As part of Anti-Poverty Week, Anglicare Australia has released an updated report showing that essential workers—those we rely on every day—are being priced out of the rental market across the country.

The Rental Affordability Snapshot: Essential Workers Edition surveyed over 51,000 rental listings and compared them to the wages of sixteen key occupations. The findings are stark: only a tiny fraction of rentals are affordable for workers like nurses, aged care staff, and early childhood educators. In some regions, affordability has worsened dramatically, leaving workers with few or no options.

The report found that:

• 1,117 rentals (2.3%) were affordable for an ambulance officer
• 850 rentals (1.7%) were affordable for an aged care worker
• 754 rentals (1.5%) were affordable for a nurse
• 417 rentals (0.8%) were affordable for an early childhood educator
• 575 rentals (1.1%) were affordable for a construction worker
• 417 rentals (0.8%) were affordable for a hospitality worker.

“This is a national disgrace,” said Anglicare Australia Executive Director Kasy Chambers. “If essential workers can’t afford to live where they work, our schools, hospitals, and aged care homes will struggle to keep running.”

The report calls for urgent action, including tax reform, stronger renter protections, and the construction of at least 25,000 new public and community homes each year.

Click to read the FULL REPORT.