Contents
Social housing and specialist homelessness services 2
Social housing 2
Victorian Housing Register 2
Direct tenure public rental housing 2
Rental general housing 2
Movable units 2
Public housing assistance – waiting list, tenancies, rebates and stock 3
Bond Loan Scheme 5
Public housing stock 5
Incident reporting 6
Social housing stock by housing program at 30 June 8
Social housing acquisitions 8
Dwellings acquired in 2016–17 by dwelling type 9
Dwellings acquired in 2016–17 by type of acquisition 10
Director owned acquisitions by number of bedrooms by division for 2016–17 12
Director owned sales, demolitions and lease hand-backs for 2016–17 12
Summary of changes to Director owned dwellings for 2016–17 14
Total social housing dwellings at 30 June 2017 15
Social housing dwellings by local government area at 30 June 2017 20
Director owned units by number of bedrooms at 30 June 2017 24
Social housing and specialist homelessness services
The department and funded community service organisations provide housing and support to Victorians most in need. These services include long-term housing programs as well as temporary accommodation and homelessness support. In 2016–17:
• 62,670 households were assisted with long-term direct tenure public housing
• an estimated 108,574 clients were assisted to address and prevent homelessness.
Social housing
Social housing assistance focuses on providing adequate, affordable and accessible housing targeted to those in greatest need, delivered cost-effectively and in coordination with support services where required. Social housing assistance is provided on a long or short-term basis.
Long-term social housing assistance includes public rental accommodation, community-managed housing[1]in Director owned properties[2]and community-owned stock for designated client groups and rental accommodation for low income Victorians with identified support needs. Long-term public rental housing also includes movable units. In recent years, housing assistance has been increasingly targeted to people in greatest need. Targeting to high need groups has impacts in terms of stock turnover and costs.
Short-term social housing is provided to Victoria’s homeless individuals and families. Clients are assisted under the Crisis Supported Accommodation and Transitional Housing Management programs.
Victorian Housing Register
The Victorian Housing Register includes public housing applications, comprising of Priority Access and Register of Interest applicants and transfer applicants who wish to transfer to another property. At 30 June 2017, there were 35,392 public housing applications on the Register. In addition there were 6,770 transfer applications.
The reporting template for the Victorian Housing Register for the period of 2017–18 will consolidate public housing and the various community housing waiting lists into a single waiting list. While the Victorian Housing Register is being implemented a transition reporting process will show social housing applications by local area and change to the number of applications as community housing applications are transferred.
Direct tenure public rental housing
Direct tenure public rental housing consists of the department’s major public rental housing Rental General Housing and Movable Units. It provides long-term rental housing assistance and is available to low income households that meet eligibility limits within the individual programs.
Rental general housing
Rental general housing is a major form of long-term rental assistance offered by the department to low-income people in need of public rental assistance. It includes separate houses and medium- to high-density dwellings and flats. It does not include movable units and other direct tenure stock. Eligible households may receive a rental rebate according to household income. The main client groups assisted by rental general housing are low income families, older people, single people, youth and people with disabilities.
Movable units
Movable units are one or two bedroom re-locatable units owned by the Director of Housing. They are designed to offer eligible Victorians with support need, accommodation to keep living independently while maintaining close contact with family and friends. The units are self-contained and are generally placed in the rear garden of a relative or friend’s home. Eligible households may receive a rental rebate according to household income. When the unit is no longer required, it is removed from the site. The target group for movable units include low-income people over 55 years of age or under 55 if receiving an Australian Disability Support Pension; or receiving ongoing support from the department or a registered community service organisation.
