Shelter Tasmania

29/04/2026

Help this important campaign reach 1,000 signatures before the end of April!

Shelter Tas is part of the Coalition of Community Service Peaks campaign, urging the Government to deliver increased funding and long-term investment to protect the wellbeing of all Tasmanians.

Please show your support by signing an open letter to the Premier and Treasurer, and sharing with your networks and on social media. Every signature counts - please join us!

🔗https://tinyurl.com/5b62aar5

Coalition of Community Service Peaks calls on the Government to Prioritise all Tasmanians

28/04/2026

Don't forget to register for Hobart City Mission's Sleep Rough event, coming up soon on Friday 8th May.
Even if you're not joining in the challenge, you can still participate by fundraising, donating, or spreading the word on behalf of others sleeping out. Go to www.sleeprough.com.au to find out more.

✨ Sleep Rough 2026 registrations are officially open ✨
Now more than ever, it’s time to make a difference.
Homelessness in Tasmania is at a crisis point 🚨
Right now, 5,410 people are on the social housing waitlist.
Thats a 42% increase in just five years. Priority applicants are waiting more than 84 weeks. That’s 18 months in unsafe, temporary, or no housing at all.
At the same time, government funding for emergency relief has more than halved. Pushing Hobart City Mission to a critical point.
We urgently need our community.
✨ Sleep Rough 2026
📅 May 8th, 2026
This is Tasmania’s biggest community sleep out, and it’s open to everyone. Bring your friends, your family, your workplace. Everyone is welcome.
Join the fight against homelessness: Sleep Rough, so others don’t have to.
Sign up or donate now 👉 www.sleeprough.com.au
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Hobart City Mission
Caring for 174 years 💞
Don't forget to connect!
Stay in the loop with your Southern Tasmanian Community 🥰

15/04/2026

This Wednesday 15 April marks Youth Homelessness Matters Day.

On any given night in Tasmania, over 2,000 people experience homelessness, and young people are disproportionately affected. The last Census showed a devastating statistic: 25% of Tasmanians experiencing homelessness were aged between 12 and 24, with an additional 14% being children under 12 years old. As well as having to sleep rough, many young people must resort to couch surfing, moving between short‑term or overcrowded accommodation, or remaining in unsafe situations because there is nowhere else to go.

Led by Yfoundations, Youth Homelessness Matters Day is an opportunity to confront this reality at a national level, and to call for action. It is about recognising youth homelessness as a housing and systems issue - not an individual failure - and investing in early intervention and long‑term solutions.

This year, Yfoundations and Home Time are partnering to call on the Treasurer to introduce a targeted Youth Housing Supplement in the 2026-27 Federal Budget. This practical, cost‑effective measure would help close the gap between income support and the real cost of housing, ensuring young people aren’t locked out of safe accommodation.

You can lend your voice in calling on the Treasurer to act by visiting www.hometime.org.au/takeaction, or go to www.yfoundations.org.au/youthhomelessnessmatterseveryday to find out more about how you can support young people - because no one should be left without a safe place to call home.

24/03/2026

We are out and about again this week! Our statewide Specialist Housing and Homelessness Services (SHHS) forum is on today, and we are gathering in Campbell Town for the first meeting of the year. Meeting in person provides a fantastic opportunity for people to network with peers, as well as to discuss sector-wide issues, and hear from guest speakers on a range of relevant topics (such as cyber and AI essentials, and the recent changes to the Residential Tenancy Act regarding pets in rentals).

If you are interested in joining our SHHS forum for online or face-to-face meetings in the future, please email training@sheltertas.org.au

20/03/2026

A couple of important reminders to finish off this week:

1️⃣ The Residential Tenancy Amendment (Pets) Act 2025 comes into effect across Tasmania today. This change means that tenants can lodge a formal request with their landlord to keep a pet at their rental property, and property owners can only refuse a pet on reasonable grounds.

Landlords can no longer issue a blanket refusal of pets in rental agreements, but can still refuse a pet if there are reasonable concerns about property damage, nuisance, or safety. These new rules are not applicable for some tenancies, e.g. crisis accommodation that involves a residential tenancy agreement for a period of 3 months or less.

