A report prepared for HOPE Housing
Authors: Dr Catherine Gilbert, Dr Zahra Nasreen and Professor Nicole Gurran
Essential workers (also called ‘key’ or ‘frontline’ workers) perform critical public services across healthcare, education, policing, emergency services, transport and community welfare support. However, with low and moderate incomes, essential workers are struggling to attain suitable housing in expensive housing market areas. Following a period of significant housing market change, this report, developed with HOPE Housing, looks at contemporary geographic patterns of housing affordability for essential workers across Sydney, Melbourne and select regional cities and coastal areas. It also tracks how the location, tenure, affordability and suitability of essential workers’ housing has changed in the last five to ten years.