The National Housing Conference (NHC) released its 2018 edition of Paycheck to Paycheck, a database allowing users to discover the rental and homeownership affordability challenges of workers in 81 occupations in 259 metro areas nationwide. The accompanying report highlights the affordability challenges of five workers in the construction industry face: carpenters; electricians; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) mechanics; maintenance workers and plumbers. Maintenance workers have the most significant affordability challenges, as a typical worker can afford a median-price home with a 3 percent down payment in just 23 percent of the metros studied. If the workers who build and repair a metro area’s housing stock cannot afford to live there, the area may face a labor shortage that increases the costs of building and maintenance, further driving housing prices up.