Source: Radio New Zealand
Housing advocates are calling for national data to be collected showing where people are discharged to after a hospital stay. befunky.com
Housing advocates say boarding houses are not appropriate for people with complex mental health or addiction needs and are calling for national data to be collected showing where people are discharged to after a hospital stay.
It comes after a woman raised concerns about the appalling conditions of a lodge her adult son was discharged to, following three weeks in an acute mental health unit in Auckland.
Lisa Hawkeswood said her son Jack lasted three days in the lodge before pleading to live with her because he hated his accommodation, which had blood on the carpet and other tenants were trying to get him to do drugs.
Tragically, he died in a suspected suicide after moving in with her.
Housing First Auckland programme manager Rami Alrudaini said vulnerable people need safe housing and good supports in place.
“What happened is totally unacceptable – no person who is vulnerable or needing support should be released into an unsuitable living situation,” he said.
“Across the housing sector, we continue to hear consistent anecdotal reports of people being discharged from acute mental health care into unstable or unsafe accommodation, including boarding houses. While these stories are deeply concerning, there is no comprehensive national data of where people are discharged to or the outcomes that follow.”
Lisa Hawkeswood and her son Jack on mother’s day in 2023. Supplied
Health NZ earlier said its practice is not to discharge people to homelessness, but there is no reliable data on where people are sent to.
“What we do know is that the gap between acute care discharge and access to safe, supported housing is a critical failing in our system. Boarding houses are not appropriate for people with high mental health or addiction needs. They are not a substitute for adequate, stable housing with wrap-around support,” Alrudaini said.
“We need urgent cross-agency action and better data so we can fully understand the scale of the issue and design policies and deliver solutions that keep people safe. We can and must do better as a country. It is critical we make urgent system and data improvements now.”
The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission released a report in June which monitored the mental health and addiction system.
It found there had been no change over five years in the proportion of people accessing mental health and addiction services who were homeless – in the 2023/2024 year six percent of specialist mental health and addiction service users were homeless.
Changing Minds engagement and insights manager Megan Elizabeth said everyone had a right to safe and secure housing, and there needs to be greater availability of housing for people experiencing substance abuse or mental distress.
“On the face of it, taking someone from an inpatient setting and putting them into a boarding house to avoid homelessness is a good measure but it is only part of the picture,” she said.
“The bigger question is not should this individual have been discharged to a boarding house but should they have been discharged into the community without a really comprehensive support for their wellbeing around them.”
The inside of an Auckland boarding house (file photo). RNZ / Eva Corlett
Elizabeth said people needed to be discharged and supported into accomodation that is safe for their wellbeing and their situation.
“A roof over your head is only one element of wellbeing, you need to feel safe, you need to be able to progress your wellbeing journey in an environment that is supportive of your wellbeing.”
Meanwhile, the Mental Health Act is being repealed and replaced as part of the response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care and in Faith-based Institutions.
The Mental Health Bill, if passed, will replace the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
