‘Crushing demand’ for social housing as Victoria’s waiting list surges
More than 55,000 Victorian families are trying to get into social housing after cost of living pressures drove an 8.4 per cent increase in the waiting list in 2024.
Housing Minister Harriet Shing said there was record demand for social housing across the country, with New South Wales and Queensland also recording increases in their registers.
Victoria’s ageing social housing towers are in poor condition and at the centre of a political brawl.Credit: Paul Jeffers
New waiting list data released by the government shows that there were 55,024 applications sitting on the Victorian housing register in December 2024, up from 50,732 for the same time in 2023.
It is the third consecutive quarterly increase, and 1470 applications were added to the total since the last reported period in September.
“Right across the country people are doing it tough with record demand for social housing, and we’re working to get Victorians into social homes as quickly as we can,” Shing said.
“In the last year, we placed a record number of Victorians on the housing register into social homes – more than 7600 households right across the state.
“We know there is more to do – that’s why we’re investing more than any other state into building social and affordable homes so more Victorians can have a safe and secure place to live.”
By comparison, the Queensland government reported an 11 per cent increase in its social housing waiting list throughout 2024.
In NSW, the number of applications rose by 10 per cent. NSW has the largest waiting list, with 64,948 applications, but also has the nation’s biggest population.
