Housing must be a priority in mental health reform

These recommendations are not new but this report provides a solid social and economic argument for implementing them. Some of the key short-term recommendations supported by our organisation include state, territory and federal governments working together to develop a consistent policy that ensures hospitals don't discharge people into homelessness.

Further, the Commission recommends people with mental illness who leave hospitals or prisons receive a comprehensive mental health discharge plan – including care coordination and access to accommodation. Most importantly it recommends all levels of government work together to meet the gap for homelessness services among people with mental illness in their jurisdiction.

The Productivity Commission estimates the economic cost of mental health and suicide in Australia to be in the order of $43-$51 billion in the last financial year and a further $130 billion in the human cost. In contrast it points out that the cost of providing additional supported housing for people with severe mental illness who are at risk of homelessness at around $200-$700 million per year.

As an organisation, Momentum Collective supports the Productivity Commission recommendations and we urge state, territory and federal governments to adopt them in full to address the human cost of mental illness in our communities. The economic analysis provided in the report should help those concerned with the bottom line to understand that providing housing solutions for this group of people is also financially beneficial for the nation.