Ben Bartl says seven years after housing summit more people waiting and rents higher

It was seven years ago that an emergency housing summit was declared. Despite a call for action, the Tenants Unions says the housing crisis is worse today.

Generic photograph of an abandoned house in Hobart, Tasmania, Monday, December 14, 2015. Picture: AAP Image/Dave Hunt

Seven years after the Tasmanian government held an urgent housing summit, the Tenants Union says the housing crisis is much worse with 50 per cent more people on the social housing waiting list, more homelessness and renters under stress.

In March 2018 when then Premier Will Hodgman convened the summit to address the housing crisis after people were living in tents at the Glenorchy showgrounds, he said “no Tasmanians should be living in a tent, no Tasmanians should be without a home” and then Treasurer Peter Gutwein said “we simply need more houses”.

While Tenants’ Union principal solicitor Ben Bartl said seven years after the summit, “our housing crisis is worse”, Housing Minister Felix Ellis said the government was “pulling out all the stops to get homes built for Tasmanians”.

Ben Bartl principal solicitor Tenants Union of Tasmania. The Tenants Union of Tasmania are highlighting that Winter isn't great for those without a home. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Mr Bartl said almost five people have been added to the social housing wait list each and every week over the past seven years.

“It is astonishing that in the midst of a housing crisis the government has allowed investors to buy up rental stock and convert to short-stay accommodation,” he said.

“Tasmania has lost hundreds of long-term rental properties in just three years on the promise that new homes will be built.

“But even the government acknowledged last year that its fast track legislation had only seen six homes built.”

Mr Bartl said existing properties needed to be better used.

“Returning empty homes to the long-term rental market and banning investment properties from being used as short-stay accommodation are the quickest and cheapest way of increasing supply immediately,” he said.

Liberal MP Felix Ellis.

Mr Ellis pointed to initiatives to provide more housing including expanding the MyHome Shared Equity Program and plans to expand the urban growth boundaries to unlock land to build more than 10,000 homes.

“We have worked tirelessly to drive the delivery of key initiatives to unlock the dream of homeownership and put more roofs over the heads of Tasmanians who need them,” he said.

“We’re now 40 per cent of the way to reaching our target of 10,000 social and affordable homes by 2032.”

The Tenants’ Union data showed that in 2018, there were 3216 people on the social housing waiting list who were waiting on average 59.6 weeks for housing.

In January 2025, there were 4933 people on the waiting list, waiting 83.8 weeks.

It said the figures showed almost five people being added to the social housing wait list every week for the past seven years.

The median rent for a 3-bedroom house in the South was $352 a week, $268 in the North and $242 in the North-West.

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In December 2024 weekly rents had increased to $496 in the south, $438 in the North and $364 in the North-West.

The most recent data from the ABS in March 2023 found that Tasmania experienced a 45 per cent increase in homelessness form 1622 people to 2350 – the largest increase in homelessness in Australia between 2016-2021.

In January 2021, there were 317 entire properties being used as short stay in Hobart, 210 in Launceston and 48 in Burnie/Devonport.

In the past three years, the data showed the number of entire properties being used as short stay has increased by 205 (64 per cent) in Hobart, 214 (101 per cent) in Launceston and 50 (104 per cent) in Devonport/Burnie.

Originally published as Ben Bartl says seven years after housing summit more people waiting and rents higher