Social housing wait list grows despite Tasmanian government's build pledge

Australia Broadcast Center

06-05-2025

When Rhyan Davey's 10-year relationship ended at the beginning of the pandemic, he had no stable accommodation to fall back on.
"I was on a Centrelink budget at the time. I had nothing to my name," he said.
"
So, I applied for housing and from there on, there's nothing supportive, there's no communication — it's just a wait for two years.
"
For those two years, Mr Davey and his two children lived out of a motel room while he waited for social housing.
Mr Davey says the wait for housing was tough, with "nothing supportive" and "no communication" from agencies.
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Without a home to provide security or stability, he — with support from the children's mum — was left to face the challenge's of raising his family day-by-day.
"That hyper vigilance is really stressful and takes a lot of energy away from trying to move forward," he said.
Now in a steady home, Mr Davey has become an advocate for secure housing.
He wants a more robust support system for people left on housing waitlists to provide advice and assist with planning.
"People don't know. On a wait list, there was nothing,"
he said.
Tasmania's social housing waitlist is the longest it's ever been, and the second longest wait-time for a jurisdiction after the Northern Territory.
According to Homes Tasmania data, there are currently over 5,000 applicants, with an average wait of 82 weeks.
Between 2020 and 2024, the wait time increased 33 per cent.
TasCOSS, the peak body for community services in Tasmania, has launched a
"This is a story of Tasmania," TasCOSS chief executive Adrienne Picone said.
"This is our fellow Tasmanians who aren't able to afford a safe and comfortable home, a secure home, and put a roof over their heads."
The online dashboard tracks wait times, and presents the progress being made.
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Housing goals challenged
The increase in social housing wait times comes despite the Tasmanian government's goal of providing 10,000 new social and affordable homes by 2032.
Photo shows
An aerial shot of two wooden house frames. Piles of red bricks are scattered around.
Homes Tasmania planning documents show how the agency plans to meet a target of 10,000 new homes by 2032, with the largest proportion to be made up of helping households into "affordable home ownership" through the MyHome program.
The target was originally announced in 2022 by then-premier Peter Gutwein.
Just under one third of the 10,000 total homes will be social homes and supported accommodation, with 119 crisis accommodation spots.
And to meet that goal, more than 1,000 parcels of vacant land
By the end of last year, over 3,000 homes had been completed, with funding locked in for another 809.
Adrienne Picone says Tasmania needs to double the number of social homes" being built to address the crisis effectively.
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Ms Picone said the state government's housing strategy was "a great aspiration", but a growing social housing waitlist suggested it was not working.
"How can we be 40 per cent towards our target, and yet the wait list continues to grow,"
she said.
"We probably need to double the number of social homes that we're trying to build and decrease our reliance on affordable rentals and home purchases."
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Mountain and houses
Homes Tasmania was established in 2022 to deliver housing, and homelessness and crisis accommodation. Just two years later, an interstate auditor will conduct a review to determine if the new entity is meeting its targets.
Despite her grievances, Ms Picone has not hitched what she deems an unsuccessful strategy solely to the Tasmanian government.
She said te state's well-documented housing crisis can only be solved through collaboration at every level of government with community services and housing providers.
Tasmania's Minister for Housing, Planning, and Consumer Affairs, Felix Ellis, said the government was taking "strong action to deliver supply across the housing spectrum" and was "working tirelessly" to address the needs of those waiting for a house.
"Our government is full steam ahead on delivering on our ambitious commitment of 10,000 social and affordable homes by 2032, with more than 40 per cent delivered ahead of schedule," Mr Ellis said.
'Hidden side of homelessness'
Ewan Higgs says on "any given night, we might be turning away 10 or 15 people".
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As a housing service program manager at Hobart City Mission, Ewan Higgs has seen the demand grow first-hand.
Each night, the charity and community service provider accommodates 35 people in an old church.
Mr Higgs said he believed it was "a drop in the ocean".
"We're full every night,"
he said.
"On any given night, we might be turning away 10 or 15 people. We are seeing upwards of 180 people accessing our services."
Temporary sleeping arrangements at Hobart City Mission's Safe Night Space in Hobart.
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ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke
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As a crisis and emergency accommodation service provider with limited beds, Mr Higgs said it was common for people in need of a bed to continue camping or couch surfing while they waited.
And some of the people requiring assistance will use the service for years.
"It's the reality where we are working with that really pointy end of homelessness," Mr Higgs said.
"
We're working with people who are sleeping rough, the people who are really struggling with mental health, drug and alcohol addiction.
"
Ewan Higgs says the services are "full every night".
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ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke
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More and more, those on the "hidden side of homelessness" — such as people on disability support or aged care pensions who can no longer afford rent — were seeking help through the charity, he said.
Like Ms Picone, Mr Higgs said a response to address the growing crisis required collaboration across all levels of society.
"It shouldn't just be on one or the other — we need to collaborate and bring the community and government and the not-for-profits together,"
he said.