Mental Health and Independent Housing Needs
In June 2000 the Ad Hoc Cabinet Committee on Mental Health (AMH) established a work programme to address housing needs for people with mental illness. Housing New Zealand Corporation (HNZC) managed this work programme. The Ministries of Housing, Health and Social Development had responsibilities to complete individual items of work in the work programme. The Mental Health and Housing Research comprises two of the items on the work programme.1
The research was conducted in response to the Cabinet direction to:
- quantify independent housing needs for people with mental illness in relation to adequacy of housing, affordability, and sustainability, including the role of support services in the retention of housing; and
- identify the extent of homelessness and transience amongst people with mental illness, and to identify housing options to meet their needs, and to consult with Te Puni Kōkiri to ensure a Māori perspective is fully considered.
The outputs for this project from the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) have a number of components, including a summary report of the research that was delivered to HNZC, which comprises Part 1 of the five-part report series published by MSD and is titled:
- Part 1: A Summary of the Research.
The other four parts include:
- Part 2: Expert voices – A Consultation Report;
- Part 3: Affordable, Suitable, Sustainable Housing – A Literature Review;
- Part 4: “It’s the combination of things” – Group Interviews;
- Part 5: Quantifying Independent Housing Needs – A Survey of Service Providers.
1 Since the research was commissioned, the AMH has been disestablished, the Housing Policy group from the Ministry of Social Policy (MSP) has moved to become part of HNZC and MSP has been incorporated into the Ministry of Social Development (MSD).
