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The group tasked with helping Tasmanians find emergency accommodation says over the past two weeks, it has found dwellings for some people who have been living in tents.
The state's housing crisis led to makeshift campsites cropping up, first at the Royal Hobart Showgrounds and then at a second site at Berriedale.
After an emergency summit, the Housing Connect group, which is made up of organisations that run Tasmania's social housing and homeless services — including Salvation Army, Hobart City Mission, Anglicare and Catholic Care and Colony 47 — were granted $500,000 by the State Government to ensure people can be provided with a roof over their heads.
Danny Sutton, the chief executive of charity Colony 47, urged private landlords to continue to work with the crisis team to help find solutions.
"This group has been working very heavily with clients on the ground, particularly at sites like the showgrounds and Berriedale, to provide those people with housing options," he said.
"In the last two weeks we've been able to secure… six properties."
He said eight people who were living in tents are now in safer, more sheltered accommodation.
"The majority of them are in short stay so this would be in cabin or other accommodation but of those numbers, probably around half that have sourced private rentals," he said.
Mr Sutton said there had been a good response from private landlords.
"If people do have properties available that they think would suit or be suitable for this purpose, we're very open to hear from them," he said.
This week the Glenorchy City Council evicted a group of homeless people who'd been camping at a former caravan park at Berriedale in Hobart's northern suburbs.
Two women were moved into cabins.
But one man didn't want to be separated from his dogs and set up camp at the Royal Hobart Showgrounds.
It has been estimated that about 10 homeless people are still at living in tents at the showgrounds.
Mr Sutton said Housing Connect is at the site every day doing what it can.
"We're working with clients, what we do is we go and talk to them about their needs. If they want an accommodation option then we respond to it," he said.
Government Minister Elise Archer said the Government's response included a range of strategies.
"There needs to be these short-term emergency measures that take place in the short-term before our long-term solution can kick in," she said.
Kym Goodes from the Tasmanian Council of Social Service (TasCoss) said her organisation will be holding the Government to account.
"To ensure that the $125 million dedicated during the election period to increase the (housing) supply goes where it needs to be and is prioritised for those people we know have the highest needs," she said.
She said other issues like increasing Centrelink payments need to be considered.
"Even if we were to increase supply at this point we've still priced people out of the market because their incomes have stayed so low."
The State Government said it plans to construct 1,600 new homes by the middle of next year as part of its affordable housing strategy.
Topics: housing, welfare, housing-industry, hobart-7000, glenorchy-7010, berriedale-7011, tas
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