Community housing changes lives

Posted on: 19/11/2025 - 1:07pm

Community housing offers more than a place to live - it offers a place to thrive through comfort, safety and support. 

Community housing is long-term rental housing available to people who face challenges securing safe and suitable housing in the private rental market. Finding a safe home can be difficult for many people, especially if they face challenges like low income or unemployment. 

We’ve teamed up with CatholicCare Victoria Housing (CCVH) who have delivered 95 homes throughout Victoria and have a further 370 homes in construction, proving that working together helps deliver more homes for more Victorians.  

 We recently spoke to Kelly Rolfe, Acting CEO of CatholicCare Victoria Housing, about the importance of community housing and how they help people overcome challenges, provide   sustainable homes and support more families and individuals making a real difference to their lives  

“We believe everyone deserves a safe place to call home - it’s more than just a roof over someone’s head,” Kelly says. 

“It’s a foundation for health, education and social participation. Community housing changes lives.” 

It’s no surprise that Kelly said the biggest benefit to community housing is connection – building thriving communities and helping residents feel part of a community. 

“Community housing is more than renting out a property. It’s about walking alongside tenants supporting them through their housing journey” she said. 

CatholicCare Victoria Housing do this by linking their tenants to local support agencies (which include their parent organisation CatholicCare Victoria - CCV) to access services such as mental health support, family violence assistance, employment and education support via councils, local service providers, parishes and community groups. 

Community housing gives people a safe and stable home, helping them build better futures for themselves and their families.”  

We asked Kelly about the importance of working together to build more homes. 

“Without Government partnerships, the scale of what we do wouldn’t be possible.  

The Victorian Government plays an important role as a policy maker, funder and partner, helping unlock the delivery of more and better homes across the state. 

They’re not just about delivering housing numbers – they’re about making sure those homes change lives.” 

Kelly’s advice is to advocate, donate, and get involved. Support organisations doing the work and help challenge the stigma around social housing. 

What is community housing?

Community housing organisations are non-for-profit organisations that offer secure, long-term housing for people on low-to-moderate incomes. They reinvest money into building more homes for more people, while offering tailored support to their residents.  

The main difference between community housing and public housing, is that community housing is run by not-for-profit community housing organisations, while public housing is run by the state government.    

Renters who live in community housing have the same rights as renters in public housing under the Residential Tenancies Act (1997). 

To be eligible for community housing, applicants must be registered on the Victorian Housing Register and select “Community Housing” when applying. This can be accessed at housing.vic.gov.au, alternatively, support agencies can assist prospective tenants to apply. 

More information

For general enquiries about Homes Victoria projects: