The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that from 2014-2024, employment in healthcare occupations is projected to grow by 19 percent and add about 2.3 million jobs. Yet, these workers often do not earn enough to live in communities they serve.
Today the National Housing Conference (NHC), a national nonprofit dedicated to educating decision makers and the public about federal, state and local affordable housing policies, released its “Paycheck to Paycheck 2017” report and database exploring the costs of renting and homeownership for workers in 83 occupations in 203 metro areas nationwide.
The report, which focuses on the affordability challenges faced by healthcare workers, highlights five fast growing healthcare occupations: dental assistant, emergency medical technician, home health aide, licensed practical nurse and physical therapy aide.
Report findings include:
- For workers in the five selected occupations, not a single one is guaranteed to be able to afford to rent or purchase a home in every metro area.
- Home health aides are able to rent a modest two-bedroom home in just one of the metro areas.
- The highest paid among the five occupations profiled in the report, licensed practical nurses, can only afford to own a home in 70 metro areas and to rent a two-bedroom home in 163 areas.
Access the Paycheck to Paycheck database to view how workers in 83 occupations fare in your metro area. For inquiries, please contact Andrea Nesby at anesby@nhc.org.
About NHC: Everyone in America should have equal opportunity to live in a quality, affordable home in a thriving community. The National Housing Conference educates decision makers and the public about housing policies and practices to move housing forward together. NHC convenes and collaborates with our diverse membership and the broader housing and community development sectors to advance our policy, research and communications initiatives to effect positive change at the federal, state and local levels. Founded in 1931, we are a nonpartisan, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. NHC’s research team operated as the Center for Housing Policy until the organizations merged in 2013.
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CONTACT:
Andrea Nesby
202-466-2121 x240
anesby@nhc.org