Planning Estimates of Need for Mental Health Supported Housing in Queensland
Project summary
The Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR) has been funded by the Queensland Mental Health Commission to undertake the Planning Estimates of Need for Mental Health Supported Housing in Queensland project. The project aims to update estimates of the need for supported housing and associated psychosocial supports for Queensland adults with complex mental health needs, to inform future planning and commissioning of services.
A previous QCMHR study, published in 2012, estimated the need for community mental health support services in Queensland, including supported accommodation, and has been widely used to support service planning in Queensland and nationally. Since then, there have been significant changes to the mental health and supported housing landscape, including the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), changes to state-funded supported housing programs, and broader reforms to mental health service delivery.
This project is combining research evidence, policy review, analysis of Queensland mental health and housing service data, and input from people with lived-living experience, service providers, planners, and other stakeholders to estimate:
How many adults with complex mental health needs may need supported housing and psychosocial support to assist them to find or maintain stable housing and to live in community settings.
What types of supported housing services and supports are needed.
How many supported housing places are required across these service types.
The workforce needed to support people in these services.
The project is supported by the Queensland Mental Health Commission and an Expert Advisory Group comprising members from Queensland government agencies, mental health and housing peak bodies and services, and people with lived-living experience.
The project findings will help build an evidence base for a supported housing system that is responsive to the needs of Queenslanders with complex mental health needs and supports recovery, wellbeing, and social inclusion.
First stakeholder workshop report
As part of the project, the first of two broader stakeholder consultation workshops was held on 4 June 2026. Participants included people with lived-living experience, service providers, planners, and other stakeholders. Discussions focused on who needs supported housing, the challenges people with complex mental health needs face in accessing and maintaining housing and gaps in the current system, what an ideal system would look like, and what practical changes could be made to get there.
The summary report from this first workshop is available to download here.
For any questions about the project, please contact
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