Homelessness: Where the parties stand this election

The Animal Justice Party supports stronger public and social housing, early intervention to prevent homelessness, properly funded emergency relief and food security and safer transitional support for women, children and pets escaping family violence. It also backs “No Wrong Door” service access, wraparound support and longer-term funding approaches, with particular emphasis on regional services, supported housing and sustained government investment in prevention.

Long-term housing, prevention and social capital strategy

Will your party support a long-term social and affordable housing strategy developed with the social service and community housing sector, combining housing supply, homelessness prevention, tenancy sustainment and investment in social capital?

Public housing is central to ending homelessness. The Animal Justice Party (AJP) supports a long-term strategy that increases public and social housing supply while investing in homelessness prevention.

Homelessness Prevention

Will your party commit funding to support at-risk households to remain safely housed through rapid assessment, tenancy sustainment, financial counselling, private rental brokerage and targeted arrears support?

AJP supports early intervention to prevent people becoming homeless in the first place. This includes practical assistance with rent, arrears and navigating housing services, alongside increasing the supply of genuinely affordable and public housing.

Cost of Living and Food Security

Will your party commit to funding emergency relief, food security, bill-stress support, financial capability and referral pathways into housing stability in priority growth corridors and regional communities?

The AJP supports properly funded emergency relief and food security programs, particularly in regional Victoria. Our sitting MP Georgie Purcell has directly raised the impact of cuts to regional Foodbank services in Parliament, and advocated for several food relief providers in her electorate.

Safe Transition Support for Women and Children Escaping Violence

Will your party commit to funding a safe transition support program to assist women and families to move from crisis housing to stable housing, including flexible household establishment packages, school re-engagement, case coordination and links to housing, legal, financial and community support where needed?

The AJP supports investment in secure transitional accommodation for women and children and pets leaving unsafe housing and seeking refuge. Georgie secured legislative reforms which recognised pets as victims of family violence and included them in the intervention order system. The AJP is committed to ensuring that transitional accommodation can accommodate the pets of victim-survivors of family violence (including through a fully costed policy).

No Wrong Door access to support

Will your party support a “No Wrong Door” approach where people presenting to government social services can be connected quickly into the right practical support without being pushed between disconnected systems?

The AJP supports “No Wrong Door” approaches to Government social service delivery. We know just how draining and demoralising resharing your story over and over again can be and how far too many slip through the cracks. Georgie was proud to support the Children, Youth and Families Amendment (Supporting Stable and Strong Families) Bill 2025 establishing a whole of Government approach to the wellbeing of vulnerable children and care leavers. She has also consistently advocated for the Government to improve continuity of maternity care

Housing First and prevention with wraparound support

Will your party support Housing First and prevention models that include wraparound support such as mental health care, counselling, employment or life-skills pathways, financial counselling, tenancy support and community connection, rather than treating housing allocation alone as the solution?

The AJP strongly supports investment in wraparound support. Integrated services are incredibly effective and allow those in need to address challenges they face without piecemeal solutions. It’s exactly why Georgie worked hard to successfully secure funding for the wraparound AOD service First Step in both the 2025 and 2026 budgets. Georgie also recently called for the Government to deliver 500 supported housing places for young people with mental ill health as recommended by the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System. We know measures like these are critical to lessen the revolving door between emergency care and homelessness services.

If your party holds balance-of-power influence, which of these commitments would you seek to include in negotiations with government?

Our sitting MP has shown she is firmly committed to advocating for improvements in homelessness and family violence services, and she will continue to do so if re-elected. She has particularly raised the challenges as heard by the sector relating to short term strategy and funding commitments and will continue to pressure the government to adopt more sustained, long-term plans for addressing and preventing.

Victorian Labor points to major existing investment in social housing, homelessness prevention, family violence, food security, financial counselling, tenancy support and community participation. Its approach combines new social housing supply with Housing First, Tenancy Plus, No Wrong Door service coordination, refuge and crisis accommodation, financial hardship support and funded community participation, with further election commitments still to be announced.

