More than 500 people in the Loddon region experienced homelessness in the first three months of this year, figures from a central Victorian service show.

The data, provided by the Loddon Mallee Homelessness Network, shows another 900 people were at risk of homelessness during the quarter.

This week the issue will be highlighted to mark Homelessness Week.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics defines a person as being homeless when their living arrangement is inadequate, they have no tenure or it is short and unable to be extended, or they have no control of or access to space for social activities.

While homelessness is most visible when people are sleeping rough, this is not the experience of most people who find themselves homeless - only 7 per cent of people experiencing homelessness nationally are sleeping on the streets or in public.

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For most people, homelessness will not mean they lack a roof over their heads, but rather that they have to move from place to place, staying with friends or family.

Loddon Mallee Homelessness Network co-ordinator Mellissa Edwards said this could make some people extremely vulnerable and mean they had to postpone certain decisions because of a lack of control.

"A common misperception of homelessness is the stereotyped picture of a man sleeping on park bench, but the reality is that because the majority of people experience homelessness in the above scenarios, the problem is largely invisible and goes unnoticed," Ms Edwards said.

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She said it was important to remember that homelessness was a temporary experience, and not something that defined a person.

On any given night in Victoria, about 24,000 people will be homeless, Census data suggests.

Ms Edwards said three key drivers of homelessness were a lack of affordable housing, poverty and family violence.

These three issues, she said, accounted for the majority of presentations to homelessness and family violence services in Bendigo.

But Ms Edwards said the causes of homelessness were complex and often compounded by other factors.

"For example a woman who flees her home due to family violence will likely struggle to find affordable accommodation and this leads to being stuck in a cycle of poverty that can be very hard to get out of," she said.

Meanwhile a person on Newstart, Ms Edwards said, would find it near-impossible to pay rent without sacrificing other necessities, such as utilities, clothing, food or medication.

Anglicare's annual rental snapshot, taken in Bendigo on March 23 this year, showed just 6 per cent of available rental properties were affordable and appropriate for households receiving welfare payments.

Recently released data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows social housing as a proportion of all housing has declined consistently over the past five years.

Jenny Smith, chief executive officer of the Council to Homeless Person, said social housing was a vital safety net for people who had difficulty affording private rentals.

"With availability of social housing falling, homelessness services are increasingly unable to rehouse people experiencing homelessness," Ms Smith said.

"People without a home are getting stuck long term in crisis and emergency accommodation, which is a poor outcome for them, and it means these options are less available as others become homeless."

Related: Maps show how many people are experiencing homelessness in central Victoria

Ms Edwards said older women were increasingly facing homelessness, largely because of a lifetime of lower earnings and less superannuation than their male counterparts.

ABS Census figures show the number of Victorian women affected by homelessness rose by 8.3 per cent in five years to 2016, although across Australia more men experience homelessness than women.

The number of people aged over 55 who were experiencing homelessness at the last Census rose by 23 per cent from five years earlier.

There are a number of organisations in the region that can help people experiencing homelessness or who are in housing crisis.

Adults of any age can contact Haven; Home, Safe, which assists with affordable rentals, transitional housing and other support services. It can be contacted on 5444 9000.

Anglicare Victoria can assist young people on 5440 1100.

"If a person is experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless they should phone the relevant service provider to make an appointment with a worker who can then talk through the issues that the person is presenting with and find ways to assist them," Ms Edwards said.

While Housing Justice is not a homelessness service, it can help people experiencing problems with their tenancy in public or private rentals. The phone number is 5445 0990.