A Safe Home is One of the Foundations of Wellbeing
October provides an opportunity to reflect on two issues that are often discussed separately but are deeply connected: mental health and homelessness.
At Marist180, we work alongside children, young people and families facing a range of challenges. Through this work, we know that wellbeing is shaped by more than individual circumstances. The conditions around people matter too.
Just as strong foundations help a building stand firm, people rely on foundations that help them feel safe, supported and connected. Safe relationships matter. Connection and belonging matter. Access to support matters. Connection to family and community, having opportunities to learn, participate, and build a positive future matter.
Housing is one of those foundations.
A safe and stable home provides more than shelter. It provides safety, privacy, routine, stability, and a sense of belonging. It creates a space where people can rest, build relationships, stay connected to community, access services, and plan a healthy future. This is why Housing needs to be the part of conversation about wellbeing.
Why housing is part of the mental health conversation
During Mental Health Month, it is worth remembering that mental wellbeing is influenced by the circumstances in which people live.
For someone experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity, everyday life becomes uncertain. When a young person is worried about where they will sleep, moving between temporary accommodation, or facing uncertainty about where they will live next, that instability can affect many areas of life. It can disrupt education, relationships, employment, connection to community, and a person's sense of security.
The relationship can work in either direction as well. We also know that people experiencing mental health challenges can face additional barriers to maintaining stable housing and accessing the support they need.
While every person's experience is different, these issues are often closely connected.
This is reflected in national data. In 2024-25, specialist homelessness services supported around 88,800 people with a current mental health issue, representing almost one-third of all clients accessing those services. This highlights how often housing instability and mental health challenges intersect.
Recognising that connection helps us move beyond seeing mental health and homelessness as separate challenges. Instead, it encourages us to look at the broader conditions that help people stay well.
What helps young people thrive
At Marist180, we see the importance of creating the right foundations for children, young people and families to thrive.
A safe home can give young people the stability they need to remain connected to school, training, work, culture, family and community. It can provide a sense of belonging and security during times of uncertainty. It can create space for young people to focus on their goals, strengths and aspirations.
Many of the young people we work alongside are navigating multiple challenges at once. Housing insecurity may sit alongside family conflict, family and domestic violence, financial stress, leaving care, trauma, mental health challenges or other significant life events.
That is why supporting young people’s wellbeing cannot be separated from the environment they live in. Young people are part of families, communities, schools, and wider systems. When these systems provide safety, connections, stability, and opportunities young people are better positioned to build relationships, participate in their communities and work towards the future they want.
Looking beyond individual circumstances
Homelessness rarely has a single cause. Housing insecurity often sits alongside other challenges, including mental ill-health, financial stress, family and domestic violence, limited housing options, trauma and significant life transitions. These experiences can affect a person's sense of stability, connection and wellbeing.
Understanding the broader circumstances that shape people's lives helps us focus on what makes a difference: safe and affordable housing, timely support and strong community connections. Homelessness is a community issue that needs a community response.
Building the foundations for wellbeing
As Mental Health Month continues and World Homelessness Day approaches, there is an opportunity to broaden the conversation about wellbeing. Mental health matters. Housing matters. Connection matters. These are not separate issues. They are part of the foundations that help children, young people and families thrive.
In 2024-25, almost 289,000 people received support from specialist homelessness services across Australia. At the same time, around one in three clients who needed short-term emergency accommodation did not have that need met. This demonstrates the scale of housing insecurity experienced by individuals and families across the country.
At Marist180, we believe everyone deserves a safe, stable place to call home. Because when people have the foundations they need, they are better able to participate in their communities, pursue opportunities, build meaningful relationships, and create the future they want.
A safe home cannot solve every challenge. But it can provide one of the foundations upon which wellbeing, connection and opportunity are built. If we want children and young people to thrive, we need to provide services that make wellbeing possible. That is why we support Homelessness NSW's A Place to Call Home campaign, which is calling for greater investment in the housing and support services that help prevent and address homelessness.
You can support the campaign by adding your voice to the call for action. Sign the A Place to Call Home petition and help advocate for safe, affordable housing for everyone.
