Many NSW nurses and midwives are struggling to find affordable and secure housing. A lack of affordable, secure housing is an issue for three-quarters of nurses and midwives in NSW, a union survey suggests. More than 3000 nurses and midwives responded to the NSWNMA’s 2023 housing affordability survey.

Seventy-six per cent of respondents said a lack of affordable and secure housing was an issue for them. Slightly more than half the respondents said they either did not have a steady place to live (6 per cent) or that they were insecure in their current accommodation (47 per cent). This is the third in a series of union surveys that confirm housing affordability is a major concern for NSWNMA members.

The survey shows the problem is more common in metropolitan areas than non-metropolitan areas. Rents in Sydney are the highest in Australia – median weekly rent is currently $700 for a house and $670 for a unit. The median house price in metropolitan Sydney is $1.3 million and for units it is $820,000. By comparison, base weekly salaries, not including shift penalties, are just over $1000 for an AiN, $1300 for an EN, and $1800 for an RN Year 8 and thereafter.

Rental stress widespread

Thirty-seven per cent of respondents to the NSWNMA survey were paying a mortgage or owned their home outright. Half of respondents were renters and about two-thirds of them said they were experiencing “rental stress”. Rental stress is defined as spending more than 30 per cent of income on rent and having difficulty meeting other expenses. The survey invited respondents to describe the impact rental stress has on them and their families. Most described struggling to pay for essentials like food and energy. Several single parents said they had to resign from roles that allowed them to meet caring responsibilities in order to access more lucrative penalty rates. Many respondents indicated they take on as much overtime as they can get, to meet their financial obligations. But the overwork impacts their mental health and relationships. A number of respondents described having to skip meals so they could feed their children, and being unable to pay for fuel to drive to work or to spend time with relatives. Older nurses described feeling panicked about getting to the end of their working lives without stable accommodation.

Proximity to work

Ninety per cent of respondents said they want to live near their workplace and that access to affordable housing influences their employment decisions. Thirty per cent had previously left employment to access more affordable housing. Understandably, proximity to work is particularly relevant to nurses and midwives, whose work patterns often include shift work and the need to cover overtime and emergencies. The survey indicates more than 80 per cent of nurses and midwives drive to work and more than 30 per cent of respondents live 20 kilometres or more from their workplaces.