The huge disparity between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people accessing specialist homeless services has been described as a "crisis" by the boss of Victoria's housing department.
The Yoorrook Justice Commission was told almost one in five Aboriginal people attempted to access services in 2020-21, compared to a rate of about one in 50 people for the general population.
Department of Families, Fairness and Housing secretary, Peta McCammon, said the difference was "astounding", the gap was growing and the government had a responsibility to respond.
"It's fair to say it's a crisis," Ms McCammon told the commission on Friday morning.
She said the average wait time was about 20 months with key issues being housing supply and a need to change models of support.
The commission heard in the six months from June to December 2023, the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander households on the social housing wait list climbed by 800 to a total of 6684 households.
Ms McCammon also apologised for "injustices" perpetuated by her department.
"This commission has heard, and First People have said many times, that they are negatively impacted by not only the impacts of dispossession and colonisation but also current systems of housing," she said.
"For its role in perpetuating systemic intergenerational injustice, on behalf of my department, I apologise."
Counsel assisting Tim Goodwin said one in ten Aboriginal Victorians live in public housing, which Ms McCammon agreed was "shocking".
Yoorrook is creating an official public record on the impact of colonisation on Aboriginal people in Victoria and will recommend actions to address historical and ongoing injustices.
