Registered nurse Colleen Clark says the experience of trying to find a rental in the rural town of Theodore leaves her feeling "hopeless and undervalued".
"We don't have any [options]. We're out in the street. Basically, we're homeless," she said.
Ms Clark has lived in Theodore, about 200 kilometres south-west of Rockhampton, for the past year and has a permanent full-time job at the local hospital.
According to the Real Estate Institute of Queensland's latest quarterly report, the region is among the state's most difficult places to find a rental, with a vacancy rate of 0.7 per cent.
Ms Clark was given notice months ago that the rental she lived in with her partner would be put on the market to sell, but despite the couple's exhaustive efforts, they have not been able to find another in town.
She had until next week to move out and did not know where to turn to next.
"I just don't understand it," Ms Clark said.
"We are having trouble getting [healthcare] staff and keeping staff here.
"I would have thought that me being an essential worker … I would have had that little bit more help."
A Queensland Health spokesperson acknowledged that worker shortages were the greatest obstacle to sustaining regional, rural and remote health services.
The spokesperson said support and incentives were offered to staff if they relocated to a rural or remote area.
Ms Clark was already living rural and wanted to stay but said it was becoming near impossible.
"You've got someone like me, who's permanent … happy to stay here, who's got the skill and ability, but they're not willing to help me," she said.
"I've gone through the chain of command at work. Any house that's become available here in Theodore, I've been onto it straightaway.
"I've written to politicians … I've exhausted all avenues."
Ms Clark has her eye on a few rentals in the nearby town of Moura, a 30-minute drive away, but was not sure what she would do if that did not work out.
'Critical issue' for health services
The rental crisis was having an impact on the delivery of health services, according to Queensland Nurses and Midwifery Union (QNMU) secretary Beth Mohle.
"It's a critical issue and we really need to actually have government turn their attention to this," she said.
"For core workers like nurses, midwives, teachers, police … they are people who are really needed in regional and rural areas.
"We need to make sure they've got the housing stock that will attract them to those areas."
Queensland Health offering incentives
A Queensland Health spokesperson said regional areas were actively recruiting critical health staff and "free or subsidised accommodation assistance may be provided as an incentive to attract new employees to a particular centre or facility".
"Healthcare workers choosing to make rural and remote Queensland their home will be supported by a $115 million injection into the delivery of staff accommodation," they said.
State Health Minister Y'vette D'Ath said the government was building more accommodation to try and combat the issue.
"We are looking at where we can build additional accommodation and these are conversations we're having with the Minister for Housing, and we're working with public works as well."
Regional Qld 'most expensive'
Queensland Council of Social Services chief executive Aimee McVeigh said regional Queensland had become the most expensive part of Australia to live.
"If frontline workers can't find houses in local communities, that means you're not going to have an adequate supply of disability support workers, nurses, teachers," she said.
Ms McVeigh said the government needed to do more to work with the private sector to accelerate the supply of affordable housing.
"Government must intervene … we need a plan that looks at the housing needs across the state, not just social housing, but also affordable rental properties, and a strategy to make sure that across the next decade we are setting our state up to have enough housing."
Housing a big challenge
Deputy Premier Steven Miles said housing supply was one of the biggest challenges facing Queensland.
He said the government was taking action to improve supply, security, affordability and diversity, following a recent housing summit.
"From more support to stem the pipeline of people at risk of homelessness, to reforms to get new housing built faster, we have acted swiftly and decisively to address these challenges," Mr Miles said.
"Reaching vulnerable Queenslanders before they get to this point is also critical, and with low vacancy rates and rising rents putting tenants under more pressure than ever before, we announced $21.7 million in extra support for those struggling to find a home in the private rental market, or who cannot afford to pay their rent."
