The summit was called by Housing Minister Roger Jaensch to help address a lack of long-term rental stock and available houses in the state.

Since then, the extent of our shortage has been revealed - to plug a hole in the housing crisis we would need to construct a town the size of Ulverstone.

The housing crisis in Tasmania is a complex one to fix and has been attributed to a number of factors: strong population growth and increase in houses listed as short-stay accommodation.

University of Tasmania Institute for the Study of Social Change director Dr Richard Eccleston said the housing and private rental markets are just as tough as they were 12 months ago because the pressures have not gone away.

Have your say on Tasmania's housing challenge: write a letter to the editor

"Addressing the housing challenges is going to be one of the major issues for the state government, not only for the next two or three years until the next state election, but really for governments over the next 10 years," Dr Eccleston said.

"It's quite likely they will have to increase investment in social and community housing and affordable housing, and also address the barriers to increasing private investment in new housing in Tasmania."

"From a political perspective, the government talks about the housing crisis as a statewide issue. It's true that the most acute pressures have been in greater Hobart but the demand and cost of housing are increasing in Launceston.

It is clear that Tasmania's stronger economic status and business confidence have resulted in the island state becoming a positive prospect for people looking to leave the bustle of city life behind.

However, it has come with unprecedented challenges as our housing market strains to keep up with the sustained and increased demand.

It is clear that there will not be a silver bullet solution to this issue, it is one that will haunt Tasmania for the next decade.

Short-term strategies are key, but to turn the tide on this issue long-term investment is not only needed but required.

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