Hospitals will hire some staff on a temporary basis (e.g. 3-6 month contracts) to fill gaps in their staffing during times of high demand. The idea is that experienced and flexible healthcare workers (whose living situations allow it) can “travel” by working 3-6 month contracts around the country. These contracts will often pay quite a bit more than permanent staff, and it’s especially desirable for staff from states who don’t pay as well (e.g. Florida) to work someplace that pays much better (e.g. California).

You will often hear of it in the context of nurses, but I’ve run into radiology techs, social workers, and all sorts of other staff who were traveling on contracts.

In contrast to your image, I find that travelers tend to skew younger (since they generally have fewer commitments keeping them in one place). However, I’ve also seen couples who travel together (both in healthcare), and facilities will often accommodate this by hiring both and scheduling them to work same shifts so they can carpool. I’ve also seen empty-nester couples travel with an RV.

Anyway, these travel nurses would need places to stay for 3-6 months at a time, hence renting a room to them.