3 vacant properties for every homeless person statewide - Melbourne

Actually it's probably worse than that, as the vacancy numbers are only for Melbourne but the homeless numbers are for the whole of Victoria. Investors hogging properties? Rents no one can afford? Whatever the reason this is a failure of one of the most basic functions of gov; for the people to has access to affordable housing.

Other than that...... It does not bode well for those investors. 

Docklands could become a suburb of ghost towers, experts have warned, after an analysis of water use data identified hundreds of apartments suspected of being empty in the CBD precinct. 

The study found about 65,000 of 1.5 million properties in prime areas of greater Melbourne could be left empty at time when more than 22,000 Victorians are believed to be homeless. 

These homes either used no water at all, or less than 50 litres a day over 12 months. A leaky tap is estimated to use up to 55 litres of water a day, according to the report. 

The seventh annual Speculative Vacancies study was commissioned by tax-reform group Prosper Australia, which blames the glut in unused homes on investors who hoard properties for long-term profit. Read more