7.10 Report for Housing NSW on people with mental health disorders and cognitive disabilities in the criminal justice system – impact of Housing NSW interventions and contacts with social housing system

This study, funded by Housing NSW, is a profile and description of the MHDCD cohort with analysis of the presence of Housing NSW clients amongst members of the cohort followed by a range of case studies on individuals in the Dataset. The study found that older persons, females, Indigenous Australians, people without a school certificate, those people who were a tenant as a child, people who have been homeless, ADHC clients, and persons with mental health disorders (i.e. those who have ever been subject to the Mental Health Act) are all more likely to be a housing tenant than those without these characteristics in this cohort. Those in the MHDCD cohort who have also been clients of Housing NSW are more likely to have complex support needs, to have had earlier contact with police, to have been in OOHC, to have been clients of Juvenile Justice, and to have more ongoing contact with the criminal justice system than those who have not been clients of Housing NSW. Those with complex needs, in particular those with a combination of mental and cognitive disability, were far more likely to had ever been a housing tenant than those with only one or no disability or disorder. Those with complex needs including an AOD use problem were more likely to have ever been evicted. Those who have ever had a housing tenancy were found to be likely to spend less time in prison than those who have never been a Housing tenant.