Key workers’ housing crisis

COVID-essential workers are facing a rental affordability crisis, with new figures showing rent on an apartment would cost at least one third of their weekly income across regional Victoria.
However, the situation for disability, aged care and childcare workers, hospitality staff and supermarket employees living on the Bellarine is even more difficult, with rent taking up to two thirds of their weekly pay.
National campaign against homelessness, Everybody’s Home, looked at the basic hourly wage of workers in disability support, aged care, childcare, hospitality and supermarkets, along with rental costs.
The research findings are being launched this week, marking national Homelessness Week.
Everybody’s Home reports aged care workers (Level 1) receive $21.62 an hour, disability support workers are paid $22.30, childcare workers $21.59, food and beverage hospitality workers (Level 2) $21.19, and supermarket retail employees $21.78.
The Bellarine’s average weekly rent on an apartment, according to the report, is $395 and higher than most areas of Melbourne and across the state.
Everybody’s Home national spokesperson, Kate Colvin, said Australia’s housing system wasn’t working for normal Australians.
“The pandemic has reminded us how critically important our carers and service workers are,” Ms
Colvin said.
“Yet these pandemic heroes are being badly let down by the housing system and are often priced out of the communities they serve.
“While eye-watering rents are worse in our major cities, essential workers are increasingly priced out of coastal and bush communities too.
“We must expand social and affordable housing; this will relieve the pressure on our rental market and give Australians on low and modest incomes more options.
“All over the country, our caring and service workers simply can’t compete for rental properties.
“Expecting an exhausted aged care or supermarket worker to commute 90 minutes to and from work just to afford the rent is totally unfair and unsustainable.”
Meanwhile, councils across the G21 region have or are in the process of finalising social housing strategies to address housing affordability.