Tasmanian community service organisations are pushing for a levy on vacant homes, which they say will help ease the state's housing crisis.

Twelve organisations — Anglicare, Community Legal Centres Tasmania, the Council on the Ageing, Hobartians Facing Homelessness, JusTas, Shelter Tasmania, the Tasmanian Council of Social Service, Tasmanian University Student Association, Tenants' Union of Tasmania, Women's Legal Service, Youth Network of Tasmania and the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre — have written to Premier Jeremy Rockliff asking for more action to address the housing crisis in the short term.

The Tasmanian government has promised to build or acquire 10,000 social and affordable homes by 2032, but Tenants' Union principal solicitor Ben Bartl said that would not solve the crisis for people struggling to pay rent, or who are homeless, now.

"We need to maximise the existing supply because it's the quickest way to get roofs over people's heads … the easiest way to do that is to encourage investors to make their empty properties available to long-term renters now."

Mr Bartl said TasWater data showed there were 2,700 empty homes in the Hobart, Glenorchy and Launceston council areas in 2021.

These homes were not shacks (holiday homes) or short-stay accommodation.

Mr Bartl said a levy on empty homes was "not a radical idea" that would increase rental supply and put downward pressure on rents.

Mr Bartl said some cities — such as Vancouver in Canada and Melbourne in Australia — had also introduced a levy on vacant homes.

"In Vancouver, the empty homes levy has seen a 36 per cent reduction in the number of empty homes across that jurisdiction and more than $100 million raised for affordable housing," he said.

"We're calling on the [Tasmanian] government to include it in its mix of programs to ensure that there are more properties available to people."