Affordable housing

Council is dedicated to expanding housing options to those members of our community facing specific challenges including housing stress, homelessness, or risk of becoming homeless. Our goal is to increase the availability of secure and affordable social housing (public and community) and private affordable housing.

This effort is part of the Council's affordable housing strategy In Our Backyard, Growing Affordable Housing in Port Phillip 2015 - 2025.

Supports are available for people experiencing homelessness, housing crisis, and difficulty in private rental. For information about housing and homelessness support services, and private rental support, visit Housing and homelessness support services - City of Port Phillip

What do we mean by affordable housing?

Affordable housing is housing that meets the needs of low to moderate-income households.  It includes both social housing and private affordable housing.

Social housing is government-subsidised housing for people who are unlikely to find suitable housing in the private market. It can be either community or public housing.

There is a large proportion of social housing in Port Phillip. In 2022, there were 4,203 social housing units, comprising 6.4 per cent of total dwellings. Of this, 59 per cent was public housing, 36 per cent was community housing and the rest was crisis and transitional housing.

Private affordable housing is an emerging area. Models emerging include build to rent, rent to buy and shared equity housing (including community land trusts) options.

How can I access social housing?

If you need help in a crisis, visit Housing and Homelessness Support Services

Social housing is allocated through the Victorian Housing Register

Types of social housing

Social housing can be either community housing (owned or managed by non-government community housing organisations) or public housing (owned and managed by state government).

Community housing is affordable housing that is provided, owned or managed by registered community housing organisations. It provides secure and long-term rental housing managed by not-for-profit organisations for people on very low or low incomes or people with specific needs.  Visit housing providers to find community housing organisations in Port Phillip.

Public housing is provided by Homes Victoria, part of the Victorian Government’s Department of Families, Fairness and Housing . It provides secure and long-term rental housing for people on very low or low incomes or people with specific needs.

Social housing options can include self-contained units for people able to live independently, rooming houses and supported accommodation.

Supported social housing (Common Ground)

Council is proud to progress the Wellington Street Common Ground project in partnership with the Victorian Government and St Kilda Community Housing.

The project, which is being delivered by St Kilda Community Housing, will comprise 26 permanent self-contained units of supported social housing in a three-level building, using the Common Ground model for persons who had been experiencing homelessness (rough sleeping), and a range of wrap around support services provided within the facility.

The housing will use the evidence-based Housing First approach, which is designed to address the multiple and complex needs of people who have been sleeping rough, and the Common Ground model, that supports residents with complex needs who were previously sleeping rough to maintain their housing and reconnect with their community.

Persons to be housed will be allocated from the Port Phillip Zero program’s ‘By-Name List’. 

The project has been funded by:
• The Victorian Government, which is providing a $5.8 million capital grant under its Big Housing Build, and a $6 million operating subsidy over four years.

• The City of Port Phillip, which is providing a $4.755 million capital grant, and transfer of a surplus lane ($365,000 value in 2022), which was located on the property driveway.

This project implements Council’s approach to provide an integrated solution to addressing homelessness under its role in increasing affordable housing.

Construction will occur from late January 2024, following demolition of the sub-standard rooming house on the site, and be completed in mid-2025.

Private affordable housing 

The City of Port Phillip is working with the private sector to facilitate and broker affordable private rental housing via:

• Assisting developers who are interested in delivering affordable ‘build to rent’ housing, or Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) units for persons on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), targeting persons with low and moderate incomes.
• Negotiating voluntary (Section 173) agreements with developers in Fishermans Bend under planning controls requiring 6% affordable housing, targeting very low-, low- and moderate-income households. This is in addition to any social (community) housing also negotiated under the affordable housing requirement, or via the Social Housing Uplift mechanism, where developers who are permitted to build over the height controls are required to provide one social (community) housing units for every eight private units built in the permitted additional building levels.

What is Council's role?

Council helps the retention and expansion of affordable housing by:

• Making cash or property contributions to social housing projects under partnership and funding agreements.
• Identifying property suitable for community housing and opportunities for public housing redevelopment.
• Facilitating community housing projects between Homes Victoria and community housing organisations including supporting funding applications and facilitating the planning permit process.
• Negotiating with private developers to provide affordable and community housing through voluntary planning agreements.
• Facilitating and brokering private affordable housing development.  
• Researching housing needs and demand.

Council also supports older people with strong links to the area through sponsorship housing.

For information and questions on Council Services, contact us and ask for Housing and Homelessness Services.