[–] NorsteinBekkler 0 points 6 points 6 points (+6|-0) ago
San Francisco resident here. Part of the problem is that rising rent trend is spreading across the entire Bay Area, especially anywhere connected to BART. The proverbial rich techie can move, but lower income people are fucked on multiple levels. The entire region is becoming unaffordable, and probably only another serious real estate crash will start to turn it back.
[–] badp4nd4 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
It's extreme gentrification. As long as there are people who can pay the high rents, there is no incentive to lower them. My friend in San Jose pays 2,400/m for a 1 bedroom apartment barely 900sq. It's a nice spot but not luxury by any means.
But the pay in San Jose is 50k more than the pay in Los Angeles or San Diego. Just a trade off, tech companies need tech people so they pay inflated salaries to allow their workers to live in the area.
Now if you don't work in tech or similar and make that tech money, you are definitely in for a rough time. Fortunately there are countless cities within a 100$ flight that are extremely cheap to live, hell, you can even live in Oakland if you prefer to stay in the area.
If rent costs more than 1/3rd of your income, you can no longer afford to live there and need to consider moving.
[–] entropyosaurus 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
one day the tech bubble will burst again
[–] weezkitty 0 points 9 points 9 points (+9|-0) ago (edited ago)
There are many people who are forced to live in their cars because they really cannot afford to live in the Bay Area. I am not technically one of them, and in doing this by choice I am inevitably appropriating their hardships. However, I am also saving hard, trying to pay off my debts, and learning a few invaluable life skills—like carpentry and how to be a fairly competent mechanic—in the process.
A bit misleading since she is doing this by choice. While rent is way too damn high in SF, that doesn't mean it is impossible for someone who works as a SW engineer to afford a place to live in an area within commute distance
edit
[–] weezkitty 0 points 9 points 9 points (+9|-0) ago
Wow. I didn't notice that part. Didn't really expect it either.
And I am a young, white woman, which gives me the immense privilege of pulling up a creepy van and parking it without being harassed. People don’t report me; neither do they assume I’m a vagrant. They smile and ask if I need anything.
She even admitted to having some form of female privilege
[–] Hawk ago
.....Someone had to.
[–] pepepepepe ago
Too bad she won't get any government cheese because she's employed.