Anglicare Australia’s recent Rental Affordability Snapshot – Essential Workers Report has revealed that nurses and aged care workers are among the essential workers most affected by Australia’s worsening rental crisis. 

After surveying 50,000 rental properties across the country and testing them against sixteen essential worker categories, the report found that nurses and aged care workers could only afford less than 2% of available properties. 

2025 Snapshot findings 

Anglicare Australia has tracked rental affordability across Australia yearly since 2010, and, starting in 2023, additionally began publishing annual reports specifically on essential workers. 

The results of both the 2025 Rental Affordability Snapshot – National Report and the 2025 Rental Affordability Snapshot – Essential Workers Report paint a bleak picture: rental housing is becoming increasingly unattainable, even for jobs once considered secure and relatively well-paid. Without urgent government intervention, many will struggle with increasing financial hardship and rising poverty levels. 

Essential workers, including nurses, midwives and care workers, are a vital part of communities across Australia. Yet, as NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association General Secretary Shaye Candish recently stated, “nurses and midwives are feeling the cost-of-living pinch in this current economic climate.” 

“Their struggles to find affordable, and secure housing in reasonable proximity to their workplace has a significant impact on their mental health, leading to financial and emotional stress,” Ms Candish said. 

The report also challenged the assumption that those struggling in a capital city in Australia can relocate to a regional area for financial relief. Limited housing supply in rural and regional areas has made it difficult for nurses and midwives to find suitable accommodation, impacting the delivery of health services.  

What this means for nurses and care workers 

Ms Candish stated that rental affordability was an “ongoing concern”, especially since NSW nurses are among the lowest paid in the country. 

For an aged care worker, only 1.7% of the listed rental properties surveyed were affordable and appropriate. 

For nurses, only 1.55%. 

Anglicare Australia’s executive director, Kasy Chambers, called the lack of affordable housing for essential workers a “national disgrace”. 

“These results show that the housing crisis is now hurting the people who hold our communities together,” she said. 

Tana Shelford, a nurse from New Zealand, recently spoke of her experience relocating to the Riverina region in NSW to work and eventually moving her entire family over. 

Ms Shelford was provided with short-term accommodation by her employer but had to work fast to secure her own rental before her family joined her in Wagga Wagga. 

“It was very overwhelming,” said Ms Shelford. 

“I was not only stressed from work, but I was stressed from finding a home. 

“Within a short amount of time, I applied for about 15 to 20 properties…[I]’ve come across a few other staff a well that I’ve met with along the way that have also faced the same challenges as me.” 

At the time of the previous Rental Affordability Snapshot – Essential Workers Report, rental prices were growing at twice the rate of wages. While recent signs suggest this trend may be slowing, this has not resulted in an improvement in affordability. Eight of the 16 essential care categories profiled in the report saw no change or even a decline in affordability, while the remaining eight only saw marginal increases.

What needs to be done  

According to the report, tax reform is essential to improve housing affordability. Current concessions such as negative gearing and capital gains taxes favour private investors, increasing the gap between essential workers’ wages and housing costs. 

The report also called for stronger government leadership to prioritise the building and funding of affordable homes. Housing supply continues to be a growing concern, and according to the Anglicare Australia report, at least 25,000 new public and community homes must be built every year for the next two decades to close the shortfall and provide all Australians real housing options. The current rate of completion is only adding 3000 to supply.  

Additionally, wage growth has been struggling to keep up with living standards. For example, even with the recent historic pay increase for aged care workers coming into effect, their rental affordability has barely shifted. 

Ultimately, all essential workers, including nurses, midwives and care workers, must be supported with affordable, secure housing options close to where they work. Without it, the wellbeing of our communities and sustainability of our healthcare system are at risk.