Public housing assistance – waiting list, tenancies, rebates and stock
Table 1: New households assisted
Description / 2015–16 / 2016–17 /Rental general / 3,695 / 3,401
Movable units / 141 / 109
Total new households / 3,836 / 3,510
Table 2: Households assisted at 30 June
Description / 2016 / 2017 /Rental general / 61,775 / 61,498
Movable units / 1,214 / 1,172
Total households / 62,989 / 62,670
Table 3: Direct tenure public rental housing 2016–17 (rental general stock and movable units) by division
Description / East / North / South / West /Waiting list at 30 June 2017[3] (new) / 5,266 / 8,278 / 11,033 / 10,705
Waiting list at 30 June 2017[4] (transfer) / 811 / 1,909 / 1,892 / 2,155
New allocations[5] 2016–17 / 587 / 967 / 944 / 1,012
Transfer allocations 2016–17 / 274 / 528 / 313 / 474
Tenancies at 30 June 2017[6] / 9,725 / 17,915 / 16,699 / 18,331
Rebated tenancies at 30 June 2017[7] / 8,579 / 15,907 / 14,350 / 16,192
Table 4: Waiting lists
Description / 30 June 2016 / 30 June 2017 /Rental general waiting list[8] / 32,155 / 35,923
Rental general transfer [9] / 7,445 / 6,770
Movable units waiting list / 95 / 99
Priority Access waiting list / 10,026 / 11,934
Table 5: Rental general tenancies
Description / 30 June 2016 / 30 June 2017 /Total tenancies in rental general at 30 June / 61,775 / 61,498
Tenancies in rental general on rebates at 30 June / 54,110 / 54,020
Proportion on rebates – rental general / 87.6% / 87.8%
Table 6: Movable unit tenancies
Description / 30 June 2016 / 30 June 2017Total tenancies in movable units at 30 June / 1,214 / 1,172
Tenancies in Movable Units on rebates at 30 June / 1,043 / 1,008
Proportion on rebates – Movable Units / 85.9% / 86.0%
Table 7: Public Housing tenancies (Rental General Stock and Movable unit)
Description / 30 June 2016 / 30 June 2017Total tenancies in public housing at 30 June / 62,989 / 62,670
Total tenancies on rebates at 30 June / 55,153 / 55,028
Table 8: Public housing clients by age of principal tenant at 30 June 2017:
Age group / <20 / 20–4 / 25–34 / 35–44 / 45–54 / 55–59 / 60–64 / 65+ / Total /Movable units - Tenancies / 24 / 83 / 136 / 107 / 94 / 50 / 66 / 612 / 1,172
Rental general stock clients - Tenancies / 184 / 1,463 / 5,458 / 9,065 / 12,806 / 6,781 / 6,597 / 19,144 / 61,498
Table 9: Public housing rebated tenancies by main source of income at 30 June 2017
Main Income Source / Rental general stock households 30 June 2017 / Movable units30 June 2017 / Total direct tenure (N) / Total direct
tenure (%) /
Aged Pension / 15,140 / 487 / 15,627 / 28.4%
Mature Age/Widows Pension / 305 / 7 / 312 / 0.6%
Single Parenting Payment / 3,734 / 1 / 3,735 / 6.8%
Disability Support Pension / 20,472 / 461 / 20,933 / 38.0%
Service Pension / 380 / 12 / 392 / 0.7%
New Start and Partnered Payment / 7,882 / 18 / 7,900 / 14.4%
Sickness Allowance / 40 / - / 40 / 0.1%
Wages/self employed / 3,407 / 4 / 3,411 / 6.2%
Austudy/Abstudy payment / 185 / - / 185 / 0.3%
Youth Allowance / 289 / 7 / 296 / 0.5%
Other, including Special Benefits / 2,186 / 11 / 2,197 / 4.0%
Total / 54,020 / 1,008 / 55,028 / 100.0%
Rental rebates are provided to low income households in public housing. The rebate represents the difference between rent paid by the household and the market rent of the public housing property.
Bond Loan Scheme
Under the Bond Loan Scheme, the department makes loans available to low income earners for assistance with security deposits required by private landlords when entering private rental accommodation. The scheme is demand driven and is affected by conditions in affordable private rental markets.
A bond loan is an interest-free loan repayable by the applicant. A cheque is provided to the applicant or sent directly to the landlord who must lodge the money with the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority within five days. Bond loans do not cover the costs of relocation or storage. Demand for assistance decreased by four per cent during 2015–16.
Table 10: Bond loans issued
Description / 2015–16 / 2016–17 /Number of bonds issued / 11,761 / 11,584
Public housing stock
At 30 June 2017, the department managed a total of 64,176 direct tenure public rental units. This number consists of 62,932 rental general stock units (including leases) and 1,244 movable units.
