Homelessness is a health emergency. People without stable housing experience significantly higher rates of chronic illness, trauma and premature death – and we know that much of it is preventable.
We also know that integrated responses work. When primary healthcare, housing and homelessness services are coordinated, people are able to access care earlier, avoid preventable hospital presentations and achieve better long-term health and housing outcomes.
This position paper makes the case for scaling and sustaining these approaches nationally through the PHN Homelessness Access Program.
Drawing on practice-based evidence from across the Australian Health, Housing & Homelessness Network (A3HN), including our partnership with Primary Health Networks (PHNs), the paper demonstrates how targeted investment, cross-sector collaboration and long-term funding can embed homelessness as a core health priority.
It highlights:
- The policy and funding reforms needed to consolidate and scale what works.
- The impact of integrated, locally managed primary healthcare responses
- The outcomes being achieved through the PHN Homelessness Access Program (HAP)
- The system gaps that continue to limit long-term impact.
The A3HN is calling on the Federal Government to:
- Extend and expand the Homelessness Access Program, increasing investment from $15 million to $30 million to meet demonstrated need and scale what is working
- Sustain the A3HN-PHN partnership to ensure national coordination remains embedded and consistent across the health, housing and homelessness sectors.
A3HN | Australian Health, Housing & Homelessness Network 