Why we need more Community Housing

Providing secure and affordable housing to people locked out of the rental market

Smiling elderly woman wearing glasses and a beige cardigan sitting on a couch, talking to another person.
The problem

There’s not enough affordable rental housing

At the 2021 Census there were 146,000 Victorian households in need of housing assistance. They were low income households in rentals they couldn't afford, in severely overcrowded homes or experiencing homelessness.

In 2026, Victoria has approximately 88,000 long term social housing units representing 3% of all housing in the state. This is the lowest proportion of social housing of any state or territory in Australia.

Did you know?

At the last Census, there were 146,000 households in Victoria who urgently needed affordable housing.

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Did you know?

For every $1 invested in social and affordable housing, communities see $2 in benefits.

That's a 2:1 return on investments.

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Did you know?

To reach the national average, Victoria needs to build 80,000 new social homes over the next 10 years.

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Why social housing?

More people need help with housing

As the cost of living continues to rise, more and more families are struggling to keep a roof over their head. In June 2026 there were more than 57,000 households waiting for public or community housing.

Almost 19,000 of these households were families with children. This situation is expected to worsen without new investment in community housing. That’s because Victoria’s proportion of social housing is still the lowest in the country.

  • The most common reasons women and children experiencing family violence do not leave a violent relationship - or return to one - is because there aren’t enough affordable homes for them to move to. 
  • More than 44 per cent of people released from prison in Victoria return to prison within two years, often because they have nowhere to live. 
  • In the past year, 17 per cent of Aboriginal Victorians sought help from a homelessness service, and more than half of them (55 per cent) were already homeless.
The role of community housing

More community housing is part of the solution

To meet the need for affordable housing in the state, Victoria needs to build 8,000 new social housing units each year for the next 10 years, including 300 homes specifically for Aboriginal Victorians. CHIA Vic will continue to advocate for clear growth targets for social housing, based on the community’s housing need. Our roadmap for community housing sets out how we can achieve this growth.

Get involved

Show your support

You can help put the "community" in community housing. With support from people like you, we can make a real difference. 

Drop a pin on the map and leave a message of support to show that community housing is welcome in your area.