Shelter Tasmania

26/05/2026

Do you have lived experience of homelessness or experience working in the homelessness sector? Here is a great employment opportunity and a chance to be involved with the upcoming 2026 Census – Australia on 11 August.

We’re looking for people with experience working in the homelessness sector or with lived experience with homelessness, to be a Community Field Officer.

You’ll assist diverse population groups including people experiencing homelessness to be counted in the Census.

Find out more and apply now at census.abs.gov.au/jobs

22/05/2026

“We welcome continued investment in social and affordable housing in today’s State Budget, with a commitment of $900m over four years. In such a tight fiscal position, it is essential that no housing and homelessness services are cut. We are relieved to see the Tasmanian Government identify the State’s dire housing situation as an area of high priority that cannot afford any reduction.” Shelter Tas CEO, Pattie Chugg.

Yesterday, Treasurer, the Hon Eric Abetz MP, handed down the 2026/27 Tasmanian Budget. While it was pleasing to see some of our member services receive additional funds, it is essential that there is sustained and targeted investment for the sector into the future.

🏡 Read Shelter Tas' full Budget response here:

13/05/2026

Thanks to National Shelter for the informative summary of relevant housing and reform announcements in last night's Federal Budget. You can read all the details here -

The Federal Government’s announced reforms to Capital Gains Tax and negative gearing represent the most significant shift in housing policy in a generation, helping to rebalance incentives toward new supply while maintaining stability for existing investors and first homebuyers. From 1 July 2027, ...

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 [email protected]

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 [email protected].

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 [email protected] if you'd like more information on this series, or other workforce development sessions we offer.

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!