Indicators

Topic 5: Disability and housing

Individuals and families in Australia receiving Commonwealth Rent Assistance and Disability Support Pension who are in rental stress
33%
2022, AIHW
Rentals in Tasmania affordable for single people (21+ years) earning Disability Support Pension — annual
0%
2025, Anglicare Tasmania
Applicants on the social housing waitlist for Tasmania who may have accessibility needs — monthly
22%
August 2025, Homes Tasmania
What’s happening in Tasmania?

People with disability in Australia face greater housing disadvantage or insecurity than the general population and are disproportionately impacted by the current housing crisis. Challenges for people with disability include higher rates of housing stress, lower rates of home ownership, greater need for social housing and increased risk of homelessness.

The vast majority of disabled people in Australia live in the community rather than in care accommodation: nationally, 96% of people with disability live in the community in private dwellings. See: AIHW (2024), People with disability in Australia.

Housing disadvantage for people with disability is underpinned by systemic inequalities, including income inequality: people with disability are four times more likely to rely on inadequate government income support and are twice as likely to live in low income households. See: AIHW (2024) People with disability in Australia; and Centre of Research Excellence in Disability and Health (2024) Housing and income of adults with disability in Australia.

Another significant factor underpinning housing disadvantage for people with disability is the lack of supply of homes that are designed or adapted to meet the needs of people with disabilities. These issues include physical access related to doorways, bathrooms and kitchens, as well as sensory and cognitive accessibility. For those renting, landlords frequently refuse requests from tenants to install accessibility aids, such as grab rails.

What’s happening in Tasmania? #2

At the national level, housing is clearly identified as a key policy issue for people with disability. The national disability policy framework is laid out in Australia’s Disability Strategy (2021-31). The Plan is supported by an Outcomes Framework which includes two housing priorities: “improving access to affordable housing for people with disability,” and “making sure people with disability can live in homes that meet their needs.” See: AIHW, Outcomes Framework: Inclusive homes and communities

The Strategy’s associated Inclusive Homes and Communities Targeted Action Plan (2025-27) aims to: improve housing accessibility; reduce wait times for social housing; and increase satisfaction with housing among NDIS participants. See: Disability Gateway, Inclusive Homes and Communities Targeted Action Plan (2025–27).

At the state level in Tasmania, housing is identified as a policy priority for people with disability, with Tasmania’s Disability Strategy (2025-27) including two housing policy priorities:

  1. Increase the availability of affordable housing.
  2. Housing is accessible and people with disability have choice and control about where they live, who they with, and who comes into their home.

In October 2024, the Tasmanian Government committed to a phased rollout of the Livable Housing provisions in the National Construction Code between October 2024 and October 2026. This requires almost all new building work for housing to progressively comply with accessibility standards, including for door openings, showers, bathroom walls, and internal door and corridors. See: Australian Building Codes Board, Livable Housing Design Standards.

Homes Tasmania has committed to “deliver all new social housing homes at Silver standard wherever practical, and to Gold or Platinum standard where appropriate.” See: Homes Tasmania Dashboard (July 2025).

What does the data show?

Headline indicators: 

  • Anglicare’s Rental Affordability Snapshot, taken for a weekend in March 2025, found that 0% of houses for rent in Tasmania during the snapshot weekend were affordable for single people (aged 21+ years) who were receiving Disability Support Pension.
  • In 2022, one third (33%) of individuals and families in Australia who were receiving both Commonwealth Rent Assistance and Disability Support Pension were in rental stress (i.e. paying more than 30% of their income on housing).
  • As at 30 July 2025, 23% of applicants waiting for social housing in Tasmania may have accessibility needs (i.e. older people aged 75+ years and/or those who require property modifications for accessibility).

Figure 5.1: According to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers 2022, Tasmania has the highest estimated proportion of the population with disability at 28.8%. The jurisdictions with the equal second highest rates of disability are Queensland and South Australia, at 23.3%.

What does the data show? #2

Updated on 3 October 2025 with the latest available data.

Figure 5.2: For each type of housing security — ‘homeowners,’ ‘never been homeless’ and ‘not in housing stress’ — people with disability are less likely to be housing secure than people without disability. Source: Disability and Wellbeing Monitoring Framework.

Figure 5.3: Tasmania has the highest rate of people receiving Specialist Homelessness Services support who are also NDIS participants (8.4%), higher than the national average of 5.8%.

Figure 5.4: From 1 October 2020 to 31 August 2025, Homes Tasmania delivered 2,096 social houses, of which 73% were built to the Silver accessible standard or above. The breakdown is:

  • 1,299 to Silver accessible standard;
  • 188 to Gold accessible standard;
  • 77 to Platinum accessible standard;
  • 327 did not meet the standard; and
  • 245 homes were built to an unknown standard.
TasCOSS’s view 

Tasmania’s ageing population means that the proportion of the population with disability is likely to continue to grow, which is reflected in growing demand for affordable and accessible housing for people with disability. There’s a critical need for housing, including social housing, in Tasmania to be more affordable and accessible for people with disability.

The Tasmanian Government has a critical role in providing leadership for improved housing security for people with disability, by providing policy direction for all housing stakeholders; and setting minimum design standards for new housing construction. The forthcoming Disability Inclusion Action Plan for Tasmania should include housing as a key priority; and the current Tasmanian Housing Strategy could be complimented by a dedicated Accessible Housing Strategy which is co-designed by people with disability.

Additionally, TasCOSS is calling on the Tasmanian Government to ensure the building and construction industry complies with the full suite of Livable Housing Design Standards according to the agreed timeframe, and all future social housing homes delivered by Homes Tasmania should meet at least the Gold level. As well, the Tasmanian Government should look to amend the Residential Tenancy Act 1997, as part of a wider review of this Act, to ensure that tenants are permitted to modify their rental properties to install accessibility features and have assistance animals in their homes.

TasCOSS’s recommendations

TasCOSS is calling on the Tasmanian Government to:

  1. Implement the full suite of Livable Housing Design Standards level Silver by no later than October 2026.
  2. Ensure that all future social housing homes delivered by Homes Tasmania meet at least the Gold level of the Livable Housing Design Standards.
  3. Pursue legislative changes to ensure tenants can install accessibility features such as grab rails and step ramps in rental properties and have assistance animals in their home.
  4. Identify equitable access to appropriate and affordable housing as a key objective of the forthcoming Tasmanian Disability Inclusion Action Plan.
  5. Co-design a dedicated Accessible Housing Strategy with people with disability which compliments the Tasmanian Housing Strategy.