Chapter 1 positions this inquiry as a continuation of many inquiries and reports examining housing issues in Australia. In terms of the inquiry’s scope, the Committee notes that the Terms of Reference mostly relate to the affordability and adequacy of renting in Victoria, but also encompass other questions, including around housing supply and the impacts of the short‑term rental accommodation industry.

Chapter 2 makes five findings necessary to understanding the issue of housing in Victoria. The Committee’s first two findings coincide with demographic change over time. Victoria is the nation’s fastest growing State, with its population increasingly concentrated in metropolitan Melbourne, yet households have been decreasing in size.

Chapter 3 summarises the factors that define a housing crisis.

Chapter 4 identifies the dominant supply and demand narratives in housing policy debate in Australia. In particular, the Committee examines the division between those who emphasise demand‑side issues as the cause of Victoria’s housing problems and those who emphasise supply.

Chapter 5 of the report examines the experiences of Victorian renters in the current housing crisis. The cost of renting in Victoria was the dominant concern among renters who engaged with the Inquiry. High rental prices alongside increasing cost of living pressures is creating significant strain on household budgets.

Chapter 6 assesses the adequacy of Victoria’s rental regulatory framework.

Chapter 7 assesses a range of proposals to address housing affordability. It treats most measures, unless otherwise specified, as directly or indirectly benefiting both owner‑occupiers and renters.

Chapter 8 assesses the impact of the short‑stay rental accommodation industry on long‑term renting in Victoria. The Committee has determined that there is insufficient evidence to accurately gauge the effects of short‑stay accommodation on the long‑term rental market.