14/08/2026
For you information / interest.
Across Tasmania, Homelessness Week 2026 brought together communities, services, advocates, decision-makers, and people with lived experience to raise awareness of homelessness and strengthen the call for lasting solutions.
Held from 3 - 9 August, Homelessness Week is a national campaign that highlights the experiences of people without a safe and secure home, the pressures facing the housing and homelessness system, and the action needed to ensure everyone has a place to live.
In Tasmania, it also provides an important opportunity to recognise the dedication and expertise of the sector workforce, who support those individuals and families experiencing homelessness and housing stress every day.
Shelter Tas was proud to once again support Homelessness Australia in this campaign and to coordinate the Tasmanian Homelessness Week program, working alongside the Tasmanian Homelessness Week Planning Group. Their commitment and collaboration helped deliver an impactful and diverse week of events across the state.
This year’s program reflected the strength and passion of Tasmania’s housing and homelessness sector in supporting their clients and communities. Events and activities included community morning teas, walks, barbecues, expos, information sessions, performances, online conversations, and other activities to raise awareness - all organised and hosted by services and community organisations from right across the State.
The Voices of Homelessness series - sharing personal stories of people who have lived experience of homelessness - was a powerful addition to this year’s program. These stories helped remind us that homelessness can happen to anyone, and that safe and affordable housing, timely support and community understanding can make a life-changing difference.
Once again, local buildings and landmarks were lit up in purple (the colour that traditionally represents homelessness) to raise awareness of the impacts of homelessness, and to promote discussion towards solutions to end it; and the North West Coast's giant penguin was again dressed in purple to mark the week.
Visit the Shelter Tas website for the full list of events, and to view the photo gallery with a fantastic selection of images from the week.
https://www.homestasmania.com.au/about-us/Publications/housing-dashboard
The Housing Dashboard has now been updated for June 2026, and is currently available on the Homes Tasmania website.
At the end of June, there were 5,655 applicants on the Housing Register - an increase of 9.5% in the past 12 months from 5,163 in 2025.
The Dashboard reports on Homes Tasmania’s performance, including the delivery of our commitments under the Tasmanian Housing Strategy Action Plan 2023–2027.
