Community Precinct
Transforming Community in the Heart of Launceston
The proposed Launceston Community Precinct at 48 Frederick Street is a bold new initiative bringing together affordable housing, health services, and community support in one integrated, purpose-built hub - a place designed to strengthen connection, wellbeing, and opportunity for all.
About the Precinct
The Precinct will:
Provide 48 new units of affordable independent living accommodation.
Be home to a purpose-built, nurse-practitioner-led health clinic supported by volunteers and pro-bono clinicians, improving physical and mental health outcomes while reducing demand on emergency departments.
Create a hub of co-located services, making it easier for people to navigate support, receive warm referrals, and avoid falling through the cracks of the system.
Feature welcoming public spaces, including retail and a café, where people of all walks of life can come together in dignity and community.
Increase City Mission’s capacity to serve more than the 500 people already supported weekly through its current facilities.
This integrated approach ensures that residents and visitors can access multiple supports in one location, improving outcomes and reducing the risk of people being lost in the system.
The Need for the Precinct
Tasmania is facing mounting community and housing pressures. Rising living costs have pushed thousands into financial stress, and food insecurity has escalated rapidly with more than one third of Tasmanians now affected.
At City Mission we have seen more than 2,500 people seeking food and financial relief locally - over 500 of whom are experiencing homelessness.
Housing pressures continue to deepen, with over 5,000 households on the social housing waitlist and vacancy rates in Launceston as low as 0.5 per cent. Affordable rentals remain out of reach for many, including pensioners, single parents and people on low incomes.
These factors are driving poorer health outcomes, increased hospital presentations and disengagement from preventative care, highlighting the urgent need for coordinated, community-based responses.
We are facing a crisis - housing, cost of living, health. Across our state, housing insecurity, food stress, and health disadvantage are no longer isolated issues. They are interconnected challenges affecting thousands of individuals and families—many of whom are struggling just to meet their basic needs.
Collaborative Model
The central location will allow people to connect more easily with integrated housing, health, and support. The model is based on simplicity: one welcoming place where people can access safe housing, healthcare, food, case management, and social connection - without being bounced between multiple agencies.
The Precinct also includes innovation and training spaces, enabling service providers, government and regional stakeholders to come together, share knowledge, and co-design new approaches to meeting community needs.
Regional Strategies
The project aligns with the Launceston Housing Plan (2025 - 2040), Launceston City Deal (2017 - 2027) and City Heart Project, all of which prioritise in-fill housing and adaptive reuse of heritage sites.
The Northern Tasmania Development Corporation (NTDC) lists the Launceston Community Precinct as a Regional Priority Project, recognising its importance for social outcomes and community resilience.
Sustainable and Inclusive Design
The Precinct has been designed to be sustainable, inclusive, and respectful of place. The project will be delivered with respect for Launceston’s heritage and cultural values, integrating sensitively with surrounding properties while being guided by trauma-informed and biophilic design principles. It will also ensure inclusion for groups most at risk of disadvantage.
The goal is to create a space that feels safe, welcoming, and connected to Launceston’s identity. Universal design ensures full accessibility, with step-free access, lifts, inclusive facilities, and community spaces that foster connection and belonging.
Economic Benefits
The Precinct will deliver significant economic benefits for Northern Tasmania, both during construction and on an ongoing basis.
The build is expected to provide 56 direct local jobs per year, generating $19.01 million in value added, and supporting 142 local jobs annually over the 18-month construction period.
Once operational, the Precinct will sustain around 118 direct local jobs per year, while also creating measurable social and economic value.
The housing component alone is estimated to save more than $675,000 annually - equivalent to $15,000 per person housed - by reducing pressure on crisis accommodation, health services, and the broader community.
Consultation
City Mission has been actively connecting with a wide range of stakeholders in the development of the Community Precinct proposal. Conversations have taken place with immediate neighbours, service partners, staff, the City of Launceston, State Government representatives, and other community organisations.
City Mission is also working with a team of highly regarded Tasmanian partners on the proposed Precinct, including Commercial Project Delivery, Philp Lighton Architects, Vos Constructions and Loreto Community Housing, ensuring the project design and delivery reflect the highest standards of quality, collaboration and community focus.
These discussions have provided valuable feedback on local needs, design considerations, and opportunities for collaboration. City Mission is committed to ensuring transparency and building trust throughout the process, and further engagement will continue as the project progresses.
“The proposed Community Precinct at 48 Frederick Street will transform the way people access support in Launceston. For those experiencing hardship and disadvantage, navigating services can be confusing and overwhelming. By bringing 48 new housing units, our purpose-built health clinic, and a hub of support services together under one roof, we can make sure people don’t fall through the cracks. This is about giving people a safe home, improving their health and wellbeing, and building a stronger, more connected community for us all.”
Dr Jo Fearman
CEO - City Mission
Frequently Asked Questions
These FAQs provide clear and factual information about key aspects of the Precinct.
They address general project details, housing and service arrangements, expected community benefits, the consultation and engagement process, our commitments to sustainability and inclusive design, and the project’s economic impact.
These FAQs are intended to give the Launceston community a transparent overview of how the project is being planned and delivered. If you have any other questions or feedback, please contact us below.
Contact Us
We welcome your questions, ideas and feedback about the Precinct.
Whether you’re a community member, local business, potential partner or simply curious to learn more, we’d love to hear from you.
Your insights and involvement will help ensure this project reflects the needs, values and aspirations of the Launceston community.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out — our team is here to listen, share information and support your connection to this exciting city-shaping initiative.