The Tasmanian Council of Social Services (TasCOSS) unveiled a new, interactive Tasmania’s State of Housing Dashboard that will track a number of housing indicators against the Tasmanian Government’s key housing commitments.
TasCOSS CEO, Adrienne Picone, said the online dashboard aims to cut through the spin and provide an easy-to-understand, timely and reliable ‘pulse check’ of the housing situation in Tasmania.
“The first iteration of the dashboard takes a deep dive into the social housing wait list in Tasmania and emerging trends, as well as progress towards the Tasmanian Government’s ‘10,000 social and affordable homes by 2032’ target,” Picone said.
“The dashboard shows Homes Tasmania has delivered a mix of 4,345 ‘homes’ since 2022, but this includes land lots and crisis units. In actual fact, the number of safe, secure and appropriate new homes is only, at most, 2,567.
“Meanwhile, a key barometer for affordable housing availability in this state — the social housing waitlist — hit a record high 5,000 applications last month, with 3,871 of those homeless or sleeping rough.
“This must ring alarm bells for a Government committed to end homelessness in Tasmania by 2043.
“It begs the question, is the Government’s housing target and record on delivery keeping up with the level of need in the community?”
Behind the data are stories like that of Rhyan Davey, who knows better than most the immense toll of not having a stable, affordable home, having spent two years living out of a motel room with his two young children.
“During the two years I was homeless with my two kids, I had no idea what help was available. I didn’t know where to go, who to ask, or what we were entitled to,” Davey said.
“We were stuck in a motel, scared and barely getting by. That’s why support services — and the way they’re communicated — are so important. Families like mine can’t afford to be invisible.”
“We need greater investment in housing outreach services and peer support, so that people don’t have to navigate homelessness completely alone.”
Picone said experiences like Rhyan’s are not rare exceptions, they are fast becoming the norm in our highly precarious housing market.
“Years of underinvestment in social housing, combined with an explosion in short-stay accommodation, rising rental prices and booming house prices, have left the most vulnerable behind,” she said.
“Now more than ever, we need bold leadership from the Government, including a clear commitment to meeting the housing needs of Tasmanians on the lowest incomes.
“As a starting point, we call on the Government to undertake a review of the adequacy of its 10,000 homes and 2,000 social homes targets; commit to a significant expansion of social housing; and urgently bring forward the slated review of the Residential Tenancy Act 1997 to strengthen protections for renters, including putting an end to no-grounds evictions.”
The Tasmania’s State of Housing Dashboard can be accessed at tascoss.org.au/state-of-
Concern about housing
Various voices have been raised in support of the concerns put forward by TasCOSS.
Greens Housing Spokesperson Vica Bayley said the Liberals should be investing in public housing instead of a stadium.
“Tasmanians are struggling to find safe and affordable homes in this housing and cost of living crisis,” he said. “They shouldn’t have to wait almost have a year for somewhere to call home. The Liberal Government are leaving vulnerable Tasmanians out to dry.
“For more than a decade, the Liberal Government haven’t been investing in building the number of new social and affordable homes needed to stem the housing crisis. Serious investment is needed in homes for Tasmanians – not a billion dollar plus stadium.”
The Greens called on the Liberals to stop being dishonest with Tasmanians about how many social and affordable homes they’re building, noting that crisis accommodation and blocks of land “simply aren’t homes, and the Liberals should stop trying to fudge the figures.”
JLN Member for Lyons Andrew Jenner agreed that the stadium project was going to divert significant funds away from areas that should be considered more important.
“When is this government going to start prioritising Tasmanians that are doing it tough?” he said.
“Tasmanians want a government that is going to prioritise health, housing, and education.”
Shadow Minister for Housing Shane Broad MP noted that building approvals are relatively low.
According to the latest ABS data released today, just 173 dwellings were approved in March – the fewest in eight years.
“This alarming figure highlights the ongoing failure of Jeremy Rockliff and the Liberals to address the critical housing shortage and tackle the bureaucratic red tape that has been holding back construction across the state for the last 11 years,” he said.
Broad said that the promise made by Will Hodgman in 2014 – to make planning “fairer, faster, cheaper, and simpler” – has not been fulfilled.
Tasmanian Times (TT) is a community-based news and current affairs service covering the island state of Tasmania. It exists to provide a diverse view of Tasmanian issues. TT creates and supports independent media content utilising the best of modern technologies and tried-and-true practices of public-interest journalism.
Support us in expanding our coverage and developing new content by and for Tasmanians.
New initiatives on the way include:
- a weekly podcast covering current affairs
- a revamped website
- a monthly cartoon competition
- a user- friendly app for both Android and Apple devices
- a weekly roundup of key stories
