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Australia's housing crunch is no longer just an economic issue. Research people who face housing insecurity are more likely to experience .

For this reason, secure housing must sit at the heart of any mental health plan.

Australia's housing shortfall

Rents rose so fast in 2024 that Australia's now labels all major cities and regional areas "critically unaffordable" for people relying on benefits such as JobSeeker or a pension.

Vacancy rates , the lowest in decades. Mortgage costs chew the .

On Census night , 122,494 Australians were homeless. Of these, more than 7,600 people slept rough, and nearly one-quarter were aged 12–24.

Data from and since 2021 suggest today's figure is higher.

Housing stress quickly turns into mental distress

In , four in five renters said they spend of their income on housing.

This is important. A that followed more than 10,000 Australian renters found mental health drops fast once housing costs exceed the 30% mark. Missing a rental payment was linked to a further drop in mental health.

has similarly found that among low- to moderate-income households, when housing costs exceed 30% of income, mental-health scores fall compared with similar households who spend less than 30%.

Another found 38% of private renters feel their housing circumstances harm their mental health, versus 23% of owner-occupiers. This is driven by a mix of housing insecurity (such as short leases and eviction risk) and poor housing conditions (for example, cold homes or mold).

Meanwhile, cost-of-living pressures, including housing insecurity and homelessness, are driving an increasing number of calls.

Who is at highest risk?

In a sense, the housing ladder doubles as a mental health ladder.

Homeowners, with long-term security, .

Private renters arguably ride the roughest road. Six-month leases, "no-grounds" evictions and "" (where applicants may feel compelled to offer above the advertised rent to beat other applicants) keep people on edge.

Social housing residents often start with bigger challenges (43% live with ), but low rent and fixed leases steady the ship.

People with face the steepest climb. looking at people experiencing homelessness in high-income countries found 76% had a current mental illness.

This is likely linked in a large part to a feeling psychologists call "." After the tenth rejected rental application—or the 15th, or the 20th—people ask "." Motivation drops, and depression rises.

What's more, a stable home makes it easier to do things like hold down a job or finish TAFE. Housing insecurity can therefore compound other problems such as , which are also linked to poor mental health.

What can we do about it?

Mental ill-health already drains roughly in lost productivity and health-care costs.

Housing stress piles extra costs onto the : more GP visits, more ambulance call-outs, more pressure on emergency departments.

Meanwhile, turn people away daily because beds are full.

This is without even accounting for the of poor quality housing, including illnesses caused or exacerbated by problems such as mold, damp and cold.

All this means is likely to generate savings for the health-care budget.

There are several ways we can do this.

1. Build more social housing

As of , about 4% of Australian households lived in social housing, equating to roughly 452,000 dwellings nationwide.

The National Housing Supply and Affordability Council's recommends , with a long-term target of 10% of all homes. This would be a major step to cool the market and cut mental distress.

2. Protect renters

This should include ending no-grounds evictions, capping rent hikes to wage growth, and lifting .

3. Link housing to health policy

On this point, Australia can take lessons from abroad. , for example, has made "" national policy. This approach gives people experiencing long-term homelessness a permanent apartment and access to support. It has significantly.

Meanwhile, Aotearoa New Zealand's aims to make homelessness "rare, brief and non-recurring" by funding Housing First in every region.

A trial gave more than 2,000 participants across several cities experiencing homelessness and mental illness a permanent home plus access to voluntary support.

Evidence from Canada shows Housing First keeps people housed and reduces demand on emergency and hospital services. Pilots in are indicating similar benefits.

While there have been some in parts of Australia, there's more to do.

Secure housing targets should sit inside the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement. On the flip side, Australia is currently drafting a . Mental health goals should be incorporated into that plan.

Just as clean water prevents disease and seat belts cut road deaths, a stable, affordable home is vital for mental health. Without bold action, we face a .

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