Housing Options for Travel Allied Jobs: A Comprehensive Guide
Travel allied healthcare jobs are jobs that allow you to work temporarily in facilities all over the nation. Usually, you travel away from home to work in facilities for a short period of time, usually about 13 weeks. This can make finding housing difficult, but there are plenty of options to find something that works for you, including agency-provided housing or finding your own housing with a tax-free stipend. We’ll go over some of the most popular housing options for traveling allied health professionals in this blog.
As we mentioned, travel allied healthcare jobs are temporary jobs where you travel away from home to work in a facility that needs your help. Facilities usually hire travelers because they have staffing gaps that need to be filled immediately. Working with travelers allows them to either hire a new permanent professional, allow someone on leave to return, or to simply wait out higher-than-normal patient numbers. These jobs vary in length but are usually 13 weeks. After that time, the traveler then moves on to a different assignment in a different facility.
With travel allied healthcare jobs, you choose which assignments you take. This means you have control over where you go, which facilities you work in, and other important aspects that matter most to you. Another great perk of being an allied health traveler is the pay, which is often higher than permanent staff. However, since you’re in the area short-term, it can make finding housing challenging.
Housing for Travel Allied Healthcare Jobs
Many travel healthcare agencies offer housing options as part of their employment package. This can range from fully furnished apartments to extended-stay hotels or even private housing arrangements. The advantage of agency-provided housing is convenience and ease of access, as the agency takes care of the arrangements and logistics for you.
Benefits of Agency-Provided Housing for Travel Allied Healthcare Jobs
There are a lot of advantages to choosing agency-provided housing for travel allied healthcare jobs. First, is that it takes a lot of the hassle out of the picture for you. There’s no need to do any research, contact property owners, or make arrangements for lease agreements. Instead, you simply show up and move in. This also doesn’t take any pay out of your normal wages, as the housing is included in your compensation package. Also, you’re not on the hook if the facility cancels your contract. This is pretty rare, but it can happen, and this way you’re not obligated to move in or pay anything toward the housing.
Benefits of Choosing a Housing Stipend
Of course, travelers can also find their own housing. With this option, you will generally get a housing stipend in lieu of the agency-provided housing. The stipend varies based on the assignment and things like cost of living in the area. If you have a tax home, then the stipend is usually tax-free income. You can use your stipend however you like. So, if you spend less on housing, then you can pocket that extra money. You can also use it toward more expensive housing to reduce how much is coming out of your paycheck for your lodgings during your assignment.
Beware of Scams
One thing to look out for is scams. Since you’re looking for housing for upcoming travel allied healthcare jobs, it means you might be too far away to check out the property in person and will likely be doing most of your looking online. This may expose you to scams. Some scammers want your personal information like your social security number. Others want you to send money. Watch out for offers that seem too good to be true, like housing in a prime area for really low prices. One tactic you can try to avoid scams is to request to tour the property before filling out an application or sending money. If they push back then it may be a scam. Don’t forget to use your research skills as well, as often you can uncover whether a property really exists and is leasing through some basic searches. However, this isn’t foolproof, as some scammers use addresses and pictures of real properties that they don’t actually own.
Extended Stays
Extended stays are hotels specifically designed for longer-term living. They’re really popular among business travelers. Most feature a kitchenette so you can cook some meals in your room, but you will want to verify that before you book. Some of the benefits include that there’s no lease agreement that you sign, so you’re usually not obligated to stay a certain time period (though there may be cancellation fees when you book ahead). Also, they tend to be less expensive than some of the other options on this list.
However, amenities vary widely, so you need to ask about things you need like WIFI or laundry facilities. Also, these tend to be pretty small and might cost a little more than some options, since it is, at the end of the day, a type of hotel.
Vacation Rentals
Vacation rentals like those you find on Airbnb, VRBO, HomeAway, and other similar sites are also an option for housing for allied health travelers. These vary in size, location, and price, but can really be customized to your needs. They’re also often located close to nearby attractions and must-see sites, which is a great plus.
Just keep in mind that they’re still a little pricey compared to some options. You also want to look for hidden fees that might make them even more expensive. Also, often these properties don’t have someone on hand at all times to take care of things like maintenance issues if something goes wrong, so that’s also something to think about.
