The shortage of affordable housing on Cape Cod has a direct impact on the ability of health care providers to offer the service needed by residents of our community. That impact is reflected in the substantial number of job openings currently in the health care profession.
Speaking at a Falmouth Chamber of Commerce breakfast this year, Cape Cod Healthcare CEO Michael Lauf said the company has more than 500 job openings and 300 traveling employees, with approximately 150 of those vacancies for nurses. The company’s own 2022 community needs assessment cited results of stakeholder interviews indicating that the lack of housing is why healthcare and social service companies cannot fill open positions.