A SAFE home with ongoing support could be the single most effective reform to improve Australia’s mental health system, according to new analysis released as State and Federal Governments negotiate a new National
Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement.
The issue is particularly relevant in Ipswich, where the 2021 Census found 38.3 per cent of residents were living with a diagnosed mental health condition, well above the Queensland average of 30.3 per cent.
The report, Breaking the Crisis Cycle, estimates more than 31,000 Australians are trapped in a revolving door between homelessness, hospitals, crisis accommodation, prisons and mental health services, with decades of disconnected housing and health policies preventing lasting recovery.
It found persistent homelessness among people experiencing mental ill health has increased by more than 30 per cent since 2019, with about 20,500 people experiencing both homelessness and a current mental health issue each year by 2025.
Homelessness Australia CEO Kate Colvin said governments had a rare opportunity to address the issue through the new National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement.
“Every year we leave this gap unaddressed, more people are pushed out of hospital and into homelessness, and more of them end up returning to hospital or dead,” Ms Colvin said.
The report highlights the growing overlap between homelessness, mental illness and the justice system, noting around 40 per cent of Australia’s prison population has a diagnosed mental health condition and more than one-third have previously experienced homelessness.
