Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System releases final report

The Victorian Government has released the Final Report of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System. The Report covers many aspects of how people experiencing mental health issues interact with government and community across Victoria and supports 65 formal recommendations, including having safe, supportive and affordable housing as an important part of the solution.

In his witness statement to the Royal Commission, AHURI’s Managing Director, Dr Michael Fotheringham  drew on recent AHURI research ‘Housing, homelessness and mental health: towards system change’... 

In particular, the Report’s recommendation (number 25)—that the Victorian Government support housing for adults and young people living with mental illness—recognises that people who are living with mental illness should be a priority population group for Victoria’s 10-year strategy for social and affordable housing. It also recommends that that the 2,000 dwellings assigned to Victorians living with mental illness in the Big Housing Build are delivered as supported housing and that Government invest in a further 500 new medium-term (up to two years) supported housing places for young people aged between 18 to 25 who are living with mental illness and experiencing unstable housing or homelessness.

The section, ‘Supported housing for adults and young people’, (Volume 2, Chapter 16) presents the evidence that underlies this recommendation, and features witness statements from people who have lived experience of mental health issues, together with professionals in the housing and homelessness areas. In his witness statement to the Royal Commission, AHURI’s Managing Director, Dr Michael Fotheringham  drew on recent AHURI research ‘Housing, homelessness and mental health: towards system change’    undertaken for the National Mental Health Commission and ‘Trajectories: the interplay between mental health and housing pathways’  delivered in partnership with Mind Australia.

The Trajectories research – one of the first national studies to examine the relationship between the housing and mental health pathways of people with lived experience of mental ill-health found that poor and deteriorating mental health directly impact housing stability (as indicated by forced moves) and also financial hardship (which could undermine housing affordability and housing stability).

The report also showed that mediating factors, such as social support, good general health, and accessing mental health and other health services, can reduce the likelihood of housing instability and shorten the length of time a person experiences mental ill-health.