At a Q and A lunch with the Tasmanian Council of Social Service (TasCOSS) and Anglicare Tasmania, Mr Rockliff committed to implementing "five-year funding contracts for community services organisations across the entire industry" as well as "develop a national community services industry category".

He also promised to "develop a 'fair and reasonable' funding model which will take into account the increased cost of doing business and locks in future funding sustainability".

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Speaking ahead of the lunch, Anglicare's housing and community service general manager, Noel Mundy, was keen to ensure an increase in financial aid from the state for the social services sector.

"We're at a time when there's chronic shortages in housing and there are more and more people suffering from mental health or other challenges in their life," he said.

"As a sector, our costs for service delivery are increasing so rapidly, whether that be wages, or in some of our services where we provide food, or just being able to go out and visit people in their homes.

Mr Mundy described the situation that organisations like Anglicare are in as "extremely dire". He said, "We're all looking at how we can cut costs and, unfortunately, your biggest cost is staffing."

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Jeffrey Ryan is working his first paid job in 17 years in community services after it helped him overcome a life-long alcohol dependency, and he is worried about the current lack of funding.

"I'm working at the rehab where I essentially did most of my recovery and on the ground I've noticed that we've been told you can't do overtime, the bucket's empty," he said.

"I'm seeing resources stretched to the limit and I'm just concerned that, we've got some great services in place and we need to support them to keep going and fund them sufficiently so they can keep providing essential services."

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