Seven Homes In Hastings As Mornington Peninsula Housing Crisis Outpaces Supply

Seven new social homes will be built in Hastings for women on the priority housing list, but the announcement highlights a much larger housing crisis across the Mornington Peninsula.

The State Government says works have started on the $4.5 million project, which will deliver one and two-bedroom homes through Women’s Property Initiatives.

Mornington Peninsula Shire has provided the Hastings site on a long-term peppercorn lease.

The homes will give seven households safety, stability and a permanent address.

But the numbers tell a harder story.

Mornington Peninsula Shire says nearly 1,000 people sought homelessness help locally in 2025. Demand for crisis assistance rose 33 per cent in the past year, and more than 160 people are sleeping rough on Mornington Peninsula foreshores in 2026.

Council also says 2,624 social housing applications remain on the waitlist across the Port Phillip and Western Port side of the Mornington Peninsula.

Seven homes will help.

They will not meet the scale of demand.

Government Announces Hastings Project

Housing and Building Minister Nick Staikos announced the project under the State Government’s Big Housing Build and Regional Housing Fund.

The government says it has invested more than $29 million in social housing programs on the Mornington Peninsula, delivering 74 new social and affordable homes, with 54 already completed.

“We’re building thousands of social and affordable homes and pulling every lever possible to get more homes built,” Mr Staikos said.

“Women are one of the fastest growing groups of homeless people, that’s why we’re building more homes for women and their families.”

The government says the Hastings homes will support women on the priority housing list and keep residents close to services, schools, shops and public transport.

Demand Still Dwarfs Supply

Mornington Peninsula Shire continues to call for more housing and homelessness funding.

Council wants $15 million for 22 crisis and transitional dwellings for women and children in Rosebud.

It also wants annual funding for local community support centres and the Functional Zero Program, which works with people sleeping rough.

Acting Mayor Cr Paul Pingiaro welcomed the Hastings project, but said more housing was needed.

“These seven homes will make a real difference for women in Hastings, providing safety, stability and a place to call home. But we know there is much more to do,” Cr Pingiaro said.

Pressure On Hastings MP

The announcement also puts pressure back on Labor MP Paul Mercurio, whose electorate includes Hastings.

Mr Mercurio welcomed the project, saying it would provide women in Hastings with the safety and security of social housing.

But the government did not announce new funding for the thousands of people still waiting for social housing across the region. It also did not fund the crisis and transitional housing Council wants in Rosebud, or the extra support Council says homelessness services need.

With homelessness rising locally and the Mornington Peninsula recording some of Victoria’s most serious rough sleeping figures, the question for the local Labor MP is not whether seven homes will help.

They will.

The question is what he is pushing his own government to fund next.

Seven Homes, Thousands Waiting

The Hastings project will matter to the people who move in.

But the wider shortage remains unresolved.

Across the Mornington Peninsula, people are sleeping in tents, cars and foreshore reserves. Women, older residents and children remain exposed to housing insecurity. Thousands of applications remain on the social housing waitlist.

The State Government has announced seven new homes in Hastings.

The bigger story is the gap between that announcement and the level of need still waiting at the door.