Social housing allocations report for the 2025/2026 financial year

About this data

omes Victoria is committed to increasing transparency of social housing (public and community housing) data. The social housing allocations data provides information about the allocations made by public housing and community housing organisations who are participating registered agencies to applicants from the Victorian Housing Register (VHR). 

To uphold privacy information requirements, the release of the data is in line with the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014. 

Data is accurate at the time of publication and reflects data captured between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026. Regular quality checks may result in small changes to previously published data. 

Number of new and transfer allocations

Social housing allocations are categorised as ‘new’ or ‘transfer’ allocations: 

  • New allocations are households entering into social housing. Before living in social housing, these households may have been experiencing homelessness or housing stress, including living in crisis or transitional housing, living with family or friends or in private rental. 
  • Transfer allocations are households already living in public or community housing and due to changes in their circumstances have relocated to another public or community housing home. 
  • Total allocations includes both new and transfer social housing allocations. 
Allocations into social housing 

Community housing 

Public housing 

All social housing 

Allocations to new applicants 

2,450 

2,519 

4,969 

Allocations to transferring households 

603 

1,421 

2,024 

All allocations 

3,053 

3,940 

6,993 

Allocations by application types

Applicants who meet the eligibility criteria for social housing are placed on the VHR according to their housing need. 

The VHR consists of 2 application types: 

  • Priority access: for people most in need of housing, and 
  • Register of Interest: for people who do not have an urgent housing need but are seeking to live in social housing. 
Allocations by application type 

Community housing 

Public housing 

All social housing 

Priority category allocations 

2,595 

3,668 

6,263 

Register of interest allocations 

458 

272 

730 

All allocations 

3,053 

3,940 

6,993 

New allocations only for the 2025-26 financial year

The following provides information on new allocations only for VHR category, household type, Aboriginal households and location of allocated social housing.

VHR Category

There are 6 broad categories of priority access for new applicants on the VHR. An eligible applicant must meet specific criteria within one of these categories to be approved for priority access. In order of priority these categories are: 

Emergency management housing: for people whose housing is no longer safe or habitable, due to an emergency, for example, a bushfire, flood or storm. 

Homeless with support: for people who are homeless or experiencing family violence and need support to obtain and establish appropriate, long-term housing. 

Supported housing: for people who live in unsuitable housing and have a disability or long-term health problem requiring major structural modifications and/or personal support to live independently. 

Special housing needs: for people who are living in housing that has become unsuitable and who have no alternative housing options. 

Special housing needs aged 55 years and over: for people who are eligible for social housing who are aged 55 years and over and are not eligible for another priority category. This category only applies to single people or couples. 

In addition to the 5 priority access categories, there is the Register of Interest application type: 

Register of Interest: for people who do not have an urgent housing need but are seeking to live in social housing. 

VHR Category – new allocations only 

Community housing 

Public housing 

All social housing 

Emergency management 

5 

Homeless with support 

1,243 

1,931 

3,174 

Supported housing 

51 

24 

75 

Special housing needs 

494 

222 

716 

Special housing needs aged 55 years and over 

248 

123 

371 

Register of interest 

414 

214 

628 

Total new allocations 

2,450 

2,519 

4,969 

Household type – new allocations only

The different household types on the VHR are outlined below: 

Single youth – one person on the application under the age of 25 years. 

Singles general – one person on the application between the ages of 25-54 years. 

Elderly single – one person on the application over the age of 55 years. 

Elderly couple – 2 people on the application both over the age of 55 years with 1 household member related to the other household member. 

Couple no children – 2 people who are a couple on the application. 

Couple with children – 2 people who are a couple on the application with dependants. 

Single parent – one person on the application with dependants. 

Group households – Households comprising of 2 or more single persons over the age of 18 years. The individuals may or may not be related. For example, this could include two or more single people intending to live in a shared arrangement or a single parent with dependants whose family member/s are also living in the household. 

Household type – new allocations only 

Community housing 

Public housing 

All social housing 

Single youth 

134 

100 

234 

Single general 

750 

475 

1,225 

Elderly single 

572 

784 

1,356 

Elderly couple 

60 

50 

110 

Couples 

28 

24 

52 

Couple with children 

58 

47 

105 

Single person with children 

713 

889 

1,602 

Group household 

135 

150 

285 

Total new allocations 

2,450 

2,519 

4,969 

Aboriginal households – new allocations only

This data reports on the number of households where one or more individuals identify as Aboriginal (which includes people who identify as Aboriginal, people who identify as Torres Strait Islander and people who identify as both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) and have been allocated social housing from the VHR. 

Households where one or more individuals identify as Aboriginal – new allocations only 

Community housing 

Public housing 

All social housing 

Aboriginal households 

429 

412 

841 

Non-Aboriginal households 

2,021 

2,107 

4,128 

Total new allocations 

2,450 

2,519 

4,969 

Locations

Allocations by location – new allocations only 

Community housing 

Public housing 

All social housing 

Inner metropolitan Melbourne 

367 

306 

673 

Middle metropolitan Melbourne 

922 

692 

1,614 

Outer metropolitan Melbourne 

312 

446 

758 

Regional and rural Victoria 

849 

1,075 

1,924 

Total new allocations 

2,450 

2,519 

4,969