Housing and Mental Health Agreement

The Housing and Mental Health Agreement 2022 (HMHA 2022) recognises that housing and mental health are closely related. Having a safe and secure place to call home is a fundamental foundation for health and wellbeing. In turn, having good health and wellbeing helps people to sustain housing and access housing supports.

On this page

  1. Background and vision
  2. A shared client group
  3. Two signatory partners, but a broad range of participants
  4. Key objectives
  5. Guiding principles
  6. Supporting Frameworks
  7. Contact

Background and vision

Housing and Mental Health Agreement 2022The HMHA 2022 is an agreement between NSW Health and the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ).

It outlines the important relationship between housing and mental health and commits the agencies to work together and engage key stakeholders to achieve a common vision that:

"People who live with mental health condition have timely access to safe, secure, appropriate housing; and mental health supports in place when needed, to sustain housing, live well in the community and lead their recovery."

A shared client group

HMHA 2022 relates to the policy, commissioning and delivery of mental health, social housing and homelessness services by the signatories to a shared client group defined as:

People aged 16 years and older who:

  • are living in social housing, experiencing homelessness, or are at risk of experiencing homelessness, and
  • may require mental health services funded by NSW Health or be supported to access broader
    mental health services.

Two signatory partners, but a broad range of participants

The HMHA 2022 cannot achieve its objectives without working in close partnership with a broader range of service providers and the people who use these services. These include:

Signatory partners

  • DCJ districts
  • NSW local health districts and specialty health network
  • Community Housing Providers (from the Social Housing Management Transfer Program – SHMT)
  • senior executives, policy and commissioning staff from the signatory agencies

Agreement participants

  • People with lived experience of a mental health condition
  • Specialist Homelessness Services Community Housing Providers (non-SHMT)
  • Mental Health Community Managed Organisations
  • Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC)
  • Aboriginal Housing Office (AHO)
  • Aboriginal Community Housing Providers (ACHPs)
  • Other service providers or funders, for example:
    • Primary Health Networks, NDIA
    • Child Protection
    • Alcohol and other drug services
    • Justice
    • local Government.
  • Private sector, for example:
    • general practitioners
    • private psychiatrists
    • landlords
    • real estate agents.

Key objectives

NSW Health and DCJ have entered into this agreement to drive three key objectives:

  1. re-invigorate effective, accountable and sustainable governance at the interface of mental health,
    housing, and homelessness
  2. establish and deliver on a common agenda through shared goals in partnership with funded services
    and key stakeholders
  3. describe and embed agreed principles in policy, commissioning and service delivery.

Guiding principles

The signatories commit to the following principles:

  1. Empowering and respecting the rights of people with lived experience.
  2. Adopting a trauma-informed approach.
  3. Placing the person at the centre of services.
  4. Adopting a holistic approach.
  5. Respecting differences between and across signatory agencies.
  6. Involving people with lived experience.
  7. Sharing information.

Supporting frameworks

HMHA 2022 forms the basis of implementation and governance mechanisms and outlines the overarching aims, objectives and commitments for DCJ and NSW Health as the signatories to support the shared client group.

HMHA 2022 is underpinned by three Supporting Frameworks:

These Supporting Frameworks have been finalised following a public consultation in early 2023, and will guide the implementation of the HMHA 22.

Guidance is also being developed to promote effective information sharing.

Districts will be supported locally to implement the HMHA 2022.

Contact

For further information about HMHA 2022 please email: moh-housingandmentalhealthagreement2022@health.nsw.gov.au

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Current as at: Tuesday 16 January 2024
Contact page owner: Mental Health