The Australian Government is investing $3.8 million into research to better understand and improve the health of people experiencing unstable housing conditions.
Administered under the National Health and Medical Research Council's (NHMRC) Targeted Call for Research (TCR): Homelessness and Health 2025 grant opportunity, two multidisciplinary research teams will improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities among people experiencing homelessness in Australia.
Homelessness is closely linked to poorer physical and mental health outcomes, driven by unstable living conditions and barriers to accessing timely care.
Addressing it requires coordinated, evidence-based action across health, housing and community services to reduce disparities and improve long-term wellbeing.
People experiencing homelessness benefit when health and housing services work well together. Professor Suzanne Nielsen from Monash University will lead a team examining how mobile clinics in Victoria, Queensland and the ACT operate - then designing improvements to service delivery and integration.
Led by Dr Liam Grealy from the Menzies School of Health Research, a project team will focus on mental health and housing maintenance in a vulnerable group within the Aboriginal homeless population in the Northern Territory.
By centring Aboriginal leadership and lived experience, this approach will drive culturally appropriate, health and housing services and deliver meaningful, lasting outcomes for Aboriginal communities.
A TCR is a one-time request for grant applications to address a specific health issue where there is a significant research knowledge gap or unmet need.
Full details of the researchers and projects funded are available to download on NHMRC's outcomes of funding rounds page.
Quotes attributable to Minister Butler:
"Every Australian deserves access to safe, high-quality healthcare, regardless of their housing situation.
"People experiencing homelessness face some of the most severe and complex health challenges in our community, and we are committed to closing this gap.
"These efforts align with our broader commitment to equity in healthcare, because better health outcomes for our most vulnerable communities benefit all Australians."
Quotes attributable to NHMRC CEO Professor Steve Wesselingh:
"Partnerships between researchers, healthcare providers, and community organisations are essential to developing effective, evidence-based interventions for the homeless population."
"This work will generate high-quality evidence to inform policy and practice, including models of care that are trauma-informed, culturally appropriate, and responsive to the realities of homelessness."
