The Inquiry into Homelessness in Victoria will hear from a range of central Victorian councils and organisations on Thursday.

City of Greater Bendigo health and wellbeing director Vicky Mason will make submissions at the inquiry with Mayor Margaret O'Rourke.

Ms Mason said homelessness was an issue in the region, just as it was for the rest of the state.

"We want to advocate for more social housing, talk about the things we are trying to do, and some of the challenges that could potentially lead to increased homelessness," she said.

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Ms Mason said the city would push for regulations to be changed so areas like rooming houses and residential facilities would be more accessible and sustainable.

"Sometimes regulations around illegal dwellings make it harder for people to stay within secure housing," she said.

"We work with people who have illegal dwellings to see if we can make it legal because often if we shut it down and evict people, it can lead them towards depending on services.

"We're trying to work with rooming house operators to make sure they are safe places to live and available to the community

"There are a range of regulations and legislation that make it difficult to support people to not become homeless."

Ms Mason said addressing the issue of homelessness also went further than additional funding for support services and more housing.

"We need to get everyone into education and employment," she said. "We can toss money into services and also lift people out of poverty.

"We would argue that homelessness should not be viewed in isolation. It should be viewed as part of a broader system.

"There are limits to what a local government can do. This is an area that local government on its own can't solve.

Read more: Concerns homelessness will increase in Bendigo, central Victoria because of coronavirus

"We will take this opportunity to highlight the tension in the system and hope that state and federal governments will step up and do something about it."

Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation chief executive Rodney Carter will also be speaking at the state inquiry.

He agreed there needed to be a holistic approach to reducing homelessness.

"We were previously involved in an Aboriginal housing and homelessness forum," he said.

"The main discussion was about fixing up broken stock and maybe introducing a housing method around transportable housing.

"I see that as a band-aid approach. I think we need to look at long-term approaches. We want to build housing stock and a relationship with industry.

"If we can purchase a house and land package, then families can go into it when they are ready to take it over.

"They need to be shown that it's possible. If we can help people get to a place where they have their own home, that's an achievement."

The state inquiry will also hear from the Central Goldfields Shire Council, Housing Justice, Njernda Aboriginal Corporation, Haven; Home, Safe, and the Bendigo Winter Night Shelter.

An interim report from the inquiry was tabled in the Victorian parliament on August 4 this year. The final report is due to be delivered in February, 2021.

Ms Mason said the City of Greater Bendigo also had its draft Affordable Housing Action Plan open for public consultation. Residents could provide feedback to the plan here.

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