Regional Victorians hit hardest by housing crisis

The Nationals' Member for Ovens Valley, Tim McCurdy, has slammed the Allan Labor Government for its ongoing failure to address Victoria’s worsening housing affordability crisis, as new figures reveal regional renters are being pushed to breaking point.

According to the Government’s own March Quarter 2025 Rental Report, median rents in regional Victoria have soared by 6 per cent in the past 12 months – rising to $460 per week; compared to a 3.7 per cent increase in Melbourne.

Mr McCurdy said the data highlights how regional communities are carrying the brunt of Labor’s housing crisis on top of the cost-of-living pressures already facing households.

“Families across the Ovens Valley are already stretched to the limit with skyrocketing grocery bills, power prices and health costs,” Mr McCurdy said.

“Now, with regional rents jumping by six per cent in just a year, many locals are being forced into smaller or unsuitable homes, sharing with strangers, or moving away from their communities altogether. It’s unacceptable.”

The Council to Homeless Persons’ 2025 Housing Insecurity Index paints an even bleaker picture. Victoria’s social housing waiting list has blown out to more than 66,000 people, up 7.4 per cent in just 12 months, while more than 13,000 Victorians every month are seeking homelessness services due to family violence.

“Labor talks about housing, but the reality is more and more Victorians are slipping through the cracks,” Mr McCurdy said.

“The government has failed to invest in social housing, failed to keep rents affordable, and failed to give families the security they deserve. After a decade in office, it’s regional Victorians who are paying the price for Labor’s neglect.”

Labor can't manage money, can't manage housing, and regional Victorians are paying the price.