Our department

Overview of the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing
On this page

Our department works to create a more inclusive society, one in which people feel safe and can take part equally. 

We do this every day by supporting people and communities to: 

  • have equitable access to opportunities
  • overcome struggles and hardships
  • recover from adversity. 

We do this by taking steps to end issues like homelessness and family violence.

We work with people and communities to overcome challenges, create opportunities and build a fairer and safer Victoria, where everyone is valued. 

We approach our work with the knowledge that collaboration and connection are essential to our success. This means with both the communities we serve and the people within our workforce. 

We bring together our services and initiatives to support people at critical points in their lives and support all Victorians to get involved equally. This is how we make a difference.

This connection of service delivery, supports and other initiatives benefits every Victorian. It is why we have brought these portfolios together into one department.

We develop, drive and deliver whole-of-government policy that has the wellbeing of all Victorians at its heart.

We drive key reform agendas across equality, prevention of family violence, housing, children and inclusion. 

We partner with sectors and listen to the voices of those with lived experience in these areas.

We respond to emergencies, including large-scale social and economic changes. We offer immediate and ongoing relief. We partner with communities to coordinate and tailor services for support and recovery. 

We serve and support children and families, people experiencing family violence, housing and disability clients across the state, improving outcomes and creating a fairer and stronger Victoria. We work every day to keep individuals, children and families safe. 

We are a complex department, with a wide reach across urban and regional areas. Our complexity is one of our strengths. It allows us to meet the different needs of our communities and gives us the ability to build our supports to meet people where they are.

Our department funds agencies, delivers services directly and works with commissions, peak bodies and other community organisations to provide a range of advice and supports. We work across Victorian Government and with governments in other jurisdictions to give high-quality and informed advice. We also give clear and unbiased advice to our ministers to assist in effective decision making.

We strive to keep improving the quality and safety of our services and listen to the voices and experiences of those who use them. We also monitor, assure quality and regulate these initiatives to support safe, effective, person-centred, connected delivery.

We aim to use all parts of our organisation to improve outcomes and better the lives of the people, families, communities and clients we serve.

We take care to support our key asset – our people – and the workers delivering community services to Victorians.

Together we strive to build a fairer and safer Victoria for all.

Our structure 

The department’s organisation chart is updated regularly and can be found on the Our structure webpage.

Our footprint

We have staff in offices right across metropolitan and regional Victoria. 

Our services

  • In 2021–22 we provided more than $2.13 billion in service agreement funding to 855 agencies.1
  • To establish more social housing across Victoria, $1.38 billion was allocated for the Social Housing Growth Fund creating over 2,300 homes and more than 9,000 jobs.2
  • In 2021-22 we provided over $100 million in community grants to support priority cohorts, including women and multicultural communities.3
  • We will invest about $2.9 billion in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in 2022-23.4
  • We give grant funding to more than 2,500 multicultural community organisations.5
  • In 2021-2022, the daily average number of children and young people in care placements (excluding permanent care orders) was approximately 9,500.6
  • In 2020-21 we helped more than 105,300 clients to address and prevent homelessness, with almost half of these seeking support due to family violence.7
  • Since 2018, The Orange Door network has helped more than 230,000 Victorians, including more than 90,000 children.8
  • In 2020-21 the elder abuse statewide helpline received over 3,600 calls for support, information referral or advice.9
  • We helped nearly 40,100 family services cases in 2020-21.10

Our funded initiatives

Victorian State Budget 2022-23 output initiatives – Department of Families, Fairness and Housing ($ million)11

  2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26
Child Protection and Family Services        
Aboriginal family services and child protection 3.3 3.9 - -
Civil claims costs for historical institutional child abuse 25.3 - - -
Establishing the Social Services Regulator 0.3 - - -
Funding for statutory bodies and reforms 4.9 4.9 - -
Improving the capacity and mix of care services 77.9 6.7 - -
Improving the safety of children and young people in out of home care 4.8 4.3 - -
Justice system costs associated with the extension of court programs 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5
Responding to demand for child protection and family services 16.4 24.3 16.9 -
Strengthening the community services workforce 3.5 3.5 - -
Supporting community sector jobs 18.6 16.9 15.1 13.2
Community Participation        
Emerging with stronger communities 10.1 6.2 - -
Victorian Social Recovery Support program 0.7 - - -
Concessions to Pensioners and Beneficiaries        
State Trustees – Community Service Agreement 5.8 7.9 8.1 8.3
Disability Services        
Strengthening Victoria’s interface with the 
National Disability Insurance Scheme
16.5 19.4 - -
Victorian State Disability Plan 14.6 0.5 - -
Family Violence Service Delivery        
Implementing a sustainable Central Information Point 13.4 15.0 - -
Perpetrator responses 17.0 12.2 0.9 -
Refuge and crisis accommodation 17.6 16.2 3.6 4.8
Supporting victims of sexual violence and harm 10.1 13.0 10.2 -
Sustaining family violence reforms 19.5 19.5 4.4 -
Housing Assistance        
High rise fire upgrade program 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2
High risk response and recovery model for vulnerable Victorians 11.5 - - -
Investing in a thriving North Richmond 2.0 2.2 2.0 1.3
Investing to make homelessness rare, brief and non recurring 8.3 19.1 23.9 -
Sustained support and improved housing outcomes 4.6 4.8 - -
LGBTIQ+ Equality Policy and Programs        
LGBTIQ+ Strategy implementation 4.3 2.7 2.9 1.7
Multicultural Affairs Policy and Programs        
Continuing COVID 19 support and recovery for multicultural communities 3.7 - - -
Multicultural community infrastructure 6.4 - - -
Multicultural Festivals and Events Program 1.1 - - -
Support for priority newly arrived migrant communities 3.3 3.4 - -
Victorian African Communities Action Plan 4.4 - - -
Primary Prevention of Family Violence        
Investing in Respect Victoria to prevent family and gendered violence 6.2 6.3 6.5 -
Seniors Programs and Participation        
Addressing family violence for older Victorians 2.9 - - -
Ageing Well in Victoria – Social recovery for older Victorians and carers 3.0 - - -
Support to Veterans in Victoria        
Support for veteran infrastructure 1.4 1.4 - -
Support for veteran transition and wellbeing 0.3 0.3 - -
Women’s Policy        
Investing in Victoria’s new gender equality strategy 4.6 1.2 1.0 -
Youth        
Empowering young people facing disadvantage 1.1 0.6 - -
Total output initiatives  350.3 216.9 95.9 30.0

