The Victorian budget has provided some relief with critical funding for frontline homelessness services, but more is needed to tackle the once-in-a-generation crisis.
Council to Homeless Persons CEO Deborah Di Natale said the $197 million provided over four years, including $42.3 million in 2024/25, will allow some key programs to continue running.
“Funding for frontline services is more vital than ever as the exorbitant cost of renting and vanishingly small supply of genuinely affordable dwellings drives soaring demand for homelessness help,” she said.
“Measures like expanding Journey to Social to Inclusion will offer genuine relief for Victorians increasingly being pushed towards homelessness.
“New four-year competitive grants for homelessness programs worth $38.5 million will enable best-practice models across Victoria to be implemented.”
Dedicated funding to enable self-determination approaches to ending Aboriginal Homelessness in Victoria through Mana-na worn-tyeen maar-takoort; Every Aboriginal Person has a home – The Victorian Housing and Homelessness Framework is welcome.
“An additional $16.7 million for Homes for Families, a housing first initiative, will be vital to ensuring some of our community’s most vulnerable women and children are not forced to sleep in cars or on the street,” Ms Di Natale said.
“The budget will fund Pride in Place and the Homelessness After Hours statewide services, but certainty beyond that is essential to continue to deliver good outcomes for those who need it most.
“While we support funding being maintained for service providers, it is not enough to meet soaring demand with frontline workers increasingly forced to make impossible choices about who to help.
“We are urging the government to detail how it will reduce waitlists for public and community housing when new funding for the social housing pipeline dries up on June 30.
“We need the Federal Government to properly fund what is needed in Victoria.”
Fast facts:
Homelessness in Victoria rose 24% at the last Census
In 2021, more than 30,000 Victorians were without a home on Census night – almost 6,000 more than the previous Census in 2016
In March, there were 60,564 applications for public and community housing on the waiting list
Victoria lags behind every other state and territory on social housing, with public and community housing residents making up just 2.8% of Victoria’s households
