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A United Nations report has criticised the Victorian government’s decision to bulldoze 44 public housing towers, saying the choice could be in violation of the international human right to housing.
Written by the UN’s special rapporteur on adequate housing and released publicly on Thursday, the document criticised the major demolition project, which is expected to result in the relocation of about 10,000 residents.
A special rapporteur is an independent expert appointed by the UN’s Human Rights Council, who is tasked with reporting or advising on a specialised area.
Among the key criticisms raised were the lack of meaningful consultation with residents, the relocation of residents to distant locations away from existing communities, and the disproportionate impact on vulnerable communities.
“I am concerned that affected residents have primarily been treated as occupants of public property rather than as rights-holders entitled to participate in decisions fundamentally affecting their homes and communities,” special rapporteur Koldo Casla wrote in the report.
“The right to adequate housing must be understood not only as a right to shelter, but as including security of tenure, affordability, habitability, accessibility, location and cultural adequacy.”
Plans to knock down the 44 towers were first announced by then-premier Daniel Andrews in 2023. Two towers in Carlton have since been demolished, and 14 more across Albert Park, Flemington, Kensington, North Melbourne, St Kilda and Prahran are relocating tenants.
The program has faced a backlash from residents and advocates, including a class action lawsuit that aimed to reverse the decision to demolish some towers.
The case was dismissed by the Court of Appeal in December 2025 but has since been granted a rare special leave to appeal by the High Court, which is scheduled to be heard in October.
The Victorian Ombudsman is investigating the experience of public housing residents who were forced to relocate following a referral by the Legislative Council in June.
Casla’s report also said the demolitions would exacerbate the wider statewide housing crisis – particularly considering Victoria’s public housing waiting list. He said the issue required “urgency and priority” to solve.
“Excessive and long waiting lists for public housing are … an indicator that the state faces significant challenges to realise basic housing for everyone,” Casla wrote.
“It must be reasonably feared that the destruction of 44 public housing towers in central locations or the city will rather amplify these problems and not be a suitable measure to address these preexisting violations of the right to adequate housing.”
A federal government response, written by the Australian ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Clare Walsh, was publicly released by the UN on Thursday. It was written in consultation with Homes Victoria, the state government department that oversees public housing.
The 15-page document emphasised Australia’s commitment to international law and laid out the stages of the major relocation process in detail.
“Completed between 1962 and 1975, at a time that pre-dates current building codes, the towers no longer meet modern building, design and livability standards,” Walsh said in the response.
“Homes Victoria manages the relocation of renters and is committed to a renter-first approach when supporting households who move.”
A spokesperson from the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing said: “The Victorian government is redeveloping Melbourne’s high-rise estates not only to meet modern building code requirements, but also to ensure quality of life and appropriate housing options are available for generations to come.”
The UN report was written in response to a submission prepared by the Castan Centre Human Rights Clinic and Inner Melbourne Community Legal (IMCL).
Former Supreme Court judge Kevin Bell, a long-time advocate for the city’s public housing, helped to compile the submission.
“By choosing mass demolition without prior consultation, the Victorian government has acted more like a private property developer than a state bound by human rights obligations,” Bell said.
“While our domestic courts have dismissed the residents’ challenges under the Victorian Charter, this case exposes critical, systemic gaps in our local human rights framework.”
IMCL managing lawyer Louisa Bassini said the UN report had “exposed the folly” of demolishing the state’s public housing stock in the middle of a widespread housing crisis.
Although more than 40 towers across the city will be rebuilt with more dwellings, most will shift from a traditional public housing model to social housing. This includes some community housing, which is run by not-for-profit agencies. The sites are also supposed to include private, market-rate housing.
“The demolition program has torn communities apart and separated residents from support networks and services near their homes,” Bassini said.
“Victoria’s public housing waiting lists are growing because more and more people are struggling to afford a private rental property. But the supply of public housing is not increasing at the same pace as demand and community housing is a poor substitute.”
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Gemma Grant is a city reporter at The Age. Contact her securely on Signal at gemmagrant.88Connect via email.From our partners
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