Tuesday, 17 March 2026

 Sarah MANSFIELD (Western Victoria) (12:24): (1265) My question is for the Minister for Mental Health. Minister, in response to a recommendation of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, this government committed $38 million in the 2021–22 budget to fund individualised support services and mental health treatment access for 2000 new specialised houses for people living with severe mental illness. In 2023 the housing minister allegedly, according to public reporting, approved the plan to fulfil the housing commitment, but as of last week the support framework remains unapproved. Minister, can you explain why you have not approved the support framework?

 Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Prevention of Family Violence) (12:25): Thank you, Dr Mansfield, for your question and your interest in these issues. Of course the Allan Labor government remains very much focused on delivering the royal commission’s vision for supported housing for people living with mental health challenges. We know that this can be an often challenging part of our supported housing system. We acknowledge that there is a real importance in ensuring that these homes are not just bricks and mortar but places where people can access the tailored mental health support that they need so that they can continue to live well in the community. The Allan Labor government is delivering 505 purpose-built homes across Victoria for adults who are living with mental health challenges, and that has been backed by $200 million of investment to build these homes. I am grateful for the ongoing work and commitment of the minister for housing in working together with me on ensuring that some of the most marginalised people in the community do not miss out on access to stable housing. These homes that I have just cited are co-designed by people living with mental health challenges. To date there are over 102 new purpose-built homes that have been completed by the Haven Foundation, who are doing incredible work in this area. In addition to Haven, another 183 homes have been completed by other community housing providers.

What I will acknowledge, Dr Mansfield, is that these are complex reforms, and we are absolutely committed to seeing the reforms through. It is why we need to take a phased approach, however, to ensure that people living with mental health challenges get the long-term housing and specialist supports that they need. People identified for this program are provided with a range of dedicated supports, including through area mental health and wellbeing services, the early intervention psychosocial support response or often the NDIS. Consumers in these homes have demonstrated improved recovery outcomes, stronger community connections, often reunification with family and loved ones, and increased independence. We know this is a policy that has enormous merit and one that we are committed to continuing to implement in a phased way.

 Sarah MANSFIELD (Western Victoria) (12:28): I thank the minister for that response. While it sounds like there is some progress in some areas, I think the fundamental question has not been answered. There has been no explanation for why the support framework has not been approved. There are also a few extra questions that have come out of that response, including that originally this was announced to be 2000 specialised houses and you have said there are now 505, but we will leave that one perhaps for the housing minister for another time. What has happened to that $38 million that was committed in the 2021–22 budget?

 Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Prevention of Family Violence) (12:28): I thank Dr Mansfield for that supplementary question. I think I was giving the number of purpose-built homes as an answer to the overall recommendation of 2000 and giving you, I guess, a progress report on the number of houses that have been delivered under this important program. I acknowledged in a pretty up-front way that this is complex reform and that we are taking a phased approach to this. We are absolutely committed to delivering the 2000 homes for adults living with mental health challenges, as the royal commission recommended, and we are continuing to work with mental health services and housing providers to ensure those individuals that need those supported places have support in place before being allocated to new homes. We acknowledge that linking people with the right supports and the right accommodation can take time.