An annual housing rental affordability report released last week was no surprise to those working in local welfare outlets who are regularly dealing with homelessness and lack of housing for some of the most vulnerable individuals and families in the district.

The St Vincent de Paul Society Mansfield welfare assistance centre in Highett St sees the impact of housing stress on a regular basis as outlined in the latest National Shelter-SCG Economics & Planning Rental Affordability Index (RAI) .

The society’s Mansfield president Dale Daly believes inaction by the state government and a city-centric focus is hurting people in the regions to obtain affordable rentals.

“Full stop, the reality is there nothing available,” said Mr Daly.

“The vulnerable people we see can’t afford more than $250 per week.

“We need the government to provide a subsidy or build new houses and units.

“There is nowhere to go,” adding that it has been getting worse since COVID.

“Most of the existing public housing doesn’t get freed up,” he said, because there is not a high turnover of tenants who tend be long-term renters.

The lack of affordable rentals has seen a rise in rough sleepers and those in transition.

“Mansfield has people living in cars and tents,” he said.

Demand for welfare assistance has been up this year with Mr Daly noting that he had exceeded his budget.

In the current economic climate, there is a lot of financial stress locally he said.

The centre is extremely grateful to local businesses including Foodworks supermarket, Mansfield Bakery and Alpine Butchery who provide much needed food aid donations and also support from Ray White Real Estate .

Donations, especially non-perishable food items, are always welcomed.

Any community members wanting to help can contact Dale on 0497 138 155.

Last week the Council to Homeless Persons in the leadup to the Victorian Homelessness Conference in Ballarat called on the state government to commit to building at least 60,000 new social homes by 2040 as recommended by Infrastructure Victoria.

New research by Swinburne University of Technology in partnership with the Housing for the Aged Action Group was unveiled at the conference showing costly housing and sub-standard properties were not meeting the basic needs of people in mid to later life.

The report highlighted a system that made presumptions older Australians would own their own home and not be paying a mortgage or rent during their retirement.

It said many more people were ending their working lives without secure housing; and “women were more likely to be affected by this precarious situation”.

The Victorian Homelessness Conference 2025 ran from 27-28 November with the theme “Building together, and for each other”, focusing on fostering partnerships to end homelessness in Victoria.

“The housing and homelessness crisis is spiralling out of control,” said Council to the Homeless Persons CEO Deborah Di Natale.

“Homelessness can happen to anyone.

“Young, or old, single, or with children.

“We know women and children are over represented in the statistics, and it must end."

The conference brought together various stakeholders including a session on redefining local government’s role in ending homelessness.

For those in need the St Vincent de Paul’s welfare assistance centre is located at 31 Highett St, Mansfield next to the fire station.

The office is open on Tuesday 10am to 12pm, Wednesday 11am to 1pm, then 2pm to 4pm and on Friday from 1.30pm to 4pm.

Contact phone number is 03 5775 3156 during those hours, with afterhours numbers posted on the front door.