Why Housing Affordability Should Be on HR’s Radar in 2025

If “housing affordability” isn’t a line item on your HR strategy checklist yet, it might be time to add it. The rising cost of living in all markets, not just urban and high-demand markets, is pushing more employees into financial stress – and proactive employers are taking note.

A recent Harvard Business Review article by Edward L. Glaeser and Atta Tarki, “What Employers Can Do to Address High Housing Costs,” highlights how some of the biggest names in business are reevaluating their approach to housing as part of their talent strategy.

How HR Can Lead on Housing

You don’t have to build a company town to address housing challenges. HR professionals have several tools and strategies at their disposal:

1. Rental and Mortgage Assistance: Offer targeted benefits that support employees living near their workplace. This can reduce commute-related attrition and help stabilize staffing.
   
   
2. Homebuyer and Renter Education: Financial literacy programs that demystify the buy versus rent calculus and help employees make progress toward homeownership goals.
   
   
3. Advocacy and Partnerships: Consider joining employer-led coalitions in your region (like the Silicon Valley Leadership Group) to advocate for housing policies that are smart for businesses and the economic strength of your community.
   
   
4. Situation-Specific Support: Offer tailored housing navigation services as an employee benefit (WorkLife Partnership offers this service as a standard part of its package) to  provide customized coaching when workers face eviction, landlord negotiations or emergency situations –  or simply want to build towards a down payment on a home.

Designing for Impact

As the HBR article makes clear, housing benefits should be designed with both recruitment and retention in mind. Consider these examples:

• In lower-cost areas with high turnover, mortgage assistance can help “lock in” employees and build community roots.
• In high-cost cities, rental support may be more realistic and impactful for retaining frontline workers, especially if paired with a skilled housing navigation service to limit ongoing requests. (Consult WorkLife Partnership on how this works in practice.)
• In general, housing assistance and personalized navigation assistance can be a powerful recruitment differentiator.

A Call to Action 

If you’re not already considering housing affordability as part of your talent strategy, now is the time to start. WorkLife Partnership can help you take the first step with over 15 years of experience helping employees navigate difficult housing markets and personal situations.

Ready to support your workforce where it matters most?
Reach out to WorkLife Partnership and discover how we can help.