Robert Read

Dr Robert Read serves as a Research Associate at the University of Suffolk within the Research Directorate and Suffolk Sustainability Institute. He leads research for the Safe Suffolk Renters project—a collaboration between five district councils funded by the UK Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities—focusing on tenant-landlord experiences in Suffolk's private rented sector with specific attention to housing-health linkages.

His academic background includes a PhD investigating community land trusts and a Master's in Sociology, preceded by 30 years of professional housing and leadership roles at London and Norfolk local authorities. This dual expertise bridges practical policy implementation with theoretical housing sociology.

Read's research centers on the multifaceted concept of 'home,' examining how housing shapes community formation, health outcomes, and social inequality. His work critically analyzes private rental sector dynamics through urban sociology and public health lenses, emphasizing lived experiences of vulnerability and resilience among renters.

As a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Housing, he integrates professional accreditation with academic rigor. His conference presentations at the Housing Studies Association and Royal Geographical Society demonstrate active scholarly engagement in translating housing research into policy-relevant insights for Suffolk communities.