The Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute report warns of return to housing stress

Housing Minister Roger Jaensch said the government was taking significant steps to increase affordable housing and combat homelessness in the wake of a damning report.

• Rent pressures return as COVID support cut back
• Tasmania housing affordability hits new lows in pandemic

THE State Government has highlighted its efforts on affordable housing ahead of the release of a report on housing stress.

As reported by the Sunday Tasmanian, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute report, released on Monday, warns Tasmania is on the cusp of returning to pre-COVID levels of housing stress as government income protections are wound back.

The discussion paper found international students in Tasmania were facing severe housing stress as a result of COVID-19 and their ineligibility for income protection payments like JobKeeper.

Young people, women, people with disability and older people with health problems also faced housing insecurity.

Minister for planning Roger Jaensch. Picture: Zak Simmonds

Housing Minister Roger Jaensch said the government was taking significant steps to increase affordable housing and combat homelessness.

“Our $4.3 million housing and homelessness support package continues to provide additional homelessness support through expanded 24-hour Safe Spaces in Hobart, Launceston and Burnie, as well as uncapped emergency accommodation brokerage and wrap around support services,” Mr Jaensch said.

“At the same time, we are working to deliver hundreds of new social homes under our Affordable Housing Strategy and the government recently advertised an EOI to deliver up to 1000 new social housing dwellings over the next three years under our Community Housing Growth Program.”