The federal government gave Tasmania priority access to the National Housing Finance Investment Corporation and did not offer to wipe the housing debt - but the program could result in the state being further in debt.

Mr Jaensch met with the corporation following last month's housing forum, and his focus remained on getting a commitment to remove the debt so Tasmania could start building more houses.

MORE ON TASMANIA'S HISTORIC PUBLIC HOUSING DEBT:

He said the NHFIC could play some part in helping to add houses, but it was not the complete solution.

"It's the sort of thing that can help us to finance the early stages of development of the land," Mr Jaensch said.

"It is a low-interest financing program as well, which again is a form of debt, so it has a place in this as a part of our financing arrangement, but it's not an immediate solution and we can build it into our programs long-term.

"It's shown us more options for how we might finance some of our larger residential developments that we're undertaking to get infrastructure built earlier, so faster than we would have been able to ourselves."

The state's $157 million debt stems from a loan partnering scheme with the Commonwealth which assisted public housing in the 1970s and 80s.

The Tasmanian government pays $15 million per year on its housing debt - half is the principle, the other half is interest on the debt. That same funding could instead build 50 houses per year.

It could take until 2042 to completely repay.

More than 3000 people remain on the public housing waiting list in Tasmania, but Mr Jaensch said that figure had started to "plateau" rather than increase.

The NHFIC was established last year as part of the federal government's response to improve housing affordability.