National Housing Conference
Last year the National Housing Conference published "Paycheck to Paycheck: Working Families and the Cost of Housing in America", which studied the cost of housing for workers in five "vital occupations" in 60 of the nation’s largest housing markets. Noting that administrative support, clerical and service jobs account for about one-third of the nation’s workforce, the analysis looked at workers in these occupations: janitors, elementary school teachers, police officers, licensed practical nurses and retail salespersons. The report concluded that households dependent on one elementary school teacher’s or one police officer’s salary alone cannot afford to buy a median priced home in two-thirds of the metropolitan areas. Licensed Practical Nurses are priced out of all but the lowest cost-to-income markets and janitors and retail sales persons cannot afford to purchase a home in any of the 60 markets.