Homelessness on the Mornington Peninsula

On any given night there can be up to 100 people sleeping rough on our foreshores and in our reserves. There are many more who do not have access to safe, secure, and adequate housing and are sleeping on couches, in sheds, overcrowded rooming houses or in the very limited independently funded local crisis accommodation.

As of 30 June 2025, the Mornington Peninsula Shire had more people sleeping rough than any other Victorian Local Government Area that is collecting this data, including the City of Melbourne.

Homelessness is not a choice—and it can happen to anyone. People may find themselves without a safe place to live due to a wide range of complex and challenging circumstances.

Understanding Homelessness in Our Community

There is not enough social housing on the Mornington Peninsula to meet demand. The current supply is well below the Victorian average with approximately 1300 existing social housing dwellings yet 2624 applicants on the waiting list (as of June 30, 2025). There is very limited local crisis accommodation and this is independently funded.

Despite this high demand, there is no meaningful investment in public housing planned for the area, and for some people the wait can be up to 5 years to be offered secure housing. Often the housing that is available is not local and vulnerable people are forced to leave their families and support networks behind, at a time when these are needed most.

The homelessness support services on the Mornington Peninsula are insufficient for the demand, particularly, when compared to other areas, with 948 people seeking support in the 2024-25 financial year through the three local independently funded community support centres.

There is a large increasing number of lone person households but a shortage of affordable and appropriate dwellings, and as of December 2024, there were only 3 x two bedroom and 1 x one1 bedroom affordable rentals rentals affordable for people on a low income.

More information about housing and homelessness on the Mornington Peninsula can be found in our Housing and Homelessness Snapshot (PDF, 183KB)(PDF, 184KB) and up to date figures on the number of people who are actively homeless and sleeping rough can be found on at Melbourne Zero.

You can find out about how we are responding through our Housing and Homelessness Advocacy.

Homelessness is in our Backyard

In 2024 we developed a series of podcasts, In Our Backyard where we explored the homelessness and the housing crisis from various perspectives. Respected journalist Tracee Hutchison spoke with community members who shared their raw stories of homelessness on the Mornington Peninsula.

We also heard from local housing and homelessness service providers about the overwhelming demand for public housing, emergency relief and support services on the Mornington Peninsula and what we can all do to help.

Listen: In Our Backyard

Contributing Factors to Homelessness

In Victoria, the most common reasons people seek help with housing and homelessness are:

  • Financial hardship
  • Family and domestic violence
  • The ongoing housing crisis

A lack of affordable housing, rising rental costs, and limited income support make it increasingly difficult for many to secure a stable home.

Certain groups in our community are more vulnerable to homelessness, including:

  • Young people
  • Women and children affected by family violence
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
  • Older adults
  • Veterans
  • People with disabilities
  • Individuals from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds

At Council, we are committed to working with local services and community members to support those at risk and raise awareness about the realities of homelessness. Together, we can build a more inclusive and compassionate community.

Back to top