Joe's the average Tasmanian. He earns $43,521 a year and pays $200 in rent out of his weekly wage of $836.94.

Joe is sick of paying a landlord for a house he doesn't own, so he decides to buy his own property.

Real Estate Institute of Tasmania chief executive Mark Berry said Joe was in luck.

"Tasmania is the best-positioned state of all for first home buyers," he said.

"You've really got to consider your means. If you are working and have a stable job, look at your job and look at where you want to be in 10 years time.

"The first home buyers have been buying that $300,000 house, not in your Ravenswood suburbs, but your Bellerives and your Summerhills."

Joe is positive he wants to live in a house and he wants to live at Legana, one of the state's fastest-growing suburbs.

The median house price in the suburb is $310,000 and Joe wants to move in within the next two years.

Up Loans co-owner Kirsty Dunphey - who owned her first home at 20 - had a few words of wisdom for our Joe.

"I think the average Tasmanian can commit to putting aside savings consistently to buy a home," she said.

"Take it off your salary before you even see it. If you never see it, you'll never spend it.

"A really good rule of thumb is to save 10 per cent of the house price."

Joe is single with few expenses and is confident he can save the $298.07 a week necessary to buy his Legana palace within a couple of years.

Joe should be able to achieve his goal assuming that everything goes to plan - that he doesn't get sick or lose his job, doesn't travel overseas, his bills remain affordable and his rent remains stable.

Of course, not everyone is as lucky as the average Joe.

Shelter Tasmania represents the housing interests of people on low and moderate incomes.

The group is well-represented in the state: a third of Tasmania's residents rely on government benefits or pensions.

Shelter Tasmania executive officer Pattie Chugg said it was highly unlikely people in those groups would be able to save to buy a house.

Ms Chugg said by the time people paid their rent, few were left with the luxury of purchasing anything other than the essentials.

Even renting remains out of the reach of many.

The 2015 Anglicare Rental Affordability Snapshot revealed few affordable properties for low-income Tasmanians, including people earning minimum wage.

Research has shown that people in the lowest 40 per cent bracket of disposable household income experience the highest rates of housing stress and have the highest rates of defaulting on mortgage repayments.

"Low incomes are clearly a barrier to home ownership," Ms Chugg said.

"Banks choose not to lend to those without secure full-time work, and when interests rise, more people will face housing stress.

"As rents increase, it can take longer to save for a deposit, and statistics show that first home purchasers are older year by year."

Ms Chugg said finance was not the only barrier.

"Properties need to be located within reach of work, education, transport and services that meet the household needs and to have the right configurations to suit the people who might live or visit there, including access for those with disabilities," she said.

TasCOSS deputy chief executive Meg Webb agreed there were Tasmanians who would find it difficult to find appropriate and affordable housing, including people with a disability, people exiting institutions, people living with a serious mental illness, and women and children escaping domestic violence.

Ms Webb called on the federal government to drop the state's public housing debt to allow the Tasmanian government to invest further in affordable housing.

"Alternatively, the state government could decide to pay the loan amount from its general finances, rather than from Housing Tasmania's budget, and by doing so, allow public housing to benefit from the full Commonwealth annual funding," she said.

"Housing is fundamental to maintaining health, succeeding in education, getting and keeping a job and to being part of your community. Without an affordable, secure place to live, we know that people will struggle with these basics and will find it very difficult to make the most of opportunities."

The state government has policies in place to help low to moderate-income families purchase homes.

Streets Ahead provides financial and non-financial incentives to help people purchase a home, including deposit assistance of up to $6000 and mortgage insurance and legal costs of up to $500 apiece.

Another program, HomeShare, which was expanded last year, aims to reduce the initial cost of buying a home and the monthly repayments.

The state government's Director of Housing contributes up to 30 per cent and the purchaser owns up to 70 per cent with the expectation that the director's share is paid back within 30 years.

Department of Health and Human Services housing and disability reform chief executive Peter White said former Housing Tasmania properties for sale were available exclusively to participants of those programs for their first 30 days on the market.

He said proceeds from their sale was reinvested into upgrading the state's existing housing portfolio and building new supply better suited to current needs.

More than 115 households on low to moderate incomes had been supported into home ownership between July 1, 2014, and March 31, he said.

But back to our friend Joe.

Joe's colleague, Jill, earns the same amount as Joe and also wants to own a home, but she struggles to save.

Ms Dunphey conceded that saving for a home loan was unglamorous but encouraged people to be patient.

"It's difficult to be patient but banks want you to demonstrate patience."

Mr Berry said it was unreasonable to suggest everyone could own their own property.

"I'd suggest there'd be young people out there who will never have the drive or ambition to be dedicated enough to save and buy a house," he said.

"You still need a good job with a reasonable income to buy a house.

"A lot of people have the idea that buying a house is an Australian right. It's not necessarily a right to own a house and you need to plan from an early age.

"Home ownership may very well be out of your grasp."