Social housing sitting empty despite sky-rocketing waiting lists

Brand new social housing is sitting empty in Melbourne, despite being completed more than six months ago and a sky-rocketing waiting list

Mixed housing developments, consisting of social, affordable and market-rent homes, have been built in Prahran, Brighton and Flemington as part of a $519 million investment from the Victorian Government.

They’re modern and fit-for-purpose but it’s taking a long time for would-be tenants to move in.

The Bangs Street site in Prahran opened in February and is now only at 60 per cent occupancy and in Flemington, 22 per cent of apartments are empty.

Over the three developments, just over a quarter of the social housing units are uninhabited.

CEO of the Victorian Public Tenants Association Katelyn Butterss says the fact so many units are still vacant in the midst of a housing crisis is “incredibly disappointing”.

“I would like to see every home that we have access to becoming somewhere safe for people who really need to live with dignity,” she told 9News.

9News repeatedly asked the government what was behind the delay, but a spokesperson for Homes Victoria “occupancy levels across all three sites are progressing as expected.”

“All sites (are) on track to achieve full occupancy in the coming months. New Street, Brighton is nearing full occupancy, with approximately 98 per cent of homes now occupied or allocated to tenants,” a spokesperson said.