More than 1100 local households sought emergency housing assistance across East Gippsland over the past year, with the Lakes Entrance district emerging as one of the region’s primary focal points for housing stress.
A snapshot from the 2024/25 period reveals that 1163 households presented at East Gippsland Homelessness Entry Points. Data from the Victorian Housing Register shows that the Lakes Entrance District accounts for 434 location preferences on the Gippsland Priority Access waitlist — placing it alongside Bairnsdale (603) and Sale (590) as one of the highest areas of demand in the region.
Shire-wide, 53 per cent of those seeking help identified as female, nearly a quarter (23 per cent) were aged between 26 and 35, and 19.8 per cent were young people aged 15 to 25. First Nations people were also disproportionately affected, making up 24 per cent of those seeking assistance.
Crucially, the data dispels long-standing myths regarding unemployment, revealing that 16.3 per cent of people presenting to services were actively employed at the time.
Most starkly, 18.2 per cent — or 211 individuals — reported they were sleeping rough in open spaces, cars, boats, tents or makeshift dwellings the night before seeking help. This figure does not include those who are couch-surfing. In Orbost rough sleepers accounted for 29 per cent of all local presentations.
Gippsland Homelessness Network coordinator Chris McNamara warned these figures represent just the tip of the iceberg, noting that many rough sleepers no longer bother presenting to entry points because there is simply no available, affordable accommodation, particularly for singles and couples.
“No one wants to be sleeping in open spaces, tents, cars, boats and improvised dwellings, especially not at this time of the year,” Ms McNamara said.
“This is not a lifestyle choice — sleeping rough is the only option.”
Many have had their needs go unmet in the past, while others are reluctant to leave their remaining worldly belongings behind for fear of theft. For those owning pets, finding any form of suitable accommodation is nearly impossible. The crisis is compounded by a brutal local housing market, with reports confirming there are currently zero affordable private rentals available across East Gippsland for individuals on Youth Allowance or JobSeeker.
The localised data reflects a staggering systemic shortage across the wider Gippsland region. Across Bairnsdale, Orbost, Sale, Leongatha, Morwell, Warragul, and Yarram, a total of 3644 households accessed homelessness entry points during 2024/25. Across the entire region, 572 households were confirmed to be sleeping rough — marking a devastating 32 per cent surge from the previous year.
The bottleneck has left front-line support services overwhelmed. Vulnerable residents seeking stability face extreme delays, with wait times for homelessness case management support in Gippsland now stretching from a minimum of four-to-six weeks up to six months.
The strain on social safety nets is further illustrated by the state of the Victorian Housing Register. As of March 2025, there were 7520 households on the Priority Access waitlist for Gippsland. Across the region, 70 per cent of all regional priority applicants are waiting for one-bedroom accommodation — the exact stock that is most critically undersupplied.
Compounding the emergency is an increasingly choked private rental market. Gippsland’s private rental vacancy rate sat at a razor-thin 1.8 per cent in June 2025, while the number of new rental lettings plummeted by 8.4 per cent — the sharpest decline recorded anywhere in regional Victoria. This supply drought exists despite a glaring paradox: during the 2021 Census, 19.8 per cent of Gippsland’s total dwellings were recorded as unoccupied.
The crisis is also extracting a heavy toll on the region’s youth and families. Cost of living pressures and skyrocketing rents are pushing working families to the brink, while two Gippsland local government areas currently hold the grim distinction of having the highest rates of family violence in Victoria. In 2024/25, 393 children accompanied their parents or guardians to regional entry points, while 484 unaccompanied young people aged 15 to 24 sought emergency assistance. This extreme demand has completely overwhelmed specialised youth infrastructure; the entire Gippsland region has just two youth refuges, offering a total of only 16 beds.
Despite the extensive wait times and a severe shortage of immediate housing options, Ms McNamara stressed that for anyone newly displaced or facing immediate homelessness, presenting to a designated Homelessness Entry Point remains the most vital first step.
For residents in the Lakes Entrance and central East Gippsland areas, entry point services are centralised through Community Housing Limited in Bairnsdale, alongside local health and community support networks.
Once an individual or household presents, staff conduct an initial assessment to build a tailored plan. Assistance can include funding to cover rent arrears, support to secure or sustain a private rental, and referrals to tenancy advocacy services during landlord disputes or evictions. Staff can also connect residents with vital food and material aid networks.
Depending on available funding, crisis accommodation may be offered, which typically consists of one or two nights in a local motel. Ms McNamara emphasised that even if long-term options are scarce, presenting to an entry point is critical because the data collected is reported directly to the government, building the mathematical case for increased regional resourcing.
