Submission to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into the Social and Economic Benefits of Improving Mental Health

The interconnection between access to housing and mental wellbeing has been extensively evidenced; we know that housing supports mental health treatment, while homelessness leads to mental ill-health. The failure to properly respond to homelessness is exacerbating the demand pressures faced by Australia’s mental health system, leads to worse outcomes for consumers, and decreasing the efficiency of the resources used for mental healthcare.

In this response, CHP has sought to respond to questions asked by the Productivity Commission that had most relevance for housing and homelessness. We have sought to respond to these matters thematically, as well as specifically to questions posed in the Productivity Commission on which we have expertise.

Please note, this publication was published prior to CHP’s branding refresh in 2022.