130% increase in number of people hospitalised who were experiencing homelessnes

Increase since 2017 

Notes:
(i) Homelessness was not necessarily the reason for the admission.
(ii) People hospitalised multiple times (transfers, readmissions, multiple incidents) are counted each time.
(iii) Data from 2021/22 onwards is provisional, and subject to change. 

Homelessness has considerable negative impacts on health outcomes.   

While homelessness was not necessarily the root cause for hospital admission, the consistent year-on-year rise in hospitalisation for those with any diagnosis of homelessness is disturbing. When homelessness increases, so do hospitalisations for those experiencing homelessness increase. This has a considerable cost impact on the health system and for government.

The notable spike is from the 2021/2022 period to 2024 year. This indicates that homelessness has not only increased but also highlights the mounting pressure and costs on the health system. It is hugely expensive to keep people in hospital; each hospital bed night costs our country approximately $1,200 per night!  

Over time, the benefits of investing in long-term housing solutions outweighs the costs of treating people experiencing homelessness-related health issues in the health system. 

Data source: OIA data from Health NZ Te Whatu Ora, Number of publicly funded hospital discharges with any diagnosis of homelessness (ICD-10-AM-VIII code Z59.0) since 2017