Housing in Victoria: a quick guide

Housing security and affordability are currently the focus of considerable discussion in Australia. Rising interest rates are placing many mortgage-holders under pressure, while tenants are feeling the impact of a rental ‘crisis’ playing out. Social housing is under scrutiny and homelessness is on the rise. 
 
At the federal level, the proposed Housing Australia Future Fund forms a significant part of the policy discussion while, at the state level, the Victorian Government is seeking to address the current settings with the release of its Housing Statement. Victorian parliamentary inquiries have also focused on the housing market, with a recent inquiry into stamp duty and another focusing on rental and housing affordability now underway. 
 
What is the current housing situation in our state? How many people live here? Where do they live? What kind of housing do they inhabit? How affordable is that housing? And how has this changed over time? Drawing upon data from the 2011, 2016 and 2021 Censuses, as well as a range of other resources, this quick guide seeks to answer these questions by providing an overview of the current housing context in Victoria, including data visualisations. 
 
Section one of the paper looks at the national and Victorian population distribution, where people live in the state and how age groups are concentrated. Section two looks at changes to tenure type over time, including rates of home ownership and renting. The paper concludes by considering how affordable housing is in Victoria and explores how many homes are experiencing housing ‘stress’.