Tasmanian households renting public and community housing increased by a net 517 between 2016 and 2021, not nearly enough to cope with a surge in demand.
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Tenant advocacy organisation Better Renting analysed data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 census.
It showed Tasmania had 462 fewer households renting public housing properties than in 2016, but community housing rental households increased by 979, for a net increase of 517.
Better Renting said the number of renters in public housing nationally had fallen dramatically, by more than 25,000 between the censuses.
Some jurisdictions, including Tasmania, had offset that by increasing community housing (operated by non-government organisations as opposed to owned and operated by government).
The 2.8 million rental households nationally had increased by nearly 280,000 since the last census, while 26.4 per cent of Tasmanian households were renting in 2021.
Better Renting executive director Joel Dignam said the figures showed more action to support renters having stable and affordable homes was needed, while the drop-off in public housing was concerning.
"At a time when the for-profit housing market is failing our community, there is more need than ever for government to take responsibility to provide affordable homes for people on low incomes," he said.
"Yet these figures show that governments aren't even providing enough public housing to keep up with population growth, let alone an increase in public housing to meet the urgent need for people who are currently couch surfing, sleeping in their cars or skipping meals to pay the rent."
State Shadow Housing Minister Ella Haddad on June 20 said Tasmanians were facing an unprecedented struggle to get a roof over their heads.
"There was not enough in the recent state budget to address the lack of affordable and social housing, despite big promises by the government," Ms Haddad said.
"Almost 4400 families are languishing on the public housing waiting list and the average time to house even the most urgent of them has now blown out to an astonishing 90 weeks."
There were 3425 applications for social housing on the state housing register in July 2020.
That grew to 4431 by May this year.
Housing Minister Guy Barnett on June 22 said the state government recognised "the housing struggles facing Tasmanians and is responding with a massive 10-year, $1.5 billion housing package - the largest housing investment in the state's history - to build on our existing reforms and take further action to provide even more affordable accommodation".
"This will deliver 10,000 new affordable homes and accommodation over the next decade to meet the diverse housing needs of Tasmanians, including youth, the elderly, those living with a disability, men, women and families."
Meanwhile, the ABS estimated state population increased by 4270 people (0.8 per cent) in the year to December 31.
That took population to 569,827.
The census counted 558,000 people who said Tasmania was their usual home, up from 510,000 in 2016.
The ABS said 309,000 of the people (nearly two thirds) lived outside of Greater Hobart.
Mr Barnett said the December data showed Tasmania's population was booming and the 0.8 per cent growth rate was the nation's third strongest.
"When we came to government, Tasmania had one of the lowest growth rates in Australia, thanks to the disastrous economic management of the former Labor-Green government," Mr Barnett said.
"We committed to reversing that decline, setting a bold and ambitious target to increase the state's population to 650,000 by 2050, and it is clear that our plan is working with an increase of 56,100 persons since March 2014."