Burnet researcher sitting on a bench with a SuperMIX participant.

Thom Cookes

How stable housing can support people who use drugs (HOUSED)

Australia is experiencing a housing crisis, and people who use drugs are being left behind. To address this, we're analysing the social, economic and health benefits of stable housing for people who use drugs.

People who use drugs in Australia experience higher levels of housing instability. This could include a lack of housing, being forced to move often, or having trouble paying rent. Safe and secure housing would have significant individual benefits for people who use drugs. It could also lead to economic and social benefits for everyone.

For the first time, we’re analysing the impact of stable housing for people who use drugs. This includes the impact of stable housing on:

incarceration
drug use frequency
drug overdose
employment
mental health.

We’re also estimating the health and economic benefits of providing stable housing to people who use drugs and sharing those findings with people who can make a real difference. We're sharing our findings with policymakers to ensure people who use drugs aren’t left behind.

Our study is called 'Housing outcomes for people using substances: economic deliverables (HOUSED)’.

What we're doing

Working together with people who use drugs

As part of this project, we’re collaborating with people from a range of backgrounds. This includes people who use drugs, as well as government, housing and social services. This ensures our research is relevant to community concerns and government policy. Methods of collaboration include interviews, focus groups and stakeholder workshops.

Statistical analysis and target trial emulation

Our analysis uses novel statistical methods such as ‘target trial emulation’. Target trial emulation is a way to estimate cause and effect using existing data, without the need for costly new trials. We're using observational data from Burnet’s SuperMIX and VMAX studies.

Modelling the benefits of stable housing

As part of this project, we're developing mathematical modelling tools. These tools can estimate the economic costs and benefits of housing interventions. That could include costs associated with:

construction
tenancy and social support services.

Using modelling, we can analyse the costs of housing-first models and decentralised case management. We can also compare those costs to potential savings in healthcare, welfare and the criminal legal system.

Housing-first is a strategic approach to address challenges faced by people who are unhoused. It means people need housing before they can benefit from other forms of care and support.

Sharing our results and informing public policies

The project aims to deliver urgent evidence about the harms of unstable housing on people who use drugs. By showing the economic benefits of equitable policy decisions, we can make a difference. We’ll also use findings to inform a Victorian public housing roundtable to facilitate discussion about cost-effective and impactful housing-first responses in Victoria.