New data reveals Victoria’s housing crisis fuelling homelessness

New data has revealed Victoria’s housing crisis is fuelling homelessness with more people seeking help due to evictions and housing affordability stress.

The latest Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s Specialist Homelessness Services report highlights the desperate need for more social housing.

The report shows that the number of people attending homelessness services whose main reason for presenting was a housing crisis (including evictions), rose by 9% in 2021/22.

The number of people seeking help from services because of housing affordability stress increased by 5%.

In total 29,858 people came to homelessness services primarily for accommodation reasons, and an additional 7,049 came due to housing affordability stress.

Victoria’s housing crisis has been underpinned by soaring rents and plummeting vacancy rates.

Council to Homeless Persons is calling for the re-elected State Government to commit to building a pipeline of social housing beyond the Big Housing Build, as well as to invest in services assisting people experiencing homelessness.

“The only way to solve the housing crisis is to increase Victoria’s ongoing investment in social housing,” Council to Homeless Persons Chief Executive Officer Jenny Smith said.

“The Big Housing Build is a good start, but that program is only funded until 2024 and we need long-term commitments to properly address the crisis.

“The latest data lays bare the stark human impact of just how unaffordable housing has become. In just one year, the amount of people forced to seek help from homelessness services because of a housing crisis has jumped 9%.

“At the same time, housing affordability stress was behind a 5% jump in people needing help from our services.

“We’re urging new Housing Minister Colin Brooks to make an increased and ongoing commitment for social housing one of his first priorities.

“Victoria can end the housing crisis by building 6000 social housing properties a year for the next decade.

“Guaranteeing the future of critical programs like from Homelessness to a Home and increasing funding for service providers is also vitally important.

“Without action, evictions and housing affordability stress – two key symptoms of the housing crisis afflicting the state – will push even more people into homelessness.”