Housing for our Healers
A Phase 1 pilot exploring whether housing availability affects nurse recruitment and retention in Southcentral Mississippi.
What are
we testing?
We’re trying to figure out whether housing availability is influencing three points in the nurse pipeline: externship acceptance, offer follow-through, and early retention.
Externship Acceptance
Are qualified nursing students declining externships due to a lack of housing options?
Offer Follow-Through
Are accepted offers being rescinded when housing cannot be secured in time?
Early Retention
Are nurses leaving within the first year when local housing remains unacceptable?
Why are we
doing this?
Healthcare systems in the region continue to face staffing gaps and rising turnover costs, raising a practical question about housing’s role in recruitment and retention.
21.2%
The current vacancy rate for essential healthcare staff in our region.
Southcentral MS Works / MHA Workforce Data
38%
The projected increase in retention for organizations providing workforce housing.
Urban Land Institute (ULI) Research
$2,500+
The estimated monthly cost of temporary staffing gaps per nurse.
2025 NSI National Health Care Retention Report
$48K+
The total financial loss every time a Brookhaven loses a nurse.
Southcentral Mississippi Works Sector Strategy Plan
When do
you need it?
This pilot is needed when nurses are deciding whether to accept an externship or stay in a role and finding the right housing plays a big part in that decision.
How do you
get involved?
It starts with a short conversation to see whether this pilot connects to what you’re seeing. There’s no commitment at this stage—just learning before any decisions are made.
1. Discover
Review the pilot concept, assumptions, and goals to understand what is being tested and why.
2. Share
Schedule a conversation to discuss what you’re seeing in nurse recruitment, externships, or housing challenges.
3. Explore
If there’s alignment, talk with your team to decide whether it makes sense to get involved with the pilot moving forward.
Who is this
pilot for?
This pilot supports nurse executives and hospital leaders facing housing problems during extern placements or early retention.
Hiring Delays
Hiring slows because housing is hard to find.
Turnover drives reliance on travel staff or overtime.
Costly Coverage Gaps
Staff commute long distances or leave due to housing stress.
Long Commutes, Early Loss
Pay Isn’t the Fix
Pay and bonuses no longer solve retention.
Externships are limited because students lack short-term housing.
Externship Bottlenecks