Victoria public housing — what helped you get an offer sooner?
I’m currently in transitional housing with my family, waiting for a 3-bedroom property, and I’m on the Victorian Housing Register with Priority Access.
I’m trying to understand what people have done that genuinely helped them get a long-term public/community housing offer sooner. When I call HousingVic, they can’t tell me where I am on the waiting list, so I don’t really know how close or far away we are.
I’m also being pressured to look for private rentals while we wait. We are looking, but I genuinely believe private rental is unaffordable for our family with our current income and expenses. It would leave us with a very tight budget, and realistically I don’t think we could sustain it.
I just want to make sure I’m not missing anything that could help my application.
For people who have actually received public/social housing in Victoria:
What did you do that helped move your application along?
Did your housing/support worker provide extra documentation that helped?
If you were in transitional housing, were you encouraged to try private rental while waiting?
Did applying for private rentals affect your Priority Access status?
Did you accept community housing as well as public housing, and did that make a difference?
How long were you on Priority Access before receiving an offer?
Is there anything you wish you had known or done differently?
I’d really appreciate hearing from people who have been through the Victorian system, especially anyone who was in transitional housing with children and was waiting for a 3-bedroom home.
Thank you