General News
1 March, 2026
Rental strain spilling into crisis services, Uniting says
STAWELL’S housing crunch is no longer confined to rental inspections and online pleas. It is increasingly being felt at the doors of local support services. After the Times-News last week examined the town’s near-zero vacancy rate and long-running supply constraints, Uniting Vic.Tas has added a frontline perspective, warning that lower-income singles and families are facing mounting difficulty securing housing in the region.
In a media statement, Uniting said rising rents and increased competition were contributing to housing instability, overcrowding and growing demand for emergency relief.
“With average rental prices now exceeding $400 per week, many low-income singles and families are required to allocate a disproportionate share of their income to housing, if they are able to secure private rental accommodation at all,” said Jess Smart, Housing Crisis Worker with Uniting Vic.Tas.
“That leaves limited funds for essentials such as food, utilities, healthcare and transport.”
Uniting said the pressure had increased demand for emergency accommodation, food relief and financial assistance through local services including Stawell Welfare Cottage and Stawell Neighbourhood House’s Second Bite Program.
The organisation said that over the past year rising rates of domestic and family violence, relationship breakdown, complex mental health issues and substance use, alongside broader cost-of-living pressures, had contributed to increased presentations for support across the Stawell and Northern Grampians area.
Among those seeking assistance, Uniting reported an increase in older single individuals, particularly women sleeping in cars, as well as sole-parent families experiencing family violence and unable to afford rising rents. The statement also pointed to young people aged 16 to 25 requiring homelessness support following relationship breakdown.
Uniting said its increased presence at Stawell Neighbourhood House, where homelessness support is available each Monday from 9am to 4.30pm, had helped reduce barriers to accessing assistance.
The comments add a frontline layer to a market story that has been years in the making.
Last week, local real estate agent Terry Monaghan said vacancy rates in Stawell had been “close to zero” for about 15 years, a long-term shortage that leaves little room for fluctuation when demand increases.
“There’s a shortage and there has been for a long time,” Mr Monaghan said. “It’s not a recent thing, this is a long-term situation.”
Mr Monaghan said rental properties remained under particular pressure, especially as the town attracts fixed-term workers who rent rather than buy.
Uniting’s statement acknowledged that new and planned housing developments were underway in Stawell, including state-funded social housing projects and new residential estates. However, it said the supply of dedicated affordable housing remained limited and was still progressing.
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