One of the trickiest parts of moving to a new city for work is finding a home. It’s hard enough moving to an area that you’re familiar with, but with corporate relocation that’s often not the case. A large number of transferees and new employees end up searching for housing options in places they’ve never even been, and while there are plenty of good resources out there to aid with this dilemma, a blind relocation is stressful and often results in housing that leaves something to be desired. Facebook recently announced a plan that could alleviate the issue altogether.

Facebook is planning a $120 million housing community with almost 400 units, which will be strictly used by their employees. The “company town” called Anton Menlo will be walking distance from Facebook’s offices, and it will have several perks including a dog day care center and a sports bar.

Where it excels

This is a definite perk in many ways for Facebook’s employees. A work community insanely convenient, at least in theory. It conjures up thoughts of the Googleplex, the site of Google’s main headquarters, where employees can get haircuts, see doctors, exercise, and more without leaving the company’s grounds. The idea is to free up employee time and add convenience to their lives, which usually translates to more productivity. The same theory is behind Facebook’s community, except instead of providing these conveniences at work, they provide them at home. The Menlo Park area is experiencing a real estate shortage, which is one of the driving forces behind the proposed community. Facebook’s employees were having a difficult time finding convenient lodging in the area, so the company sought to face the issue head on.

The idea might also help Facebook recruit better talent. It’s no secret that the job market in Silicon Valley is extremely competitive. When a highly recruited prospect picks an employer, the decision often comes down to the added perks. The convenience behind the Facebook community might be attractive to prospective employees. That being said, it certainly has some drawbacks.

Where it falls short

Let’s be honest, a lot of people in today’s workforce, especially Millennials, are having a hard enough time already trying to balance work with their personal lives. Living in a work-based community has obvious conveniences, but it does seem to have the potential for intrusion. Think back to college. Living in the dorms was fun at times, everything you needed was available onsite, and it was a short distance from your classes, but you were still under the supervision of the university. I’m not saying that Facebook’s higher-ups are going to keep a watchful eye on the nightly happenings at Anton Menlo, but there’s a lot more potential for work to bleed into personal life. Not only that, but literally every home in the complex houses a coworker. Privacy could become a real issue.

It also doesn’t really solve the Menlo Park housing shortage issue. This site is only large enough to house around 10% of Facebook’s area workers. Sure, if the experiment is a success, they can expand upon it, but it’s a fairly pricey solution.

Finally, one might wonder what happens if an employee opts to find their own housing. They might find that they’re significantly out of the loop on certain things. The Anton Menlo complex is partially aimed at strengthening work relationships. People will interact more, and people from different departments will start sharing more information. If somebody chooses to live elsewhere, they risk being less involved in the company. It could certainly have an adverse effect on somebody’s career.

Being in the mobility industry, we at UrbanBound are very much aware that finding housing is one of the more difficult tasks for relocating employees. Facebook’s Anton Menlo community is absolutely intriguing, and it certainly seems like a positive move despite its possible drawbacks. It will be interesting to see how it works out, and if other companies decide to follow suit.