Long-term housing, prevention and social capital strategy

Will your party support a long-term social and affordable housing strategy developed with the social service and community housing sector, combining housing supply, homelessness prevention, tenancy sustainment and investment in social capital?

Labor has committed to invest a further $860m into the Social Housing Growth Fund to deliver a further 7,000 social homes over the next ten years. Labor has also committed to the redevelopment of the 44 towers on the public housing high rise estates. This will replace 6,600 homes with better, safer and more comfortable homes for current and future residents and increase social housing by 10% on these estates. When fully implemented the program will deliver at least 9,800 social housing dwellings. In addition, all the funds raised through the short stay accommodation levy are invested in social housing. So far Labor has completed or underway more than 15,000 social housing dwellings.

Homelessness Prevention

Will your party commit funding to support at-risk households to remain safely housed through rapid assessment, tenancy sustainment, financial counselling, private rental brokerage and targeted arrears support?

$411m was invested in homelessness services in 2025-26, more than any other State. More than 6,000 people sleeping rough have been supported since the launch of the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Plan in 2018. Labor has also increased the number of supported accommodation dwellings across Victoria from 60 to 360. There are 10 new youth homelessness and accommodation initiatives, and more than 1,200 households have benefited from Housing First responses. In the 2026-27 Budget and in our September 2026 Six-Point Plan we have invested a further $74m in tackling homelessness. Our homelessness 6-point plan announced in September 2026 invests $25m in 1. Establishing by name lists and online triage across the State. 2. Expanding the number and reach of assertive outreach teams to 18. 3. Embedding service co-ordination and complex care teams to support assertive outreach teams. 4. Delivering more access to Housing supports through an additional 100 Homes First packages. 5. Further funding for seven Village 21 and Education First Youth Foyer initiatives, 6. An additional $6.1m to expand Tenancy Plus support to an additional 1,000 people to prevent households returning to homelessness. This included funding for prevention and early intervention programs such as the Private Rental Assistance program (financial subsidies), Tenancy Plus and Bond Assist (loans for rental bonds).

Cost of Living and Food Security

Will your party commit to funding emergency relief, food security, bill-stress support, financial capability and referral pathways into housing stability in priority growth corridors and regional communities?

The Victorian government is providing $27m in 2026-27 for financial counselling services, including specialist family violence financial counselling. $2.3m was invested in 2026-2027 in a Bring Your Bills program which assist people to work through the multiplicity of bills they may have with different organisations or utilities. It has also provided $4m over 4 years to Mortgage Strees Victoria to assist families struggling with their mortgage. The Victorian government is also investing $11m in food security and emergency assistance to people experiencing financial hardship in 2026-2027. Renters will also have access to more support services under the new Victorian Renter Rights Program. Under the program the Victorian government in the May 2026 State Budget has doubled its annual funding for renter assistance, committing $98.74m over 5 years to boost renting support services.

Safe Transition Support for Women and Children Escaping Violence

Will your party commit to funding a safe transition support program to assist women and families to move from crisis housing to stable housing, including flexible household establishment packages, school re-engagement, case coordination and links to housing, legal, financial and community support where needed?

The Victorian government's 2026-27 Budget provides $36.9m for family violence response activities, including safe and secure accommodation, core and cluster refuges, therapeutic interventions, emergency crisis support packages and flexible support packages for victim survivors. The 2026-2027 State Budget also invested $15m to provide stable long term housing with flexible wraparound supports for people experiencing homelessness across 5 supportive housing sites in Victoria, and short term crisis accommodation, personal safety initiative responses, specialist case management

Transitional Accommodation

Will your party commit capital funding support toward transitional accommodation to develop secure, self-contained accommodation for women and children exiting refuge who need further support before moving into long-term housing?

In the 2026-27 Budget the Victorian Labor government allocated $10.5m for the statewide refuge and crisis accommodation program. The total investment is $33.6m over 3 years.

