Affordable Housing in Frankston City

Affordable housing refers to homes for very low, low and moderate-income households. These homes are priced so that residents can still afford other essential living costs after paying their rent.

This definition of affordable housing is set by the Victorian Government through the Planning & Environment Act 1989 and includes both social housing and affordable rental housing.

The Victorian Government sets income eligibility for affordable housing each year. For the Greater Melbourne area, from the 1 July 2025 the income limits are:

Many people working in essential local jobs, known as key workers, fall into these income ranges. This includes sales assistants, beauticians, retail managers, domestic cleaners, hairdressers, postal workers, childcare educators, aged and disability carers, receptionists, health assistants, mechanics and construction labourers.

Social housing: Rental housing for households on very low to low incomes, particularly those who have experienced homelessness, family violence or have other special needs. It includes:

• Public housing: Owned and managed by the Victorian Government (Homes Victoria).
• Community housing: Owned or managed by registered community housing providers (not-for-profit).

To ensure affordability, rents in social housing are generally capped at no more than 30% of household income.

Affordable housing: Rental housing that is owned and managed by the community housing sector and designed for moderate income households who don’t qualify for social housing but still struggle to afford market rent. To ensure affordability, rents in affordable rental housing are generally capped at 75-80% of the area’s market rent.

Both types of housing aim to provide long-term and secure rental options and are accessed through the Victorian Housing Register.

Like roads, schools and hospitals, affordable housing is essential infrastructure that provides an important foundation for a thriving community. Access to safe, secure and affordable homes not only gives people the stability they need to stay connected to their community, access education and employment and plan for the future, it also benefits the whole community, by:

• Building inclusive neighbourhoods where people feel connected and supported.
• Giving families the stability to stay close to schools, services and support networks.
• Improving health and wellbeing by giving people greater financial security and a safe place to call home. 
• Strengthening the local economy by making it easier for key workers to live near their jobs and for local businesses to attract and keep staff.
• Supporting a more liveable city with housing options that meet the needs of everyone.
• Reducing the risk of homelessness and housing stress for residents.
• Easing pressure on community services, allowing more focus on prevention and long-term wellbeing. 

Affordable housing tenants have a range of backgrounds and stories, from older women who have retired with minimal superannuation, people with a disability, single parent families to working families in low-paying jobs. What they share is an inability to buy a home or rent in the private market.

Access to affordable housing will provide housing security for:

• Low-income renters and households in need of social housing.
• Single-income households, including single-parent families and older singles.
• Older women and women with children escaping family violence.
• People more likely to experience housing insecurity, including Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples and young people.
• Older people and people with disability that require accessible housing to support independence.
• People experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
• Key workers who keep the city running and need to live close to their jobs.

Behind the statistics are real people in our community who are struggling to find a safe, secure and affordable home. These stories, shared by Community Support Frankston, highlight the impact of housing stress and the urgent need for more affordable housing in Frankston City:

• Andrew and Katarina – A local working family trying to stay close to their jobs and children’s school but facing rising rental costs.
• Tina – A mother searching for a safe place for her family to call home after experiencing family violence and housing instability.
• Stella – A woman over the age of 55 whose health and wellbeing is being affected by insecure housing.
• Grant – A local resident working to rebuild his life after a period of unemployment and poor health.

Read more about these stories here: Engagement tool - Personas(PDF, 958KB)

Too many people in Frankston City are struggling to find or keep a safe, secure and affordable home.

Rent is unaffordable for many households.

• 1 in 3 households in private rentals are in rental stress, spending too much of their income on rent (Source: .id Housing Monitor).
• 83.8% of very low-income households in private rentals are in rental stress (Source: .id Housing Monitor)

Households are going without essentials.

• Over one third of households have worried about running out of money for food (Source: Victorian Population Health Survey 2023).
• 1 in 8 households have run out of food and couldn’t afford to buy more. (Source: Victorian Population Health Survey 2023)
• In 2024-25, more than 2,900 residents (including families) sought emergency relief from Community Support Frankston – 30% for the first time.

Housing waiting lists are growing.

• Over 4,200 households are waiting for social housing in the Frankston area (Source, Homes Victoria, December 2024).

Homelessness is rising.

• 785 people were experiencing homelessness on Census night in 2021.
• Around 29 people are sleeping rough in Frankston City each night (Source: Frankston Zero By-Name List, average over 12 months to June 2025).
• Nearly 3,000 people needed specialist homelessness services in 2023-24 (Source: Australian Institute of Health & Welfare).

Rental affordability is at crisis point.

In the 12 months to December 2024, data from the .id Housing Monitor showed:

• Only 2.6% of private rentals were affordable for very low-income households.
• Only 8.4% of private rentals were affordable for single-parent families on a low income.
• Only 5.5% of private rentals were affordable for a single-person household on a moderate income. 

Yes, a Gender Impact Assessment (GIA) was completed, and its recommendations have been embedded into the Policy.

While the Policy benefits a broad cross-section of the community, the GIA found that women are likely to be the primary beneficiaries. Women in Frankston City experience specific housing challenges due to a range of factors, such as:

• Higher rates of family violence
• Income inequality and part-time or insecure work
• Single parenting responsibilities
• Overrepresentation in low-paid key worker roles
• Greater reliance on social housing and homelessness services

The GIA highlights the need to prioritise affordable housing for:

• Older women on low incomes
• Single mothers
• Female key workers on low or moderate incomes
• Women and children escaping family violence

If you or someone you know is homeless or at risk of homelessness, contact:

• The Salvation Army Homelessness Services – Peninsula: (03) 9784 5050, Monday to Friday (9.30am to 4pm) or drop in without an appointment at 37 Ross Smith Ave East, Frankston.
• Statewide Homelessness Helpline: 1800 825 955 (after hours, weekends and public holidays).
• Safe Steps Family Violence Response: 1800 015 188, 24 hours, 7 days a week (if you are escaping family violence).

For information on applying for social housing, visit Housing Victoria.

For information about what Council is doing, please visit: www.frankston.vic.gov.au/homelessness.