Regional Victorians Left Behind in Housing Crisis

The housing shortage in regional Victoria continues to worsen as the Allan Labor Government fails to meet its own housing targets, leaving thousands struggling to find an affordable home.

New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has revealed that only 61,260 new homes were completed in the past year—well short of Labor’s promise to build 80,000 annually.

This shortfall is particularly devastating for regional towns where demand for housing is soaring, yet crucial projects like the Benalla West development face delays and cost blowouts.

The Nationals’ Member for Euroa, Annabelle Cleeland, said Labor’s failure to meet its housing targets is putting additional pressure on regional Victorians already battling a lack of rental properties and rising home prices.

“It has now been over a year since the Allan Labor Government promised to build 80,000 homes a year, and the first full year of data shows they’ve fallen drastically short,” Ms Cleeland said.

“This means 18,674 homes that should have been built simply don’t exist—further worsening the affordability crisis in our regional towns.”

Ms Cleeland said delays in regional housing developments, such as Benalla West, were displacing residents while the government fails to deliver the homes they need.

“Instead of increasing housing supply, we’re seeing stalled projects, budget overruns, and existing residents forced out of their homes without suitable alternatives,” she said.

With 20,000 fewer rental properties available across the state, Ms Cleeland said regional communities were being pushed to breaking point.

“This is another example of the Allan Government’s failure to plan and deliver. Their housing strategy is in disarray, and regional Victorians are paying the price,” Ms Cleeland said.

“It shouldn’t be this hard to access an affordable home in Victoria.”

Vacancy rates across the region continue to sit far below the rest of the state, demonstrating how difficult it is for residents to find a home to rent.

While the total Victorian vacancy rate sits at 0.93 per cent, this number is just 0.65 per cent in Benalla, 0.29 per cent in Strathbogie, and 0.68 per cent in both the Greater Shepparton and Greater Bendigo regions.

“Local vacancy rates are showing just how difficult it is to find suitable homes to rent for residents in our regional towns,” Ms Cleeland said.

Housing reforms were debated during the most recent sitting week at the Parliament of Victoria, with Ms Cleeland speaking on the matter.

“Despite continuous promises, after almost a decade in office Victoria’s housing crisis has only worsened, with a shortage of stock for owner-occupiers, falling vacancy rates for rental properties, and investors looking for other markets,” Ms Cleeland said.