Homelessness and mental health advisory committee
The Housing and Mental Health Agreement Lived Experience Committee (HMHA LEC) amplifies the voices of people with lived experience of housing instability and mental health conditions.
The NSW Government’s Housing and Mental Health Agreement 2022 (HMHA 22) is a shared commitment between NSW Health and the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) to improve access to mental health services and support, and safe, secure and appropriate housing.
The HMHA 22 can only improve the delivery of services for people experiencing housing insecurity and mental ill-health if it is guided by people with experience of housing instability and mental health conditions.
In 2023, the NSW Government approached the JEC to establish and coordinate a lived experience committee for the HMHA, recognising the JEC’s success in coordinating StreetCare, an advisory committee for people with lived experience of homelessness.
The HMHA LEC is a statewide committee that meets regularly with representatives from Homes NSW (part of DCJ), the NSW Ministry of Health and peak bodies for housing and healthcare, to advise on improvements to services. It has diverse representation to reflect the diversity of our communities.
HMHA LEC Successes
The committee has been involved in development and implementation of major NSW Government homelessness strategies.
It has also advocated for systemic improvements to housing and mental health systems. This included reform of communications from social housing providers to tenants, with the committee highlighting a lack of trauma-informed practice causing people to leave their tenancies early. In response, Homes NSW has committed to a review of its communication with the committee involved.
In September 2025, the HMHA LEC won a Mental Health Service Award, recognising its work.
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