All applicants applying for housing with WPI should complete a Victorian Housing Register (VHR) application form and lodge with the VHR, administered by the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH).

Applications will be assessed through one of two categories:

  •   Priority access – for people who have an urgent housing need and meet low income and asset eligibility limits.
  •   Register of interest – for people who do not have an urgent housing need but may benefit from social housing and meet higher income and eligibility limits.

Download the application form at https://housing.vic.gov.au/apply-social-housing, and complete an online application or have an application form posted to you. For more details you can contact your local DFFH office: https://dhhs.vic.gov.au/locations-dhhs-offices-victoria

 Documents required are outlined in the application forms, found at: – https://housing.vic.gov.au/apply-social-housing.

When you lodge your application with the VHR, you will be sent an acknowledgment letter from DFFH when your application is received. If more information is required, you will be contacted.

 If your application is approved you will receive a letter with a reference number, called a service ID number. You will need to provide this number when speaking to DFFH staff about your application.

Your application will be assessed against the VHR eligibility criteria

If your application is not approved, you will receive a letter explaining why.

Please note, WPI no longer processes housing applications. The VHR and DFFH will manage your application via the above outlined process.

When a property becomes vacant, WPI consults the Victorian Housing Register and matches an applicant with the property details, confirming that it has a suitable number of bedrooms and is in the applicant’s requested suburb, or as close as possible.

How will I be notified when a property becomes available?

If an appropriate property becomes available, a letter of offer will be sent to you, to which you have three days to respond to. If you do not respond within this three-day period, you may be removed from the Victorian Housing Register. Please ensure your contact details are up-to-date. The response details will be highlighted in the letter.

Once you have responded to a letter of offer, you will be required to provide 13 weeks of pay slips or equivalent evidence of your income, and provide banking details for all occupants who earn an income. Your details will be reviewed again by WPI, and once it is approved, the address of the property will be provided.

 – At this stage, you are able to view the property and accept or decline the offer. You are able to refuse a property twice and remain on the Victorian Housing Register if the reason for refusal is reasonable. If the reason is not considered reasonable, you will be removed from the waitlist.

 – If you accept the property, any required maintenance works will be carried out, and your application will be given to a Tenancy and Property Manager to organise signing you up as a renter.

The ‘Priority Access’ category is intended to identify a person who is deemed to have a higher urgency for housing than a general application. 

Priority Access: In broad terms this might be for people:

  •   Who are homeless and receiving support;
  •   Are escaping or have escaped family violence;
  •   With a disability or significant support needs;
  •   With special housing needs;
  •   Priority transfer; and
  •   Emergency Management

For detailed information on priority access eligibility criteria, visit: https://www.housing.vic.gov.au/social-housing-eligibility#priority-categories

WPI doesn’t administer the Victorian Housing Register. If you have been removed from the Register you will need to contact your local DFFH housing office. Contact details can be found at: https://dhhs.vic.gov.au/locations-dhhs-offices-victoria