Homelessness Support
The City of Launceston plays an active role in the support of people who are experiencing homelessness and sleeping rough in Launceston. This support is offered alongside service providers who are best placed to respond to needs of the community.
Reach Out for Assistance
If you are experiencing homelessness and looking for information about support services including accommodation, food, showers, health, help or emergency relief, please find more information below.
A copy of the Reach Out card can be downloaded via the button below or alternatively, you can collect the resources from City of Launceston Customer Service Centre at Town Hall, Civic Square.
Download the Reach Out for Assistance card(PDF, 594KB)
The card also features a handy map for the location of each service, 24-hour toilets and phone charging stations.
Housing Connect
Housing Connect is the entry point for assistance for people who are experiencing homelessness or are in housing need. Housing Connect provides support and assistance for people who need crisis accommodation through to a long-term home.
Housing Connect
Contact the City of Launceston
To let the City of Launceston know if you have concerns about people sleeping rough in Launceston you can use the following forms of contact:
Phone: (03) 6323 3000
Email: contactus@launceston.tas.gov.au
App: Snap Send Solve*
Online form: Report an Issue - City of Launceston
If you have any concerns of safety, please contact Tasmania Police. Tasmania Police can be contacted on 131 444 for non-urgent matters or 000 in an emergency.
* Snap Send Solve is a free application for smartphones that allows you to quickly report issues to Council. Your report is sent from the app using your email address so that the council can respond directly to you to solve the issue. To install, simply search for Snap Send Solve in Apple's app store, Google Play or visit the website.
Homelessness: Statement of Commitment
While homelessness has previously existed in Launceston, it has become more prominent due to a number of factors, such as rising living costs and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This has resulted in ongoing financial, social and housing challenges. We know that there are many factors for those being impacted by homelessness, which highlights the complex social challenge.
In response to these evolving circumstances, the City of Launceston has actively engaged in the space and sought to better understand the role Council can play alongside the other important contributions from essential service providers and tiers of government.
The Homelessness: Statement of Commitment has been developed following extensive consultation with service and support agencies, individuals experiencing homelessness, along with world leading research. The draft Statement of Commitment sets out the City of Launceston's vision for a unified and coordinated approach to address homelessness in Launceston.
View the Homelessness Statement of Commitment below or download a copy: Homelessness Statement of Commitment(PDF, 65MB).
Homelessness Advisory Committee
The Homelessness Advisory Committee aims to provide an intrinsic link between the Council and key stakeholders, and to provide advice and recommendations to the organisation on emerging issues and matters relating to homelessness in Launceston. The committee also allows for representation from neighbouring councils in order to support a regional approach to addressing homelessness.
I Am Somebody
Over the past four years, the City of Hobart have created a series of clips sharing the stories of people experiencing homelessness and housing stress in Tasmania. To hear their stories and find out more, simply click on the videos below.
To find out more or watch the full collection of stories, visit I Am Somebody - City of Hobart.
Homelessness - Frequently Asked Questions
Homelessness is difficult to define, howeverHomelessness Australiahave collated a series of definitions available via the link from organisations including the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Mackenzie and Chamberlain, the United Nations and FEANTS.
The causes of homelessness vary from person-to-person. The Australian Human Rights Commission provides a short list of causes that may lead to someone becoming homeless that can be read via the link.
In the 2023 State of the City report, a summary of homelessness in Launceston was included based on findings from the Australian Bureau of Statistics data from the Estimating Homelessness: Census, 2021 as well as the number of Customer Service Requests the City of Launceston receive in relation to sleeping rough.
To explore the data, visit the State of the City Launceston 2023 report, select the tab "Health and Wellbeing and select the topic "Homelessness".
If you would like to help, we invite you to please get in touch with an organisation that provides services to people experiencing homelessness. Below is a list of service providers in Launceston that work closely with the community.