Research investigating the outcomes of 69 young people ranging in age from 18 to 25 years old who received housing and support from The People’s Project has shown life improves once they are housed.
Lead researcher Dr Brodie Fraser, from the University of Otago, Wellington, says the research found a significant reduction in the rate of hospitalisations and emergency department admissions once the young people had been housed. Specialist outpatient visits to hospital increased, indicating they were more able to manage ongoing health conditions.
Their incomes remained low, however. Income from wages and salaries doubled in the two years after being housed compared to the two years before. Despite this, the young people remained below the poverty line with a mean annual income level of $15,900 two years after being supported into housing.
Read more about this research:
The research paper, ‘Post-Housing First outcomes amongst a cohort of formerly homeless youth in Aotearoa New Zealand’ is published in the Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand.
Listen to Radio New Zealand coverage of the research paper’s release.
Read the Waikato Times story on Stuff.co.nz
