film opens with SGCH’s purpose, “To create belonging.” It takes us into Bonnyrigg and introduces the people who call it home. Through their voices and everyday moments, we see what belonging looks like in this community.
The film closes with a snapshot of Bonnyrigg: 517 homes, 1,167 residents and 24 languages spoken. Then it leaves us with a question:
“If this is belonging, where is the crisis?”
I want to start with the contrast between the belonging we see in Bonnyrigg and the conditions too many people are missing elsewhere.
Why I believe we're facing a belonging crisis
Bonnyrigg shows what belonging can look like. But building that community has taken nearly 20 years, with challenges and lessons along the way.
I believe we're facing a belonging crisis because too many people are missing the conditions that help them feel they belong. This crisis shows up in different ways.
1. People can't always put down roots
Without the security of a stable home and the confidence that they can stay, it is harder for people to settle, build relationships and feel part of a place.
What this means for housing
Long-term stability is one of the conditions that gives people time to form connections. Providing a home is essential, but belonging is not automatic when the keys are handed over.
2. Having a home doesn't always mean feeling safe
People may have a roof over their heads and still feel unsafe or uncertain in the place they live. That can make it harder to feel settled or connected.
What this means for housing
How people experience their home and neighbourhood matters alongside the physical home itself. Listening to residents helps us understand what safety means to them.
3. People can feel isolated from the community around them
Living near other people doesn't necessarily mean feeling connected to them. Some people lack familiar faces, everyday contact or opportunities to take part in ways that suit them.
Evidence: loneliness and connection
Around one in six people globally experience loneliness, according to a WHO estimate using data from 2014–2023. This is a global figure, not a measure of SGCH residents.
WHO, 2025 · Evidence also appears in discussion question 2
4. Places aren't always designed for everyday connection
We don't always design neighbourhoods and shared spaces for the small, unplanned encounters that help people recognise one another. And simply providing a communal space doesn't guarantee people will use it.
Examples from our discussion
Bonnyrigg's hub and garden, and the idea of ‘bump spaces’ at Carseldine, offer ways to consider where everyday connection can happen.
Evidence: design and connection
A review of 57 studies found that design can support social connection, but no single design feature prevents loneliness.
Bower et al., 2023 · Evidence also appears in discussion question 4
5. Access and choice can be missing
Transport, work, school, services and the cost of getting around can all affect whether people can participate in community life. People also need a genuine say in where and how they live, including the choice not to join in.
What this means for housing
Connection cannot be imposed. We need to understand the practical barriers residents face and make room for different preferences, routines and ways of participating.
Evidence: having a say
Australian social housing research identifies power imbalances as a barrier to meaningful tenant participation.
AHURI, 2024 · Evidence also appears in discussion question 5
Loneliness can be one of the clearest signs that something is missing.
It's not the same as being alone, and it's not the whole story of belonging. But when people feel disconnected, loneliness can tell us something important about the conditions we're creating.
That's why I want to bring Michelle into this conversation. The research on loneliness helps us understand what's happening, what gets in the way of connection and where we can make a difference.
The questions and the thinking
Open any question to read the full prompt, Debi’s perspective and the evidence point from the deck.
Question 01From the housing crisis to the belonging crisis
“What actually happens when someone experiences loneliness, and how is it different from simply being alone?”
My perspectiveFoundation, not the finish line
A secure home changes circumstances. The next question is what happens after the keys.
Illustrative example: a safe new home can still mean moving away from family and familiar places.
One evidence pointAlone isn’t the same as lonely
WHO distinguishes loneliness (a gap between wanted and actual relationships) from social isolation.
WHO, 2025
Question 02Why do people become disconnected?
“Why do you think “belonging” is so important right now?
What are the biggest factors contributing to persistent loneliness, and what does the evidence tell us about what helps people reconnect?”
My perspectiveLives don’t fit into departments
Housing connects with health, work, transport and family. People experience these together.
Illustrative example: transport, cost or health may stop someone joining in. Another invitation may miss the barrier.
One evidence pointOne in six, globally
Around 1 in 6 people globally experience loneliness. WHO estimate, 2014–2023 data.
WHO, 2025
Question 03What actually creates belonging?
“How important are everyday encounters, familiar faces and shared experiences in helping people feel connected?”
My perspectiveSmall encounters can matter
Being recognised and seeing familiar faces can help people feel part of a place.
SGCH example: Riverwood choir creates repeated opportunities to sing, share stories and see familiar faces.
500 community events, 7,400 participants – including language groups
One evidence pointEveryday contact, greater belonging
Students reported greater belonging on days with more classmate interaction. Association, not proof of cause.
Sandstrom & Dunn, 2014
Question 04Can we design for connection?
“We know that one thing we can do as CHPs is to ensure we are building conditions for belonging right into the design of our buildings. That doesn’t need policy, it just needs our impetus.
What does the evidence tell us about the relationship between the built environment and loneliness?
Why do some communal spaces bring people together while others sit empty?”
My perspectiveA shared space isn’t a community
Spaces need to fit people’s routines, culture, mobility and preferences.
Examples to discuss: Carseldine “bump spaces” and Bonnyrigg’s hub and garden. What makes a place useful?
Westmead co-working spaces.
One evidence pointDesign enables; it doesn’t guarantee
A review of 57 studies found design can support connection. No single feature prevents loneliness.
Bower et al., 2023
Question 05Community without imposition
“How can providers create opportunities for connection without assuming everyone wants to participate?
What role do choice and agency play in creating belonging?”
My perspectiveChoice, not compulsory community
Privacy and quiet can matter as much as participation. People need genuine choices.
Illustrative example: one garden can offer group activities or an occasional quiet conversation.
One evidence pointPower can limit participation
Australian social housing research identifies power imbalances as a barrier to meaningful tenant participation.
AHURI, 2024
Question 06From tenancies to communities
“If you could give community housing providers one piece of advice about tackling loneliness through community, what would it be?”
My perspectiveMore than somewhere to live
A home creates a base for the life someone wants, including what they want to contribute.
SGCH example: the planned Arncliffe library as a place for learning, meeting and contributing.
One evidence pointBelonging through contribution
“I belong because I’m able to help my community.” Participant in a study of 19 formerly unhoused Canadian adults.
Plett et al., 2024
From understanding to action
Providing homes matters enormously, but I believe our responsibility goes further. We need to listen to residents, understand what gets in the way of connection and act on what they tell us.
The key takeaways
Long-term stability helps people put down roots. Safety, access to everyday services and opportunities for connection all matter. So do choice, privacy and having a say. These are conditions housing providers can help create, alongside the people who live in their communities.
Audience Q&A
Sarah Toohey invites questions from the audience for Michelle and me.