LANIE HARRIS Advocacy and Communications, cohealth
A hub for health and housing Can community health centres be part of a solution to the housing crisis?
people facing disadvantage, but a groundbreaking
The benefits of co-locating community health services and low-cost housing
proposal in Victoria could see them also tackling
‘We know that people in insecure housing or
one of the most significant ‘upstream’ drivers of
experiencing homelessness are more likely to suffer
poor health—poor housing.
from poor health. And the perverse cycle continues
Community health services have long cared for
In a joint proposal, two of Victoria’s leading not-
because people with high health needs are more
for-profits are lobbying the Victorian Government
likely to be living in substandard accommodation,
for funding to bring community health and social
or at risk of homelessness,’ says cohealth’s Interim
housing together under one roof.
Chief Executive Nicole Bartholomeusz.
Cohealth—a community health service, and
‘Our idea is to create a “supercharged” health
Unison Housing—a social housing provider, have
centre complete with health and social services
outlined their vision for a ‘health and housing hub’
on the ground floor and build social and affordable
based in Collingwood in Melbourne’s inner north.
housing above. ‘We have a unique opportunity to partner with a community housing organisation to tackle two significant social problems.’
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The Health Advocate • DECEMBER 2019
