Tasmania is the midst of a housing crisis, with record levels of rental stress and rates of homelessness rising across the state. While the government has committed to delivering 10,000 social and affordable dwellings by 2032, it is critical that initiatives meet the needs of all Tasmanians including women and children.

Through applying a gender lens on the Tasmanian housing crisis for the first time this report provides recommendations for the government to ensure its 20-year Tasmanian housing strategy doesn’t leave women and children behind.

This report finds that women and children are bearing the brunt of Tasmania’s housing crisis:

• The rate of homelessness amongst Tasmanian women increased by 50 per cent between 2016 and 2021.
• Tasmania had over 6 times the national rate of women being turned away from crisis accommodation in 2021-22.
• An estimated 933 Tasmanian women are returning to a violent partner or entering homelessness after experiencing family violence each year due to a lack of housing.
• Adult women under the age of 50 are particularly vulnerable, with only 4 per cent having their long-term housing needs met compared to 18 per cent of women aged over 50 years of age.