Housing, homelessness and mental health: towards systems change

Abstract

This research progresses the priority areas identified by the National Mental Health Commission and provides evidence about the systemic issues and policy levers to provide housing and services for people with lived experience with mental ill health.

Out of the trenches; prevalence of Australian veterans among the homeless population and the implications for public health

“…International studies suggest that the intensity of health and justice system interaction increases with chronicity of homelessness, 49,50 highlighting the significant room for cost savings resulting from addressing veteran homelessness. The cost benefits to the health system of housing people who have been homeless has an expanding platform of evidence in Australia, 42,51-53 and further research examining this in the context of homeless veterans is warranted.…”

Housing‐related delayed discharge from inpatient mental health units: Magnitude and contributors in a metropolitan mental health service

“…Despite this urgent need, government investment in social housing has decreased in recent years (Australian Institute of Health & Welfare, 2018). The Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI), among many others, has made recommendations for governments to invest more in social, affordable and supported housing (Brackertz et al., 2018). The inadequacy of support services available to many Australians, especially those who have not applied or are ineligible for NDIS, has also been reported (Brackertz et al., 2018; Smith‐Merry et al., 2018; Hancock et al., 2019).…”

“…The Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI), among many others, has made recommendations for governments to invest more in social, affordable and supported housing (Brackertz et al., 2018). The inadequacy of support services available to many Australians, especially those who have not applied or are ineligible for NDIS, has also been reported (Brackertz et al., 2018; Smith‐Merry et al., 2018; Hancock et al., 2019). A recent evidence review noted that barriers to enlarging existing successful programmes, such as HASI, which integrate mental health and housing support, include the lack of a national framework, innovative funding, formal local collaboration agreements between housing and mental health providers and organisational capacity in the housing sector to deal with people who have mental health issues (Brackertz et al., 2020).…”

“…Our study makes it clear that, at least in one LHD, insufficient government investment in housing and support services means additional costs being incurred in other areas, namely acute mental health services. The plethora of research demonstrating the impact of unstable housing and homelessness on mental health (Brackertz et al., 2018) suggests that HRDD may be the tip of the iceberg in terms of costs borne by acute mental health services that could be avoided by increased funding to housing and support in the community (Productivity Commission, 2019).…”

“…Housing‐related delayed discharge [HRDD] from mental health facilities is also very likely to be important in Australia given high rates of homelessness and residential mobility experienced by people with mental health issues (Brackertz, Wilkinson, & Davidson, 2018). Being “stuck without adequate support” has been identified as a common housing trajectory for people living with mental illness, and this was noted to include people who could not be discharged from hospitals or institutions because of lack of housing or housing support (Brackertz et al., 2020).…”