housing

Mental Health Australia is concerned housing affordability stress is negatively impacting the mental health of low income Australians, following the release of...

Mental Health Australia is concerned that low income Australians are under pressure from housing affordability stress resulting in negative impacts on mental health, following the release of Anglicare Australia’s Rental Affordability Snapshot . “Poor housing and housing stress, together with other life stresses, reduces psychological wellbeing and exacerbates mental illness,” CEO of Mental Health Australia Frank Quinlan said.

The MHCA provided a submission to the Senate Inquiry into Affordable Housing. In our submission we recommended that people with lived experience of mental illness be recognised as a priority group in future housing and homelessness agreements; recommended that the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness be re-funded for a further five years; and endorsed the continuation of current strategies aimed at growing the community housing sector to ensure that there are increased housing options available for people with lived experience of mental illness.

The Mental Health Council of Australia has welcomed the release of Australia’s first National Report Card on Mental Health and Suicide Prevention. “The National Report Card gives us a snapshot of where Australia currently is and takes a whole-of-life approach, looking at physical health, employment, relationships, education, housing and homelessness, community participation, family and child support and justice. This shows us that we’ve come a long way over the last 20 or so years, but we still have a long way to go”, said Mr Frank Quinlan, CEO of the Mental Health Council of Australia.

The MHCA strongly supports initiatives to further the interests of Australia’s most vulnerable people. There are few groups more marginalised than people with mental illness who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The Draft Homelessness Bill is an attempt to develop legislative mechanisms for addressing these needs, but without commitment at all levels and jurisdictions of government, little will change. It will therefore be disappointing if the commitment of the Australian Government is not reflected in the Homelessness Bill 2012.

The MHCA believes the needs of mental health consumers must be a significant component of the National Quality Framework to support quality services for people experiencing homelessness, given the significant link between mental illness and homelessness.