In the latest episode of 'Who Can Actually Afford to Live Anywhere?' we have teachers, college students, healthcare workers, farm employees, transportation workers, and even law enforcement officers struggling to find a place they can afford to call home.

Spoiler alert: The struggle is real, and it's widespread!

It’s a sad omen when employees can’t afford to live where they work. We have known this in the service industry for years, but now it’s also coming for the higher-paid jobs.

A new HUD survey found that 44% of U.S. renter households reported experiencing significant pressure to move during the previous six months, with affordability being the main culprit. 10% of renter households were actually forced to relocate because of this.

If only gold stars could also count as rent money. Teachers are getting schooled on the harsh reality of housing affordability.

It turns out that educating our future leaders doesn’t pay well enough to live in the same zip code as them.

According to NCTQ, starting teacher salaries in 15 of 69 US cities cannot cover a one-bedroom rental. Further, although home prices have risen 40% since 2017, starting teacher salaries have only increased 15%.

NCTQ found that teachers need three times longer than the average US household to save for a 20% down payment. No wonder there are over 36,500 teacher vacancies in the US, according to Professor Tuan Nguyen from Kansas State University.

Here’s how long it would take to save for a downpayment on a teacher's salary in most US metros…

So what are school districts doing? Trying to add more supply by partnering with builders. Now, that’s a lesson for you!

Pop quiz: What’s wrong with this picture?

And then we have college students, the leaders of tomorrow, scrambling to find a place to rest their heads.

Dorm life used to be all about cheap noodles and cheaper beer, but now it seems the dorms have joined the ranks of 'things college students can't afford.'

Schools usually aim to accommodate around 25% to 35% of students on campus, focusing on providing housing for first and second-year students.

Additionally, Zillow discovered that off-campus rents have significantly increased. On a national level, the average monthly rent is now $2,062, which is a 28% rise from the beginning of 2021 when it was $1,614.

To solve this housing problem, many schools are turning to the hotel sector. For instance, 23 students from the College of the Redwoods in Humboldt County, California, are staying at the Bear River Casino and Resort, which is 6.5 miles south of their college.

College kids, casinos, what could go wrong?

At least they have access to a trough of shrimp rings and unlimited 8 a.m. mimosas.

I'm sure parents are thrilled. 'What did you learn today, honey?' 'Well, I majored in blackjack and minored in day drinking. Also, I can now do a mean impression of an elderly chain smoker named Ethel!'"

To be fair, the hotel provides them with a shuttle bus to and from the campus, but only on weekdays. Additionally, nearly 100 students from California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, stay at the Comfort Inn hotel, where we can only assume the major in Continental Breakfasts with a minor in 'Why Is The Waffle Maker Always Broken?'.

I’d take the casino for sure.

Next up, healthcare workers. You know, the people saving lives on a daily basis? Hospitals are now having to explore options for providing housing for their staff.

For instance, UCHealth and Yampa Valley Medical Center (YVMC) in Colorado have recently dedicated nearly $30M to a 42-unit housing project in Steamboat Springs, aiming to ease the housing difficulties for staff. The complex, located about a mile from YVMC, features six one-bedroom, 24 two-bedroom, and 12 three-bedroom apartments slated to be available to full-time employees by the end of 2024.

Similarly, Hilton Head Hospital in South Carolina offers free housing to new clinical staff, including travel nurses, through a short-term rental agreement for loft apartments. Moreover, the University of Vermont Health System opened a 61-apartment building in April for employees and their families in an effort to facilitate new hires and retain current staff who struggle with housing availability.

These measures reflect a growing trend among health systems to provide housing support as a crucial factor in recruiting and maintaining a stable workforce.

This isn’t just a North American problem, with the Irish Times reporting that the Health Ministry is providing funding directly to hospitals to buy or build housing.

It seems ironic that the people responsible for our well-being can't even ensure their own well-being without employer intervention.

But the story doesn’t stop there…

🐮 Sleep With The Cows: Farm workers are also in the mix, as Dairy Herd reports that providing housing for dairy farm employees has grown even more challenging. One farm has taken matters into its own hands, built out a complex of mobile homes, and developed relationships directly with landlords to scoop up rentals when they become available.

🚚 Honk For Homes: And don’t forget about our transportation workers. CPR reports that Colorado is facing a snowplow driver shortage due to housing affordability issues. Yes, you read that right. We can't even clear the roads because those who do that can't afford to live near them.

The Colorado Department of Transportation is planning on building its own network of workforce housing along a key interstate to help house the current gap of 300 maintenance workers, particularly snow plowers.

Police in some states also react to the housing shortage by building their own apartments.