Hundreds of new affordable properties will be built in regional Victoria to help address the growing demand for social housing.
Housing Minister Danny Pearson was joined by Regional Development Minister Harriet Shing and local MPs in the Ballarat suburb of Delacombe to announce $219 million in grants.
"It's making sure people have stable, secure, and affordable housing," Mr Pearson said.
The funding will be shared among 17 community housing agencies to deliver 683 homes as part of 46 construction projects across the regions.
Ballarat will be home to five of the projects, one of which will be specifically for residents aged 55 and above.
Construction of the energy-efficient homes is due to commence next year and is expected to create more than 2,600 jobs.
"You get the double benefit of affordable social housing and the job creation that goes along with that," Mr Pearson said.
The funding is part of the state government's $5.3 billion Big Housing Build, which was announced in the 2020/21 state budget.
'The need is enormous'
One of the community housing agencies that will receive the funding to deliver homes is CatholicCare.
Chair of CatholicCare Neil Jens said he was "really pleased about the announcement", but said "realistically" there could never be enough support for more affordable housing.
"It's terrific we can do something, and a fair amount, but the need is enormous," Mr Jens said.
"If you worked out how much money you'd need to solve the problem, you'd bankrupt the whole country.
"It's physically and financially impossible to build the amount of housing we need to satisfy the demand."
Housing crisis 'out of control': Shadow Housing Minister
As of March 2022, a total of 64,304 households had applied for social housing through the Victorian Housing Register.
Of those, 36,237 were priority applications or people who urgently needed housing.
Shadow Housing Minister Richard Riordan said today's announcement of 683 homes for regional Victoria was a "drop in the ocean".
"It doesn't put a scuff mark on the waiting list," he said.
"Eight families a day are being added to the list — that's eight families sleeping in cars, in tents, on couches.
"That is a horrendous figure for country Victoria."