Integrated Support Model

Will your party support a model which links housing and tenancy management for those in social and community housing settings with practical support, specialist services and community connection so people are not just housed?

The 2026-27 State Budget provided an additional $6.1m over two years to expand Tenancy Plus support to an additional 1,000 people in social housing who are at risk of homelessness.

Social Capital Investment Stream

Will your party support establishing a dedicated Social Capital Investment Stream to fund local volunteer networks, partnerships and inclusion programs as key early-intervention infrastructure, recognising that housing stability is strengthened by community connection?

The Victorian government invested $1.2m over 3 years for the first phase of the 10-year Volunteering Plan in the 2026-2027 State Budget. In addition, in the 20 26-27 State budget, the Victorian Labor government invested $79m in Community Participation programs encompassing Neighbourhood Houses, men's Sheds, food relief, community support and community finance.

No Wrong Door access to support

Will your party support a “No Wrong Door” approach where people presenting to government social services can be connected quickly into the right practical support without being pushed between disconnected systems?

The Victorian government has invested in a number of No Wrong Door approaches that relate to housing and homelessness. For example, the Orange Door Network provides a common entry point for family violence victim survivors and children and families needing support. The Victorian Government has also invested in a No Wrong door approach to homelessness for Aboriginal Victorians, with Aboriginal specific homelessness entry points, brokerage and Housing First multidisciplinary teams. More generally the Victorian Labor government has funded entry access points in the homelessness sector and new assertive outreach teams, together with complex care workers in all 18 regions, to ensure service coordination and help connect people sleeping rough into the services and supports they need.

Housing First and prevention with wraparound support

Will your party support Housing First and prevention models that include wraparound support such as mental health care, counselling, employment or life-skills pathways, financial counselling, tenancy support and community connection, rather than treating housing allocation alone as the solution?

Yes.

Fund community participation in social policy programs

Will your party support a funded community participation component in major housing, homelessness and prevention programs, so that community connection, volunteer participation and local partnership-building are treated as part of the policy design, not an optional add-on?

The Victorian Labor government funds homelessness system enablers These include statewide and local homelessness networks which allow funded homelessness services to collaborate, consult, plan and co-ordinate responses with community organisations. The Victorian Indigenous Statewide Homelessness Network is one example. Our funded essential needs centres and mobile drop-in centres offer practical support such as meals and access to showers as well as connection to community activities. Tenant participation and empowerment is supported through Tenancy Plus and place-based community development is supported through $1m invested in improving service access and community participation on the North Richmond high rise estate and community engagement and renewal activities on other estates. Social and economic participation is also supported through Youth Foyers and Housing First responses. In addition, the Victorian Labor government is funding five Work and Learning Centres to promote economic participation amongst public housing estate residents.

If your party holds balance-of-power influence, which of these commitments would you seek to include in negotiations with government?

Labor is committed to implementing all of these funded initiatives. Further commitments will be announced in the election campaign.

The Victorian Greens support the Society’s policy asks, with housing affordability as a major priority. Their approach focuses on expanding and retaining public housing, capping rents, legislating a right to housing and ending homelessness by 2036, alongside long-term funding for homelessness services, food security, neighbourhood houses, outreach and other community services that strengthen local connection.

Long-term housing, prevention and social capital strategy

Will your party support a long-term social and affordable housing strategy developed with the social service and community housing sector, combining housing supply, homelessness prevention, tenancy sustainment and investment in social capital?

To address the housing crisis Victoria needs to build, not demolish, public housing. The Greens have a plan to stop Labor’s demolition of all 44 of Melbourne’s public housing towers, retrofit and maintain existing homes, and more than double the number of public homes over the next ten years so that everyone who needs it can have access to affordable housing. We’ll also ensure that the community services that keep us all connected, safe and healthy - such as homework and sporting clubs, neighbourhood houses, food security, community health and outreach, youth services and community legal services - can operate and plan for the future with long-term secure funding. To bring down the cost of renting and buying a home, the Greens will introduce a cap on rent increases and cut stamp duty on homes for people to live in.

