Affordable housing shortage near hospitals could push Melbourne nurses to fringe, regions

Melbourne’s housing affordability woes could soon lead to experienced nurses eschewing city hospitals in favour of those with cheaper homes nearby.

Nathan Mawby

@mrmawby

2 min read

November 10, 2022 - 12:00PM

News Corp Australia Network

Victorian healthcare workers could soon be chasing their home dream away from major metropolitan hospitals.

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Melbourne hospitals could soon be another casualty of the city’s housing affordability crisis.

With healthcare and emergency workers, particularly nurses, among the Victorians already struggling to find houses to rent or buy near major hospitals an economist has warned more experienced workers could leave inner-city jobs in favour of regional and metropolitan-fringe areas with cheaper houses as they look to start families.

PropTrack figures show the best option for a house within 5km of Box Hill Hospital is Forest Hill, where a $1.18m median-priced house costs 16.5 times the state’s typical $71,592 wage.

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Those working at the Royal Melbourne, Royal Women’s and Royal Children’s hospitals will be paying 14 times an average income to buy a $1.01m Footscray house.

Meanwhile it only takes 8.6 times Victoria’s typical wage to buy a $615,000 median-priced house in Doveton near Dandenong Hospital, with similar figures for suburbs near Sunshine and Werribee Mercy hospitals.

Affordable home prices could entice staff to Werribee Mercy hospital. Picture: Josie Hayden.

Regionally, Shepparton, Mildura and Bendigo all have significant medical infrastructure and houses for under $500,000.

PropTrack economist Paul Ryan said it seemed a “reasonable causation that it will be harder to retain workers where affordability is compromised”.

“To continue working in the same city hospital could be unreasonable, that’s absolutely a possibility,” Mr Ryan said.

“And as cities grow this will become a bigger problem.”

With many emergency and healthcare workers effectively employed by the government, relocating to regional areas for lower housings costs was potentially very feasible, he added.

There are no suburbs with a median house price below $1m within 5km of Box Hill. Picture: Ian Currie.

HOSPITAL HOUSING COSTS

Austin Hospital and Mercy Hospital for Women

Heidelberg West – $850,000 (11.9 times average wage)

Bendigo Health

Long Gully – $440,000 (6.15 times average wage)

Box Hill Hospital

Forest Hill – $1.18m (16.5 times average wage)

Dandenong Hospital

Doveton – $615,000 (8.6 times average wage)

Footscray Hospital

Braybrook – $794,000 (11.1 times average wage)

Geelong Private Hospital

Whittington – $545,000 (7.6 times average wage)

Goulburn Valley Health

Shepparton – $420,000 (5.9 times average wage)

Mildura Base Public Hospital could connect nurses with some of the state’s more affordable homes without giving up the lifestyle appeal of being in or near a substantial city.

Mildura Base Public Hospital

Mildura – $420,000 (5.9 times average wage)

Monash Health and Monash Medical Centre (Clayton)

Springvale – $856,500 (12 times average wage)

Royal Melbourne, Royal Women’s and Royal Children’s hospitals

Footscray – $1.01m (14.1 times average wage)

St Vincent’s Hospital (Melbourne)

Kensington – $1,197,500 (16.7 times average wage)

Werribee Mercy Hospital

Werribee – $615,000 (8.6 times average wage)

*Figures based on $71,592 average wage, most affordable median price within 5km of hospital

Source: PropTrack