Source: 2022-23 Budget Paper 4, pp.3, 38-9
Note: Table may not add due to rounding.

Victorian State Budget 2022-23 Capital Program – Department of Families, Fairness and Housing ($ million)12

New projects – Department of Families, Fairness and Housing

  Total estimated investment ($ thousand) Estimated expenditure 2022 23 ($ thousand)
Investing to make homelessness rare, brief and non recurring (statewide) 24,000 24,000
Highrise fire upgrade program (statewide) 22,091 5,416
Implementing a sustainable Central Information Point (statewide) 1,600 1,600
Investing in a thriving North Richmond (Richmond) 5,500 2,800
Investing in Victoria’s new Gender Equality Strategy (statewide) 1,550 800
Refuge and crisis accommodation (statewide) 26,798 8,769
All remaining Projects with a TEI less than $250 000 180 180
Total new projects 81,719 43,565

Source: 2022-23 Budget Paper 4, p.62 
Note: Table may not add due to rounding.

Existing projects – Department of Families, Fairness and Housing

  Total estimated investment ($ thousand) Estimated expenditure 2022 23 ($ thousand)
Getting Ready for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (statewide) 26,686 1,300
Maintaining the foundations of the children and families system (statewide) 4,614 2,721
Maintenance, minor capital improvements and building of new Care Services properties (Melbourne) 9,000 3,400
National Disability Insurance Scheme Stage 2 (statewide) 10,253 6,753
Out of home care residential capacity (statewide) 8,000 4,933
Reforming Care Services (statewide) 40,887 28,887
SDA Maintenance and minor upgrade program (statewide) 30,000 9,990
Total existing projects 129,440 57,984
Total Families, Fairness and Housing projects 211,159 101,549
Other capital expenditure N/A 8,387
Total 2022 23 Families, Fairness and Housing capital expenditure   109,936

Source: 2022-23 Budget Paper 4, p.63 
Note: Table may not add due to rounding.

New projects – Director of Housing

  Total estimated investment ($ thousand) Estimated expenditure 2022 23 ($ thousand)
Acquisition general construction 2022 23 (statewide) 76,700 76,700
Acquisition general spot purchase 2022 23 (statewide) 34,320 34,320
High rise upgrades 2022 23 (metropolitan various) 22,000 22,000
Homes Victoria Ground Lease Model Project 2 (metropolitan) 259,802 14,505
Low rise upgrade 2022 23 (statewide) 27,947 27,947
Minor capital works 2022 2023 (statewide) 28,964 28,964
Total new projects 449,733 204,436

Source: 2022-23 Budget Paper 4, p.130
Note: Table may not add due to rounding.

Existing projects – Director of Housing

  Total estimated investment ($ thousand) Estimated expenditure 2022 23 ($ thousand)
Aboriginal family violence refuge for Wimmera South West area (Horsham) 4,747 4,381
Big Housing Build (statewide) 3,066,798 1,011,731
Big Housing Build physical improvements (statewide) 184,000 82,300
Building works stimulus (statewide) 155,000 1,758
Carlton redevelopment – 246 units/sites (North West metropolitan) 145,793 900
Family Violence – Aboriginal refuges (statewide) 8,575 3,296
Family Violence – refuge redevelopment (statewide) 47,902 21,607
Flemington estate redevelopment (Flemington) 30,000 8,289
High rise fire sprinkler upgrade stage 2 (metropolitan various) 21,682 3,608
Homes Victoria Ground Lease Model Project 1 (metropolitan) 263,667 129,363
Oakover and Stokes/Penola stage 2 (Preston) 22,247 17,573
Public housing renewal program (statewide) 185,000 131,516
Rooming houses upgrade (statewide) 10,000 2,204
Social Housing Pipeline projects (statewide) 15,955 1,929
Westmeadows redevelopment – 144 units/sites (Westmeadows) 75,185 2,500
Total existing projects 4,236,551 1,422,955
Total Director of Housing (PNFC) projects 4,686,284 1,627,391

Source: 2022-23 Budget Paper 4, pp.130-1
Note: Table may not add due to rounding.