Homelessness Prevention

Will your party commit funding to support at-risk households to remain safely housed through rapid assessment, tenancy sustainment, financial counselling, private rental brokerage and targeted arrears support?

The Greens support swift administrative and financial support for people at risk of homelessness and renters. Concurrently, our priority is to build public housing and regulate the rental market to bring down the cost of renting and ensure that rental properties are safe and habitable. To address and prevent homelessness the Greens will more than double public housing by building 88,000 new public homes and maintain and upgrade existing public housing. We will also legislate a goal to end homelessness by 2036, introduce the right to housing in Victoria’s Human Rights Charter, and guarantee long-term funding for homelessness services and funding for specialised housing for high-risk and vulnerable cohorts. To make renting more affordable and prevent homelessness the Greens will freeze, and cap rent increases to keep rents below wage growth and inflation, saving the average renter $20,000 over 5 years. The Greens will also ensure developers provide genuinely affordable housing by mandating a minimum of 30% affordable housing in private developments of over 15 units or more and legislate a definition of ‘affordable’ that keeps rents within 30% of the tenant’s income, not tied to the market. Together, these measures will work to prevent homelessness, make renting more affordable for everyone and ensure that those who need it have access to public housing.

Cost of Living and Food Security

Will your party commit to funding emergency relief, food security, bill-stress support, financial capability and referral pathways into housing stability in priority growth corridors and regional communities?

Too many households are struggling with the cost of living and food insecurity. We support swift administrative and financial support for households struggling to pay bills, find secure housing or experiencing food insecurity. We are also concerned about the additional impacts of floods, fires and droughts on communities and households and commit to emergency relief as well as climate adaptation and mitigation measures. On a systemic level, the Greens will provide cost of living support by capping rent increases to make housing more affordable, expanding our public dental system so all Victorians can see the dentist for free, and making public transport free for good. Big banks and supermarkets shouldn’t be making obscene profits while everyday people struggle to make ends meet. We’ll bring down the cost of groceries by capping supermarket profits on essential items through the Essential Services Commission. We will also bring down bills by cutting out corporate profits and returning our energy system to public hands, where it belongs. The Greens will introduce a $3000 Greens Power voucher for renters and homeowners to spend on energy-efficient upgrades and establish a public energy retailer within the State Electricity Commission to cut out corporate profits to bring down power bills.

Social Capital Investment Stream

Will your party support establishing a dedicated Social Capital Investment Stream to fund local volunteer networks, partnerships and inclusion programs as key early-intervention infrastructure, recognising that housing stability is strengthened by community connection?

The Greens have secured funding for food security, homework clubs, outreach workers, neighbourhood houses and community and allied health, but these services still remain chronically underfunded. The Greens will fight for long-term and ongoing investment in the services that support community connection. Strong local communities in Melbourne are currently being torn apart by the Labor Government’s demolition and privatisation of all 44 of Melbourne’s public housing towers. To support these communities the Greens would stop the demolition and maintain and upgrade existing public housing, so that residents can continue to live in their long-established neighbourhoods and stay connected to their community.

If your party holds balance-of-power influence, which of these commitments would you seek to include in negotiations with government?

Housing affordability is a key priority issue for the Greens this election. We are demanding that the Government: Stop the demolition of public housing and build 88,000 more public homes, cap rent increases, cut stamp duty for owner-occupied homes under $1.6 million, end homelessness within 10 years and make housing a human right, make developers provide genuinely affordable housing, tax ultra-wealthy property investors with more than $5 million in residential investment properties and abolish property investor subsidies to make housing affordable for those who need it most. Balance of power discussions will be determined after the election results are finalised; however, implementing the Greens housing platform would be a key starting point for any discussions.

Did not respond in the requested timeframe.

