Public housing is social housing that is owned and managed by the State government. It is generally accessed by people on low incomes and/or those with special needs, and aims to provide a choice of housing location, physical type and management arrangements.

Since 2013, under the Better Housing Futures Program (2013-2016) and now the Community Housing Growth Program (2021- ), the Tasmanian Government has pursued a policy of transferring public housing stock to Community Housing Providers.

The Tasmanian State Government currently provides 5,066 public housing properties, according to the latest data from the Report on Government Services 2025, which is less than half of all social housing.

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Tasmanians, State owned and managed Indigenous housing is also available. As at 30 June 2023, there were 164 State owned and managed Indigenous housing dwellings allocated to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tenants.