Florida Housing Market Too Expensive for Health Care Workers

A new study shows that real estate is pricing out health care workers, with the Southwest Florida housing market ranked high on the list.

A shortage of health care workers can be a scary situation. Those who work at Lee Memorial Hospital say they are picking up extra shifts and working long hours. Officials with Lee Memorial say it hasn’t hit crisis level - but there are currently hundreds of job openings.

Connie Ashman, for example, is under unbelievable pressure. She is moving away from Southwest Florida - but not because she wants to. She just can’t afford her Florida mortgage payments any longer.

“I’m tired of living from paycheck to paycheck,” said Ashman. “I love my job here. That’s what makes it so hard.”

Connie moved here two-and-a-half years ago to be a medical assistant. But since then, housing costs in Lee County have exploded and now she can’t afford to live in the area anymore.

“It seems like an awful lot to pay for sunshine,” said Ashman.

Ashman is just one of many health care professionals running from the high cost of living in Southwest Florida.

“So many people did leave the area in the past year and we’re still trying to backfill for those individuals,” said Lee Memorial Spokesman Mike Polito.

Lee Memorial Health System is currently short about 700 employees. Polito says the big problem is most of their employees can’t afford to live near where they work.

A new study by the National Housing Conference says the median home price in Lee County is $260,000 - meaning someone would need an annual income of about $89,000 to afford a home.

The average registered nurse makes about $56,000, while the average nursing aid makes about $24,000. Affordable housing plans are needed to take care of these important workers.

“It could affect the quality of care. We keep a real close eye on that to make sure it doesn’t. But that’s always a concern,” said Polito.

He says that someone needs to cover the empty shifts and someone needs to see to the patients.

“People get overworked - plain and simple,” said Polito.

Ashman explained she is often called in on her days off. But she says she does what she has to.

“I would stay here. In a heartbeat I would stay here,” said Ashman.

But she says she has no other option.

According to the study, the Naples housing market is in even worse shape. The average income someone needs to buy a house in Naples is about $125,000 a year and the average nurse there makes about $55,000.