Housing Services
The Office of Housing is part of the Department of Human Services and is responsible for providing appropriate, affordable and secure housing assistance for low-income people living in Victoria who are in need of housing.
Programs and services are delivered through regional service delivery structures which include emergency and transitional accommodation, longer-term public and community managed housing, private rental assistance, homelessness assistance, home ownership assistance, new forms of social housing and related support services.
Office of Housing owns approximately 73,600 properties ranging from single bedroom units, family homes, rooming houses and high-rise towers. This portfolio accounts for about 4% of Victoria's domestic dwellings and 18% of all rental accommodation, and represents around 40% of the State's low cost rental accommodation. 65,000 of these properties are managed directly by the Department of Human Services under its public housing program. Housing Services Officers (HSOs) manage these properties.
Housing Services Officers are part of the broader network of community workers and organisations that share the responsibility for working with vulnerable people to promote and support their wellbeing.