Mental Health Housing Update Silent on Hundreds of Promised Homes

The Victorian government is under scrutiny to clarify its commitment to building 2,000 social housing dwellings for individuals with mental illness, a key recommendation from the state's 2021 mental health royal commission. Recent updates suggest that only a fraction of these promised homes are currently under construction, sparking alarm among mental health advocates and homelessness organizations.

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It says nothing of the remaining 1,495.

The royal commission highlighted the critical link between stable housing and mental well-being, urging the government to provide secure homes with integrated support. However, budget allocations have reportedly gone unspent, and a recent update on May 18 stated that only 505 purpose-built homes were being delivered. This leaves a significant gap, with concerns mounting over the fate of the remaining 1,495 promised dwellings.

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We are still delivering 2,000 homes for Victorians with mental health challenges. This is a complex reform, it's why we need to take a phased approach to ensure people living with mental health challenges get the long-term housing and specialists support they need.

Deborah Di Natale from the Council to Homeless Persons expressed deep concern, noting that the update "says nothing of the remaining 1,495." While the state government maintains it is still committed to delivering the full 2,000 homes, it has not detailed how or when the remaining units will be built. A government spokesperson described the process as "complex" and requiring a "phased approach" to ensure adequate long-term housing and specialist support.

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Sometimes they get a day or two in the hotel, and sometimes they've been discharged just out to community, to homelessness. The other day I had a member describe that they saw a note saying a person was discharged to a safe park, which meant they were in a garden somewhere in the community that was deemed safe.

Stakeholders report that the shortage of stable, long-term housing is severely impacting frontline services. Patients are reportedly being discharged from hospitals without adequate accommodation, sometimes ending up in temporary shelters or even homelessness. Paul Healey, state secretary of the Health and Community Services Union, shared an instance where a member reported a patient being discharged to a "safe park." This lack of stable housing is recognized as profoundly detrimental to mental health and overall well-being. Furthermore, the update remained silent on progress for an additional 500 homes intended as medium-term transitional housing for young adults.

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We're asking the state government just to deliver what it looked Victorians in the eye and committed to deliver five years ago.