The rate of people accessing homelessness services in Gippsland is more than double the national average, with increased housing and rental stress limiting budgets to the point where people are going hungry.

What’s happening: A recent report from Gippsland Primary Health Network (PHN) links a rise in housing affordability to food insecurity, as well as worse health outcomes, as rates of people experiencing homelessness continue to rise across Gippsland.

  • The national rate of people accessing homelessness services is 10.5 people per 1,000, compared with 24.9 people per 1,000 in Gippsland.

Why is it on the rise? Gippsland Primary Health Network (PHN) acting CEO, Lisa Smith, told the Monitor there are a range of factors that can lead to people becoming homeless.

“Housing affordability pressures, financial hardship, family violence, low incomes and housing instability can all contribute to people experiencing homelessness or struggling to consistently access enough nutritious food.”

Statistics from Gippsland Homelessness Network (GHN) show there were 7,791 Gippsland households in March this year on the Victorian Housing Register waiting for social housing in the region. This is up from 7,520 in 2025.

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What they said: Affordable rentals in Gippsland dropped from 94 percent to 39 percent between 2000 and 2025, impacting people's health.

GHN co-ordinator, Chris McNamara, told the Monitor: “These are people who are most in need, people who are escaping family violence, people with disabilities, health issues or people who are escaping disasters.”

Health outcomes: Smith said people experiencing homelessness often have some of the poorest health outcomes in our community.

“Without stable housing, it can be difficult to manage chronic health conditions, store medications safely, attend appointments regularly or access preventive health care.”

  • The report shows people experiencing homelessness are more likely to have chronic illness, mental health concerns and poorer overall health outcomes.

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“We just don't have the resources to be able to get to all of those cases in the right time frame.”

Budget stress: Housing stress in Gippsland is also putting pressure on households to meet their nutritional needs.

“When households are under financial pressure, meeting essential costs such as housing, food, transport and utilities can become increasingly difficult,” said Smith. “When people are unable to consistently afford food, it can affect both physical health and mental wellbeing.”

The report shows that in the short term, people may experience hunger, fatigue, stress and difficulty concentrating but over time, food insecurity can contribute to poorer nutrition, reduced ability to manage existing health conditions and worse overall health outcomes.

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