Communities across Australia risk losing the nation’s first nationally funded program that connects primary healthcare with efforts to end homelessness, if the Australian government fails to re-fund the Primary Health Network Homelessness Access Program (HAP) beyond its current 30 June 2026 end date.
In a new position paper, Health, housing and homelessness: How integration and investment saves lives, the Australian Health, Housing & Homelessness Network (A3HN) is calling on Minister Mark Butler to extend the program and increase funding available to the country’s 29 Primary Health Networks (PHNs).
Established in 2023 with a $15 million Commonwealth investment, the Homelessness Access Program supports GPs, nurses, pharmacists, allied health and community health services to work in partnership with homelessness services. It is the first national mechanism designed to systematically integrate primary health and homelessness responses.
Supported nationally by the Central and Eastern Sydney Primary Health Network (CESPHN) in partnership with A3HN convenors, the Australian Alliance to End Homelessness (AAEH), the program has enabled PHNs from across the country to strengthen local responses, complete focused learning on homelessness and commission tailored health initiatives in their communities.
The position paper documents evidence that integrated models – including street-based nursing outreach, multidisciplinary health and homelessness teams, nurse-led clinics in supportive housing and medical respite linked to hospitals – reduce avoidable emergency department presentations, shorten hospital stays and improve long-term health and housing stability.
Australian Alliance to End Homelessness CEO David Pearson said the Commonwealth investment had shifted how systems work together and delivered tangible impact.
“Ending homelessness in Australia will require more than crisis response – it will require sustained leadership, integrated systems and the courage to reimagine how health and housing intersect.
“The Australian Government made a significant $15 million contribution in 2023, and that has changed how we plan, integrate and fund the housing, health and homelessness support systems that care for some of the most vulnerable people in Australia.
“The hard truth remains that every year, hundreds of Australians die while experiencing homelessness – these are lives cut short by decades through, all too often, preventable and treatable conditions.
“The Homelessness Access Program really delivers by helping make lifesaving healthcare available to people experiencing homelessness.”
Luke Elias, Director of Primary Health Programs and Partnerships at Healthy North Coast, highlighted the program’s critical role in sustaining healthcare access across the NSW Northern Rivers region.
“The Homelessness Access Program has been vital to maintaining access to primary health care for people experiencing homelessness across our region.
“The program has enabled four primary care services to operate from community hubs, delivering strong outcomes for some of our most vulnerable community members. Ongoing investment ensures these services remain accessible, targeted and sustainable, particularly for older people and others with complex health needs.
“This is particularly important across the NSW Northern Rivers, which has a higher‑than‑average proportion of people aged 65 and over experiencing homelessness and the highest number of rough sleepers, according to the 2025 NSW Street Count.”
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 