Whether you’re just discovering the possibility of travel nursing or have already collected dozens of state magnets for your fridge, learning what resources are currently available to help you find a safe and comfortable home is a must for those in travel healthcare.
In addition to competitive pay and hand-picked professional opportunities, traveling nurses can explore the country as temporary locals rather than tourists. The best part? Host Healthcare helps every step of the journey—including with housing arrangements.
Read on to learn more about your options for housing as a traveling nurse and how you can lean on Host for a seamless transition into your new home.
How Does Host Housing Work?
After you’ve completed your travel nurse application, interviewed, and accepted your assignment as a nurse with Host Healthcare, you can finally see your next chapter begin to take shape. Perhaps you’ve started researching coffee shops, museums, parks, and other places to spend leisure time in your new city. But how do travel nurses find housing?
With Host, you can get settled in your new abode in one of two ways:
- Housing Help – Tell us a bit about your living preferences and our Housing Specialists will line up options that align with your priorities, helping you make the most of your stipend by connecting you with our network of discounted vendors.1
- Corporate Housing – With this housing option, simply bring your suitcase. By foregoing a housing stipend, Host will set you up with an extended stay, generally in local hotel accommodations. This is an ideal option for budget travelers or those who may have been placed on short-term assignments.
What Is the Process?
Host provides housing and location guides to help you navigate your new home like a local. Whether you’re looking for agency-provided housing or assistance finding your own home, you’ll want to consider details such as the cost of living, the availability of public transportation, and neighborhood safety.
Once you decide between Housing Help and Corporate Housing, you’ll fill out a housing request to start the process. Let’s take a look at the steps for each of our two travel nurse housing routes:
#1: Housing Help
While we’ll help you find a location that works for you at the best price, you’re responsible for managing your housing stipend and paying your costs directly. With this option, you’ll:
- Share your needs – Fill out an online request to provide your Housing Specialist with a run-down of what you’re looking for. This might include:2
- Desired commute time to your new job
- Whether you need a furnished or unfurnished housing arrangement
- How many beds or bedrooms are needed
- If you want to consider renting a room only
- Any pet or service animal arrangements needed
- Desired budget
- Any other specific requirements, such as laundry or parking preferences
- Let the hunt begin – Once you submit the form, your Housing Specialist will start home-hunting on your behalf. They’ll look for arrangements that fit your needs and rely on our network of realty and vendor discounts and contacts to make the most of your stipend. At the same time, you’ll have complete access to our list of discount codes and sources if you’d like to explore choices directly.
- Review your results – You’ll receive a personalized email with housing options for you. You can choose among these or discuss another option you’ve found on your own with your Housing Specialist or Travel Nurse Recruiter. To refine your search even further, add more details to your list of needs and wants and request a new list from your Housing Specialist.
- Book it! – Once you choose a new home, contact the facility or property owner to secure the offer and sign a contract to solidify your housing arrangement.
#2: Corporate Housing
If you opt for Corporate Housing, the process echoes the first three steps of Housing Help above. This includes:
- Communicating your housing needs and preferences
- Relying on a Housing Specialist to search for extended-stay hotels that fit your needs
- Selecting the best fit or asking for more options
The primary difference is at the booking and payment stages. With Corporate Housing, travelers won’t receive a stipend since Host handles the booking directly.
There are two valuable benefits of Corporate Housing to keep in mind:
- Host will cover the first two weeks of corporate housing at no cost to you
- You can opt for short-term corporate housing before opting to use Housing Help
Do Nurses Get to Choose Their Living Situation?
The short answer? Yes.
How much you rely on our services is entirely up to you. We’ll supply you with an extensive list of agencies, services, discount codes, and tools to help with the moving and home search process.
With both the Housing Help and Corporate Housing options, you guide the process by identifying your needs and wants, considering choices from a list of options, and requesting further alternatives if you’re not satisfied for your upcoming travel nurse assignment.
What Makes Housing With Host Unique?
The housing team at Host is focused on the specific needs of healthcare travelers with an emphasis on comfort and safety. At the same time, we consider every traveler’s unique needs, preferences, and personal goals.
Plus, you’ll be able to connect with current healthcare workers in your area who can offer helpful insight into what life will be like in your new location.
What Does Housing Cost? Is There a Range?
One of the only simple rules with traveling nurse housing costs is that Corporate Housing equals the amount of your employer-provided housing stipend. Other than that, your housing cost may depend on:
- Location – State and city cost of living, neighborhood desirability, and adjacency to prime downtown districts will all play a part in determining the cost of housing in your area.
- Seasonality – If you’re headed to a tourist haven, short-term housing prices including rental rooms, vacation housing, and hotels may have significant changes based on tourism peaks.
- Features – Furnished housing versus unfurnished housing, in-unit laundry, reserved parking—all of these options can impact costs.
The other simple rule to keep in mind: a room for rent within a house or apartment is almost always going to be the most cost-effective housing option.
Host is Here to Help With Your Next Home
If you’ve already accepted your assignment with Host Healthcare, your Recruiter can help guide you through housing options for travelers. Knowing your choices will help you narrow down what you’re looking for in a travel nurse assignment—we’ll be with you every step of the way for a safe and comfortable transition to your new home.
Sources:
- 2022 Destination Guide Pre-Booking. Host Healthcare, 2022. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1RiE2RmWRIudUo7QYKgNIRfJ4NK94gDvF
- Housing Request Presentation. Host Healthcare, 2022. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1RiE2RmWRIudUo7QYKgNIRfJ4NK94gDvF
Adam Francis is Host Healthcare’s President and has led the company since he founded it in 2012. Under Adam’s leadership, Host Healthcare has become one of the fastest growing and top ranked travel healthcare companies.