More information and helpful factsheets can be found on the Building in Tasmania - CBOS - www.cbos.tas.gov.au

2️⃣ A final reminder that feedback on the City of Hobart’s draft Housing Action Plan 2026 closes on Monday 23rd March - please get online to complete the survey and provide your valuable insights, which will help shape the future of housing in Hobart and surrounds. https://yoursay.hobartcity.com.au/hobart-housing-action-plan

3️⃣ Our workforce development program has continued this week, with Dr Carly Cameron delivering 'An Introduction to Trauma Informed Practice' in Devonport (and in Hobart on Wednesday). The highly successful sessions are part of a year-long program designed to support sustainable, sector-wide culture change, embedding trauma informed principles at individual, team, and organisational levels.

If you would like to find out more about the training we offer to our members, email training@sheltertas.org.au.

18/03/2026

Today we started off our trauma training series for 2026, beginning with an 'Introduction to Trauma Informed Practice' in Hobart.

Recent AHURI research involving 578 housing and homelessness frontline staff has highlighted the significant impact of workplace pressures and exposure to traumatic events across the sector. Key findings include:
🔹 90% reported moderate-to-high levels of vicarious trauma
🔹 61% reported symptoms of burnout
🔹 43% reported PTSD symptoms warranting further assessment
🔹 Rates of significant PTSD symptoms among housing and homelessness frontline staff appear higher than those reported among Australian emergency service workers.

The report emphasises the importance of creating safer workplace environments and strengthening organisational responses to trauma. Building trauma-informed capability is a key part of supporting staff wellbeing, reducing burnout, and promoting sustainable, effective service delivery.

That's why we have engaged the wonderful Dr Carly Cameron from Bend Consulting to deliver a series of online and face-to-face workshops throughout the year. The program will support sustainable, sector-wide culture change, embedding trauma informed principles at individual, team, and organisational levels.

Please email training@sheltertas.org.au if you'd like more information on this series, or other workforce development sessions we offer.

10/03/2026

A short and sharp eNews this week, in which we discuss the Premier's announcement in his State of the State address - stating that Homes Tasmania would be brought back into the folds of government under a new Department to be named “Building Tasmania”.

This information came as a shock to many, and there is currently limited information available. What we do know is this:
🔹 The Department of State Growth (DSG) is to be dismantled. 250 positions will be cut.
🔹 A new entity, Building Tasmania, will be created and will incorporate infrastructure delivery, roads, planning, and Homes Tasmania. This entity will be headed by current Minister, The Hon Kerry Vincent MLC.
🔹 A new entity, Economic Development, will be created to “keep driving the state’s growth agenda” and will incorporate some existing functions from DSG.
🔹 A new entity will be created and will incorporate Tourism, Events, Creative Tasmania, and Brand Tasmania.
🔹 A working group is being established to oversee the implementation.
🔹 No timeline has been publicly announced.
🔹 Full details will be outlined in the May budget.

We will be working with government and key stakeholders to ensure that the focus remains on supporting the housing and homelessness sector, who deliver essential services each day to the people of Tasmania. It is crucial in this time of fiscal uncertainty that government can provide clarity, stability and clear communication about the sweeping changes announced.

We also reiterated our congratulations to Jackson Hills, the newly appointed CEO of National Shelter!

To find out more on these important changes for the sector, as well as a media summary, and some more photos of last week's National Shelter meeting - you can read and subscribe to the Shelter Tas eNews here www.sheltertas.org.au/shelter-tas-enews/

06/03/2026

Congratulations to Jackson Hills, who has been announced as the next CEO of National Shelter!

Jackson brings experience from more than 15 years of leadership across the not‑for‑profit and community sectors, most recently leading policy and strategic engagement at Q Shelter, and serving as Deputy Chair and Executive Committee member for National Shelter.

With new leadership and reinstated funding for the organisation - there are exciting times ahead for National Shelter!

You can find out more in the National Shelter media release - https://tinyurl.com/mr2tewv2

04/03/2026

Have your say on the City of Hobart's draft Housing Action Plan 2026! Shelter Tas has been involved in its development from early on, working on positive steps that will improve housing supply and affordability in Hobart.

