Following is the Media Release from Mental Illness Fellowship Australia, a national membership-based advocacy body for people with high-need mental health challenges.
The coronial inquest into the tragic events in Bondi Junction two years ago has identified the need for more supported accommodation for people experiencing high-need mental health challenges.
In its final recommendations released last week, the NSW State Coroner has recommended that the NSW Government:
• Model the need for short-term accommodation for those experiencing mental health issues and homelessness and then establish and support those services.
• Support the establishment and ongoing evaluation of long-term accommodation for those experiencing mental health issues and homelessness, with on-site or easily accessible long-term mental health care.
James Maskey, CEO of Mental Illness Fellowship Australia, said community mental health supports and supported accommodation were a vital part of helping people with mental health challenges on their recovery journeys.
“Right now, nearly 500,000 Australians with moderate to high mental health needs have no access to the community mental health supports that help people live well in the community.”
“In 2024-25, specialist homelessness services assisted around 88,000 people with a mental health issue, one in three of all clients. Of these, around 9,000 were sleeping rough at the start of support, and many in this high-needs group require more intensive, integrated support to achieve lasting housing stability.”
“Mental health challenges and homelessness are deeply interconnected. Investing in supported accommodation with integrated mental health care would deliver life-changing outcomes for many thousands of vulnerable Australians, building on models and approaches that are already helping people recover and thrive.”
Cameron Thayer, CEO of MIFA member organisation Karakan, which provides short and long term supported accommodation in south-east Queensland, said the evidence was clear that supported housing works.
“There is clear, documented and verified evidence and case studies domestically and internationally that establish the importance and outcomes of supported housing with integrated community-clinical wrap around psychosocial supports for people experiencing homelessness and severe and persistent mental health challenges,” he said.
“This same documented evidence highlights the social and economic return on investment that such supported housing programs can enable. This is indicated by less Emergency Department presentations, less frequent and shorter hospital stays and readmissions, less recidivism, decreased cyclical homelessness, increased social and economic participation
and higher wellbeing and quality of life indicators.”
“Models that support a stepped care approach to supported housing provide flexible supports that build longer term capacity and enable tailored responses to meet situational and time-bound needs. People lives can become complex when they experience multiple unmet needs.”
Monique Williamson, CEO of MIFA member organisation Mental Illness Fellowship Western Australia (MIFWA) said mental health challenges were multi-dimensional.
“Poverty, homelessness, poor mental and physical health begin to fall like dominoes. Rebuilding people’s lives and wellbeing takes layers of support sustained over time,” she said.
“We see people’s lives reconstruct when they have consistent community support in their homes and community. Community mental health support provides people with practical support to manage tenancy, wellbeing and ups and downs of life. When we invest in support, we see it again and again, people can live meaningful and contributing lives.”
Community mental health organisations already deliver the kinds of flexible, person-centred supports that the NSW Coroner is calling for. Scaling these proven services is an effective way to respond to the Inquest’s recommendations and support people to live safely, well and with dignity in their community.
