An essential foundation of a ‘good life’ is access to safe, appropriate and affordable housing. Unfortunately, this foundation is out of reach for an increasing number of Tasmanians.
Today, 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, Ms 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” Ms 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,” Mr 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.”
Ms 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-housing.