Housing expert Ben Wilson has taken the helm of Homes Tasmania, bringing decades of experience to the state’s push to tackle its housing crisis.
Wilson, who previously led Centacare Evolve Housing, steps into the role as Chair as the authority works toward its target of 10,000 social and affordable homes by 2032.
Housing Minister Felix Ellis said Wilson has delivered “some of the largest social and affordable housing programs that Tasmania has ever seen”.
The appointment comes at a crucial time, with the latest figures showing 4,866 applicants on the housing waitlist – an increase of nearly 200 people since late 2023.
“We’ve got ambitious goals and we’ve got big targets,” Ellis said. “We’re on track, but we need to keep up the momentum to deliver for everyday Tasmanians.”
Homes Tasmania data to the end of 2024 shows 4,208 homes have been completed, with 64 delivered in December alone.
A further 566 dwellings are in the pipeline, while 5,226 more are in the planning stages.
“One of the aspects I’m really looking forward to is bringing industry closer to the work that Homes Tasmania want to do,” Wilson said.
“It’s very, very clear that you can’t do and you can’t solve a problem on your own and the establishment of Homes Tasmania was very much around bringing industry together … to try and address the housing crisis.”
