It's hard not to have sympathy for anyone in this situation. It's not a unique case and I wonder why it has to be a piece about an academic type rather than an ordinary worker, be they in services, retail, industry etc. As said by another poster, paper will not refuse ink.
I had a similar experience with a HAP tenant, The tenant refused to leave saying they could not find anywhere. However, they declined assistance from two letting agents to source an alternative rental property. They had a very low rent, a good property and clearly wanted to stay put for as long as possible. I declined to offer the property to the council under tenant in situ as you do not get market rate.
Out of the blue, the tenant offered to buy the property and made an offer way below market rate due to its condition (which they are responsible for causing). They say they also looked at other properties in the area to buy. It went to an RTB hearing and they were ordered to leave.
Now, although they have the means to buy a house, they have a brand new council/housing association property.
Some may say their current housing is not my concern. In a normal vacate it would not be..However, knowing what I do, I question how people with the means to buy a home can end up getting one supplied virtually free of charge /or at a substantially subsided rent. That is as much a problem as the shortage of social housing.
The system needs a radical overhaul to ensure those with the most urgent/genuine need of housing supports are able to benefit from the limited supply.