Table 11: Stock[10]
Description / 30 June 2016 / 30 June 2017 /Total rental general stock at 30 June / 62,952 / 62,932
Total movable units at30June / 1,287 / 1,244
State total dwellings / 64,239 / 64,176
Table 12: Rental general stock and movable units by division at 30 June 2017[11]
Division / Rental general stock / Movable units /East / 9,587 / 278
North / 18,033 / 329
South / 16,689 / 360
West / 18,623 / 277
State total dwellings / 62,932 / 1,244
Incident reporting
Incident reporting data are allegations made by clients of the Department of Health and Human Services. They are recorded and remain as incidents regardless of whether further information becomes available to substantiate or disprove an event. Incident reports include disclosures of historic abuse and assault that were alleged to have occurred before a client entered state care.
Category One incidents are the most serious incidents and include: death of clients; allegations of physical or sexual assault; and serious client behavioural issues that impact on client or staff safety. Where there is an allegation, it is met with a strong response that includes medical attention (should this be required), a report to police if it involves an allegation of physical or sexual abuse or a client is a victim of a crime, and counselling and support being offered to all parties.
Incident reporting enables service providers to take corrective-action to protect the wellbeing and safety of clients where necessary and better understand the underlying causes of incidents to prevent their recurrence.
Table 13: Category one incidents[12]
Incident type / 2016–17 /Client death / 75
Assault / 87
Behaviour / 36
Other incident types / 380
Client death
As in the general population, housing tenants may pass away at home. The department and funded community service organisations are required to report deaths as incidents when the death occurs in an unusual or unexpected circumstance, for example, substance overdose or suicide. Client deaths reported include some members of the public who died at a property funded or managed by the department.
Assault
Assault includes both alleged physical and sexual assaults. Assaults reported as Category one incidents are serious events that may involve medical attention or police investigation. The department has procedures requiring all allegations of assault to be reported to the department within 24 hours, and that clients are protected and supported. All allegations of assault are required to be referred to the police.
Behaviour
Incidents involve aberrant or threatening behaviour.
Other incident types
Other incidents include matters such as property damage/disruption, suicide attempts and serious illness.
Social housing stock management
At 30 June 2017, the department oversaw a total stock portfolio of 86,418 housing dwellings including 72,923 Director owned (or leased) units and 13,495 community owned units. Progressively, strategic asset investment is changing the stock profile to reflect the emerging requirements of people needing housing assistance, including smaller households and people with a disability.
A total of 651, including Director owned units and community owned units, were added to the stock of social housing during 2016–17.
The following tables provide a summary of stock management program activities during 2016–17, as well as a profile of Victoria’s public and community housing stock as at 30 June 2017.
Social housing stock by housing program at 30 June
Table 14: Director owned (including leases and other Director-managed units) and community owned social housing stock at 30 June by housing program
Program / 2016 / 2017 /Total Direct tenure public rental / 64,663 / 64,560 /
• Rental general stock (including leases) / 62,952 / 62,932
• Movable units / 1,287 / 1,244
• Other direct tenure[13] / 424 / 384
Total Community managed rental housing / 19,597 / 19,852
Short-medium term community housing / 3,974 / 3,896
• Crisis supported accommodation / 299 / 311
• Transitional Housing Management Program (including leases) / 3,675 / 3,585
Long-term community rental housing / 15,623 / 15,956
Total Indigenous Community Housing[14] / 2,006 / 2,006
Social Housing Total / 86,266 / 86,418
Social housing acquisitions
Table 15: Social housing acquisitions 2016–17
Description / Units acquired /Managed stock sub-program total / 118
• Family / 96
• Older persons / 22
• Singles / 0
Director Owned or Community-owned and/or managed / 530
• Community-owned and managed / 522
• Crisis Supported housing / 6
• Transitional housing / 2
Leases total / 3
• Rental general stock leases / 0
• Transitional housing leases / 3
Total Social Housing Acquisitions / 651
Dwellings acquired in 2016–17 by dwelling type
Table 16: East Division Director owned units acquired (including leases and other Director managed units) by dwelling type and community owned acquired by local area within division
Division and local area / House / Medium Density Attached / Medium Density Detached / Low-rise flat / Community Owned / Total /Goulburn / - / - / - / - / 17 / 17
Inner Eastern Melbourne / 2 / 6 / - / 8 / 5 / 21
Outer Eastern Melbourne / - / 1 / - / - / 10 / 11
Ovens Murray / - / - / 4 / - / 8 / 12
East Total / 2 / 7 / 4 / 8 / 40 / 61
Table 17: North Division Director owned units acquired (including leases and other Director managed units) by dwelling type and community owned acquired by local area within division