House Prices Force Americans To Sleep In Cars

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 5-22-2008 | Catherine Elsworth

[sheana]

She’s 67 and collecting SS. All states have subsidized Senior housing:

True but most in the state of California have waiting lists 5 yrs long. I know because I looked for my mother. A city of over 300k and there are only a couple of subsidized senior apartments in town and the lists are verrrrrrry long.

[maine-iac7]

Ahem, could she be living in the wrong place?

It's the whole dam* state - I sold my house in CA in 1974 for $30,000. The same house - now over 30 years older, now sells for over $500,000.

People rent with strangers - 'renting' the dining room, the living room, etc...for $1,500+ a month EACH. Get it?

Unless you move far away - which would require either many thousands in moving expenses, a job lined up and first/last/deposit on a place - or leaving all your belongings except what you could carry...and still needing the set up money and a job lined up = you can find yourself in this bind.

Easy to sit back and judge, tho'

Myself, I left CA nearly 30 years ago and never looked back.

[maine-iac7]

Tell the 19 year old to get a freakin job and help out or move out.

Did you read the story?

[Niteranger68]

Mansion prices “force” me to sleep in a house.

[Lancey Howard]

House Prices Force Americans To Sleep In Cars

ROTFLMAO!!

[maine-iac7]

Just buy a Ford Expedition for pennies on the dollar and install a sink and curtains!

Actually, not a bad idea.

A person could save up "move to hell out of CA" money by living in a vehicle for a time - and if on SS, as this gal is, could save up enough to buy a spot of land in a friendlier state, continue to live in the vehicle along with a tent for more room in warm weather - save up more, get a good second hand trailer - and be better off than with a mortgage anyway...

[maine-iac7]

There have got to be areas nearby where such a salary could get you a half decent apartment and still allow you to buy food.

Let me guess. You don't live in CA...

[HereInTheHeartland]

They left out the part that Bush is making them eat dog food to survive.

[maine-iac7]

Get out of SB and find a job..Oklahoma has got low unemployment and lots of oil field jobs. Low housing costs. You just have to reform and vote GOP. I know that will be tough for her,,,"

Let's see. You're suggesting this senior citizen lady who also works part time (if she worked full time, they'd take it out of her SS - so that wouldn't benefit her any) and move away from her home area where it's the inflated/insane prices of real estate that overcame people, and go get a job in the oil fields of Oklahoma.

Please tell me you're not a counselor of any sort...

[bmwcyle]

The trouble is it is a problem now with people who counted on long distant commuting. I live close but the over one hour group is hurting.

[maine-iac7]

1. Don’t live in Santa Barbara is it really expensive there. 2. Why aren’t your children taking you in. 3. Get rid of the dogs so you can get a small apartment. 4. Move it is expensive in Santa Barbara you putz

What part of California do you live in?

A small apartment?

People are c0-renting at 1,500 a month each in houses with one 'renting' each of the bedrooms, one 'renting' the living room, one the dining room -

I'm guessing you don't live in CA?

[gate2wire]

Commuting around the D.C. beltway would drive me half crazy. Doing it at $4.00/gal would finish the drive.
Don’t know how folks do it.

[4yearlurker]

I believe they have to choose between their medicine or Mighty Dog. Tell the old lady to move out here to the Mon-Valley in SW Pennsylvania. One can rent a 3 bedroom house for about $450.00 a month. There are houses for sale out here for about 30 thousand dollars. They are not dumps in a slum either. I bought my 3 bedroom 2 bath home with 2 garages for 70 thousand. Also the local restaurants are hiring for about 7.50 an hour to start. I see lots of seniors working in the stores. The weather does suck,though. Today 58 degrees and rainy.

[HereInTheHeartland]

“The weather does suck,though. Today 58 degrees and rainy.”

Its all a matter of perspective.
Most people in the world would fight tooth and nail to live in a town in Pennsylvania and have a roof over their heads and food to eat.

[4yearlurker]

Just trying to point out the pros and cons. I do,however,agree with your statement. We have sunny days also! I left South Jersey about 17 years ago and never looked back. When I go back for A visit I can't believe the traffic and congestion! Mudon!

[svcw]

Ah, yea!
It depends on where in California.
You can get an apartment in Santa Barbara for 750. Its small and no animals but it can be done.
She can room with her daughter split the rent.
The woman chose to live in Santa Barbara.
She needs to be a grown up and solver her problems.
Southern California, just south of Santa Barbara.

[reagan_fanatic]

Sorry, but if I were paying 75% of my income on rent, I’d look for another town to live in.

This lady should have known her situation couldn’t sustain itself forever.

[Clemenza]

She had been spending more than 75 percent of her income on rent.

WTF? Even in NYC, I never paid more that 30% of my take home pay on rent.

[SayNoToDems]

Let me guess.You don't live in CA...

No,I don't,but I do live in another high price area...suburban Boston.And around here there are many areas where it's hard to find a decent single family house for less that a million.But if you drive twenty minutes or so from some of these areas a decent single family can be had for less than half of that.

So perhaps if she had traveled 30 miles east of Santa Barbara (away from high priced ocean front towns)she could have paid 40% (or less) of her income for a decent apartment.

But not being familiar with that *particular* area I certainly could be wrong.

[bmwcyle]

I drive from Fairfax to Bethesda. It sucks at these prices.