Abstract
International evidence suggests that homelessness and housing insecurity are associated with increased mortality, and for people that were formerly homeless, moving into secure housing is associated with decreased mortality. This paper explores the mortality among a cohort of formerly homeless people in Aotearoa New Zealand, who are now in Housing First, a programme designed to support housing security by providing wraparound support as well as stable housing. The Integrated Data Infrastructure was used, which links our de-identified cohort data with administrative data from various Aotearoa New Zealand government departments. Of the 390 in the Housing First cohort, 33 had passed away during the follow-up period, the majority of whom were men (63 per cent). The cohort that had experienced homelessness had an average age of death that was 18 years younger than that of a comparative sample from the Aotearoa general population. Notably, our findings also indicate that women utilising the Housing First programme tend to experience longer life expectancy compared to men. Our study underscores the need for continued support among people who have experienced homelessness due to their increased risk of mortality even after obtaining housing, highlighting the significance of early intervention and prevention.