The Liberals and Nationals support a whole-of-government approach to preventing homelessness, with an emphasis on early intervention, tenancy sustainment, financial counselling and better coordination across housing, health, family violence and community services. They also support safe housing for women and children escaping violence, Housing First and community participation in principle, with specific funding commitments to be announced through their costed election policies.

The Liberals and Nationals recognise that housing insecurity and homelessness are rarely caused by one issue alone. Too often, they are the end result of challenges that have been building over time, including family violence, poor health, financial stress, disengagement from education and contact with the justice system.

A Wilson-led Liberal and Nationals Government will take a whole-of-government approach to preventing homelessness and tackling these underlying causes earlier. Our focus will be on helping people remain in secure housing wherever possible and building an integrated a system, rather than sending vulnerable Victorians from one service to the next.

We support the important role of early intervention, including tenancy sustainment, financial counselling, housing assistance and better connections between housing, health, family violence and community services. We also recognise the significant pressures that rising living costs, food insecurity and household bills are placing on vulnerable families.

Women and children escaping family violence must also be able to access safe and stable housing, alongside the practical support they need to rebuild their lives. More broadly, we support an integrated approach to housing and homelessness services that connects people with specialist support, community organisations and local networks.

The people working on the frontline of homelessness, housing and social services understand where the system is working and where it is falling short. We will ensure their experience helps inform the development and delivery of policy.

We appreciate the proposals St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria has put forward, including around homelessness prevention, transitional housing, Housing First, community participation and stronger coordination between services. Specific funding commitments will be set out through our costed election policies, but your submission will help inform that work as we finalise our remaining policies ahead of the State Election.

Did not respond in the requested timeframe.

One Nation Victoria acknowledges the wonderful work of the St Vincent de Paul Society in helping our most vulnerable Victorians.

For 172 years the Society has been on the front-line assisting those most in need, particularly those experiencing short and long-term homelessness.

One Nation Victoria applauds the work of the Society and is committed to supporting them and other like agencies in addressing the homeless crisis currently being experienced in Victoria.

Whether it be through early prevention measures, increased public housing or wrap-around supports, One Nation Victoria recognises the challenges in addressing homelessness and is determined to support the Society and other agencies in this endeavour.

One Nation Victoria commits to working with all agencies, including St Vincent de Paul to determine the most effective policy frameworks to help tackle the issue of homelessness in Victoria.

One Nation Victoria leader Warren Pickering has said homelessness in Victoria is a national disgrace, with a broken rental market forcing people onto the streets while promises of more social and crisis housing in the state had delivered only a fraction of what was needed.

“We’re left with little choice but to put more resources into helping Victorians facing homelessness,” Mr Pickering said. “Around 35% of renters are in rental stress, more than 30,000 people are homeless in our state, and more than a thousand sleep rough on a given night.

“We are seeing rough sleepers everywhere, from country towns to the Melbourne CBD, because there’s nowhere else for them to go. That changes under a One Nation government.”

Mr Pickering said One Nation would create sufficient crisis, transitional and temporary places so no-one is forced to sleep rough. Dedicated beds will be provided in every region, including for women and children escaping family violence. The By-Name List will be resourced statewide and funded to connect every person to a genuine offer of housing and support.

He said, "One Nation would run a statewide trial providing land tax exemptions for willing landlords who lease dwellings – including short-stay properties – to the state or community housing providers for 12 month tenancies.

“This creates immediate housing stock for only about a third of the cost of motel accommodation that’s currently being used,” he said. “We’ll also trial incentives such as wage subsidies or payroll tax offsets for employers hiring someone on the By-Name List, and we’ll create dedicated entry-level state government jobs for people exiting homelessness.”

“Squatting or camping in the Melbourne CBD and other high-visibility public areas will not be an option. We aim to provide enough beds so it doesn’t need to be. We will enforce clear rules and move-on powers consistently – but only after outreach workers have offered a place. The days of seeing tents lining the streets of our cities, towns and foreshores will be over because everyone will have somewhere safe to sleep.”

Shooters, Fishers & Farmers Party fully supported the policy aims of St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria.