Report finds Victoria needs 80,000 new homes in next decade to start fixing social housing crisis
The Victorian Housing Peaks Alliance today released the Growing Social Housing report, modelling the state's social housing demand and calling on the government to act.
The report found Victoria needs an extra 377,000 social housing dwellings by 2051 to meet the expected total demand for social housing — the term used to describe both public and community housing.
The need for 80,000 new homes in the next decade accounts for less than a quarter of that figure, but advocates say it's what's needed to get the state on track.
Ahead of next week's state budget, the housing alliance is calling on the government to set a target to build 7,990 new social housing dwellings every year for the next 10 years, and to establish a long-term strategy to achieve that target.
Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS) CEO Juanita Pope described social housing as "essential infrastructure".
"It's like hospitals, schools, roads and emergency services, so it's time to start planning for it in the same way," Ms Pope said.
"Strong, sustained investment in growing public housing and community housing should be the number one infrastructure priority for this state. It's the key to solving our housing crisis and other big societal challenges."
Victorian Public Tenants Association (VPTA) CEO Katelyn Butterss said every housing issue would worsen without a strong social housing system.
"Every Victorian deserves the dignity of having a place to call home and for some, public housing is the only option to achieve this basic human right long term," Ms Butterss said."However, our public housing system has not grown meaningfully in decades meaning many are left sitting on waiting lists.
"Social housing, and public housing especially, are key to delivering holistic and affordable housing for everyone."
Council to Homeless Persons CEO Deborah Di Natale said more Victorians would face homelessness without action being taken to improve social housing stock.
"Every night, tens of thousands of Victorians are forced to sleep in cars, on the streets and in other unsafe conditions," Ms Di Natale said. "The scale of the dire housing shortage demands bold, sustained action.
"The Victorian government must urgently commit to a social housing building blitz to prevent this crisis erupting into a human catastrophe."
The Growing Social Housing report notes Victoria has the lowest proportion of social housing in Australia, despite the state government's Big Housing Build project aiming to boost housing stock.
While the government has housing targets for the private market, there are no strictly defined social housing targets.
"In Victoria, the current proportion of social housing is 3.1 per cent. After the Big Housing Build, it will be about 3.5 per cent — still well under the national average of 4.5 per cent (which itself isn't enough to meet demand)," the report notes.
"In order to catch up to the national average of 4.5 per cent social housing stock, Victoria needs to build 7,990 new social housing dwellings a year for the next 10 years."
Without building 7,990 new social dwellings each year for the next decade, Victoria's proportion of social housing would drop to about 2 per cent by 2051, the report forecasts.
The report also notes its target is "modest", with modelling showing the state would need to build 10,700 social housing dwellings a year for the next decade to meet "expressed demand" for social housing — enough to house those on the social housing waitlist as well as those currently receiving social housing assistance.
To meet the total demand for social housing — enough for all Victorians who need assistance, including those who haven't formally requested it — the state would need to build 27,900 social dwellings a year.
The report comes as the state's social housing waiting list continues to climb, jumping 8.4 per cent in 2024.
Latest Homes Victoria data shows 55,024 applicants were on the waiting list for social housing in the December 2024 quarter, compared to 50,732 the previous year.
The Victorian Housing Peaks Alliance includes VCOSS, Community Housing Industry Association Victoria, VPTA, the Council to Homeless Persons, Safe and Equal, Aboriginal Housing Victoria, Tenants Victoria and Justice Connect.
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