Now is the time to have your say - make sure to provide your feedback by the 23rd March and help shape the final plan 🏡
https://brnw.ch/21x0gjB

🏠Have your say on Hobart’s housing future!

We’ve released the Draft Hobart Housing Action Plan - a practical roadmap to help increase the supply and affordability of homes in our city.

🏘️ Hobart's housing needs are evolving, and your voice can help shape real, local solutions.

📅 Share your feedback between 23 February and 23 March 2026.

👉 Have your say today: https://brnw.ch/21x0gjB



[Image of Draft Hobart Housing Action Plan front cover.]

25/02/2026

We've been working with the Tenants' Union of Tasmania on a submission to the consultation process on the draft Short Stay Levy Bill 2025.

Both organisations have long advocated for significant improvements in the regulation and monitoring of the short-term rental (STR) market, together with the introduction of a levy. Here are the submission's recommendations:

1️⃣ Redistribute revenue raised from the Short Term Levy to increase the supply of new social and affordable rental dwellings with a guaranteed 25% commitment to regional areas, and/or
2️⃣ Redistribute revenue raised from the Short Term Levy to bolster funding of Tasmania’s homelessness services
3️⃣ Increase the Short Term Levy from 5% to 7.5% in line with the Victorian model
4️⃣ Commit to a review of the broader regulation of STRs, so that the permit system delivers sufficient funds to ensure monitoring and compliance with permits and exemptions
5️⃣ Empower local councils to manage and limit the use of entire homes for STRs where there is a shortfall of homes for residents and essential workers
6️⃣ Create a data matching system monitoring the number of dwellings currently available as STR that were previously available in the long-term rental market (CBOS-led)
7️⃣ MyBond to report monthly on total bond lodgements by LGA and/or region, so that the size of the long-term rental market can be monitored
8️⃣ Amend the definition of “short stay in relation to the premises” to capture the purpose of the stay rather than the duration and include stays in excess of 28 days
9️⃣ Ensure that the examples referenced in relation to the status of individuals/organisations accessing short stay accommodation are provided for within the Bill
🔟 Include an additional clause to the Bill to provide for a review and release of the findings after a prescribed period.

You can read the full submission and view our other policy work on the Shelter Tas website - www.sheltertas.org.au/papers-and-reports/

28/01/2026

A big congratulations to Adrian Pisarski on receiving an award as part of the Australia Day Honours List for 2026.

Adrian has been a stalwart of the social and community housing sectors, improving housing outcomes for so many Australians through decades of advocacy and policy work.

As the CEO of National Shelter until his retirement in 2022, he has also been a great friend to Shelter Tas, with a strong commitment to strengthening the national network of Shelter organisations during this time.

This is a well-deserved award for an incredible contribution to our sector, to vulnerable Australians, and the organisations that support them - congratulations, Adrian Pisarski AM!

16/09/2025

On Thursday 11th September, we gathered in Hobart with friends and colleagues to mark a significant milestone - Shelter Tas’ 50th anniversary.

Since 1975, Shelter Tas has been at the heart of a sector that has weathered many challenges and continues to serve as a safety net for some of the most vulnerable people in our community. During these five decades, Shelter Tas has been a steadfast voice for the sector and has represented Tasmanians at risk of or experiencing homelessness and housing stress — through leadership, advocacy, research and policy influence, as well as specialist workforce capacity building.

It was fantastic to see so many familiar faces from across the Tasmanian housing and homelessness sector in attendance, along with local, state, and federal government representatives (including Housing Minister, the Hon Kerry Vincent MLC), and colleagues from the national Shelter Network.

Our appreciation goes to Shelter Tas’ founding and life members, past and current executive and policy committee members, supporters from all sides of politics, colleagues at Homes Tasmania, and the broader sector. Your commitment and support has impacted the organisation in so many ways and helped make Shelter Tas what it is today - and we thank you for joining us to celebrate half a century of achievements.

During an evening filled with music and memories, there were wonderful opportunities to reflect, reconnect, and look ahead - to the next 50 years!

Go to https://sheltertas.org.au/50-years/ to explore a timeline and photos capturing Shelter Tas’ history, as well as a photo gallery from the event and a video presentation to mark our 50th anniversary.