Brian O'Halloran and Co agent Brian Hancock said the flood of applications was another sign of the desperate need for more single dwellings.

"We had an experience last week where there were 36 applications for a one-bedroom unit within four hours of it being listed," he said.

His comments come after Homes Victoria data revealed the majority of people in desperate need of social housing in Warrnambool were seeking one-bedroom dwellings.

It found there were 717 priority access applicants seeking a one-bedroom home as of March.

Mr Hancock said renters were desperate for single dwellings.

However, there were few rental properties on the market - particularly those in the lower price range.

An online search showed there were only three one-bedroom properties available to rent, while there were five two-bedroom dwellings listed.

The Homes Victoria data revealed 201 were waiting for a two-bedroom home, 146 were on the list for a three-bedroom property and 31 were seeking a house with four or more bedrooms.

Applicants on the priority access list may be homeless, needing to urgently move from existing social housing, or living in housing that is no longer safe or habitable.

Brophy Family and Youth Services senior practitioner Mark Dekker spoke about the city's homelessness issue earlier this month.

He said there had been opposition to developments that included one-bedroom dwellings in the past.

Mr Dekker said there was a misconception that estates that included one and two-bedroom properties were an attempt by the developer to increase their return on investment.

But the reality was that there was a growing number of people in desperate need of affordable one and two-bedroom rentals.

Mr Dekker said a lack of stock, a rise in rental prices and barriers for young people had resulted in many people left out in the cold.

"We're suggesting to our young folk to letter drop and see if they can hit the heartstrings of people in the streets they might want to live in," Mr Dekker said.

He said community members who had a spare room should consider opening their homes to young people who had nowhere to live.

"That's what it comes down to," Mr Dekker said.

"It's going to come down to each and every one of us potentially opening up our spare bedrooms and the like."

Polwarth MP Richard Riordan spoke about the growing number of south-west residents in desperate need of housing recently.

"In the Warrnambool area, which covers my home town of Colac, there is a 2816 per cent increase in people looking for urgent housing," Mr Riordan said.

"These are not people who want to upgrade their home and have a nicer home.

"These are people that do not actually have a home - a 2816 per cent increase."

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