Data released by Beyond Housing in the lead-up to Homelessness Week (3-9 August) shows that the cost-of-living and housing crisis is having a particularly severe impact on women and older persons in northeast Victoria.
As the main entry point for homelessness within the Goulburn and Ovens Murray regions of Victoria, Beyond Housing collects data on the thousands of people who use its services to identify local homelessness and housing insecurity trends.
Data from the 2025-26 financial year shows that 60% of individuals using the organisation’s supports were women (compared to 54% the previous financial year), with more than 1,200 reporting family violence as their reason for presenting. Furthermore, 18% of the people Beyond Housing supported were aged over 55, up from 15%in 2024-25 and 12% in 2023-24.
Beyond Housing CEO Celia Adams said these figures were alarming but not surprising.
“When there isn’t enough affordable housing, it’s those who are already vulnerable who often suffer the most. It means people who are living on a retirement allowance, who are working low-income jobs or who are looking to escape family violence often have limited options.”
In Shepparton, Wangaratta and Wodonga, the median price for a one-bedroom rental sits at around $400 a week.
This accounts for approximately half the average after-tax income of a full-time hospitality or retail worker, and more than 70% of what a single person receives on a standard pension. A household is considered to be in housing stress when they are spending more than 30% of their gross income on housing costs.
But Ms Adams said the issue was deeper than the cost of renting.
“The lack of housing supply means people aren’t just struggling to find private rentals they can afford but are struggling to find anything at all.
“Over the past 12 months, we have supported more than 400 people who were sleeping rough, and many more who were staying in caravan parks, or couch surfing.
“Unfortunately, resourcing means we are often only able to give people in need some bedding or a food voucher when we should be providing them with a roof over their heads. This includes many women and elderly people who come into our services hoping for a level of support we simply can’t provide.
“We urgently need more crisis accommodation in our region as well as a sustained commitment to significantly increase social housing. Without this, even more people will be forced into unsafe and unstable living conditions.”
People at risk of becoming homeless or who are seeking housing assistance should phone their local homelessness entry point on 1800 825 955, or contact their nearest Beyond Housing office: https://beyondhousing.org.au/contact/contact-us/