Social housing sitting empty despite sky-rocketing waiting lists across Melbourne [Video]

Brand new social housing is sitting empty in Melbourne, despite being completed more than six months ago and a sky-rocketing waiting list

Mixed housing developments, consisting of social, affordable and market-rent homes, have been built in Prahran, Brighton and Flemington as part of a $519 million investment from the Victorian Government.

They’re modern and fit-for-purpose but it’s taking a long time for would-be tenants to move in.

The Bangs Street site in Prahran opened in February and is now only at 60 per cent occupancy and in Flemington, 22 per cent of apartments are empty.

Over the three developments, just over a quarter of the social housing units are uninhabited.

CEO of the Victorian Public Tenants Association Katelyn Butterss says the fact so many units are still vacant in the midst of a housing …