‘Decades of neglect’: calls for social housing quota on new Victorian developments as homelessness rises

Proposal from the Council to Homeless Persons comes as analysis shows huge increases in homelessness levels in some regions, with one rising 465%

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Every new property development in Victoria should include a mandatory quota of social housing, according to advocates for homeless people who have released new analysis showing spikes in homelessness across the regions and outer Melbourne.

The report by the Council to Homeless Persons compared data from the 2021 census with the previous survey in 2016. It found the electorate of South Barwon, which takes in parts of greater Geelong, had the biggest rise in people experiencing homelessness in that period – a jump of 465%.

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