Woman lives in car because she can't afford to rent, buy home

Will the housing market cool down in 2023? It's gotten so bad that one West Palm Beach woman is living out of her car.

[louisecervonehariharan]

Many people are just 1 paycheck away from being homeless.

[tybarker]

Same. Housing is simply unaffordable nowadays. It’s supposed to cost 25-35% of your income but I’m making 100-150 a day on average and these places want 80+ of that! So I just don’t give in. I take that $80 and put it in my wallet. Sleep in the car, I don’t care anymore. It’s the principle. I think it’s morally wrong for these corporations to gouge the working people of their community to the point we have zero dollars left for ourselves at the end of the day. It’s sickening. They got greedy thinking we would always be desperate to be housed so they can ask whatever they want. Well I’m done playing their game. The ask is TOO HIGH. I like putting cash away. I like saving for my future. I like having money that I worked hard for much more than paying a slumlord for the “privilege” of having a place to sleep and shower after a hard day’s work. I am on “rent strike”. I will do whatever it takes to ensure these greedy goblins don’t see another dime out of me until they drop their rents to something reasonable that lets me save some money for myself. We still aren’t there, so I’ll continue sleeping in my car and showering at the park I pay taxes for. I hope everyone else follows suit so we can get there quicker!

[romeysiamese]

This isnt just lower income ppl, all middle class are struggling with housing, everywhere. It’s disgusting.

[andME]

People living in their vehicle need to get together and rent a place but nobody trusts anyone

[jayanthony]

I was living in my truck I got baked three times in one week from a deputy he said it was against the law and unhealthy to be sleeping in my vehicle

[nonayobiz]

Gas up that nice car and LEAVE!!! WHEN NOTHING IS GOING RIGHT- GO LEFT!!!!

[MEDIADIPPP]

Idk why this is surprising you know how many ppl are living in their cars today!?

[andrewmosqueira]

I really don’t know how people even afford rent these days it’s just rediculous. I guess that’s why they call it corporate America

[Sunshinesunset]

This people this immigrants come over here to USA, exceptly miami and broward county fla get a, house, car, food while we Americans been here all I lives suffering because these landlord, going up on the rent from 1, 300 for 2 bedroom apt go to 2, 000 for a 2 bedroom with roach, rats run down apt.people dont even make that much to afford the rent

[Lisa-diwi]

I rented apartments for 37 years. But unfortunately, I had to move out of my last apartment back in December of 2019 due to medical, limited mobility, and safety issues, and I'm now in a nursing facility. I'm now making tremendous progress here, and I'm ready to live on my own again. However, looking for an apartment today is not like it was back in the 80's and 90's. It's a whole new ball game.

I am having a hard time finding me a suitable apartment. In fact, finding an apartment today is just like finding me a job. A majority of apartments today are run by these greedy property management companies. They not only want you to pay the first and last month's rent plus a security deposit, they want your income to be anywhere between 2 and 3 1/2 times the monthly rent, and they need proof of your income. They also want you to fill out a rental application, as well as pay an application fee which averages between $30 and $60; which is non-refundable if they turn you down. Plus they also do a credit check on you, a criminal background check, an evictions' history, and proof of timely rent payments to your previously landlord. If you don't have what they're looking for, then they don't want you.

I also have rental applications in some of these subsidized places as well. However, you are on a waiting list averaging anywhere between 2 to 5 years. In fact, I contacted one place just recently where the waiting list is between 5 and 10 years. And another property that I also contacted has a waiting list between 7 and 9 years. That is ridiculous! I am not going to wait that long for an apartment.

[blackcanaryable]

Guess she has no family or friends willing to help her. Sad.

[erichb]

Studios are $2500 MONTH OUTSIDE San Francisco

[Patrick-yhyd]

In Orlando 1 bedroom rent $1800.00 month.

[thomashay]

How do they find people like this to interview

[Selenaon]

So sad. Rent 1500
And it’s crazy. They want us to pay it for 12 months every year we can’t catch a break at all.

[joeBenjimen]

People talking about she has a car must live in a NY city. Aint no way you can get around in FL without a car. Its a Kia Forte the cheapest car you can buy

[CiaofCleburne]

We found it was cheapest to buy undeveloped land in a rural area and then placed a rent-to-own cabin on the land. The land payments plus the cabin payments equal way less than what we paying on mortgage in the city. less. ❤ good luck to the lady in this story.

[porpouree]

Leave!!! You living in south Florida where it’s expensive as hell and wondering why you can’t afford a place to live!

[Lisa-diwi]

Continued

Most of the apartments in Philly within my price range are in the bad neighborhoods. And despite the neighborhoods in both Philly and out here in the suburbs, these are not handicapped-accessible. (I am in a wheelchair.) Just like the previous building that I lived at for 20 years, these apartment complexes have no elevators. I am not able to climb up any steps. There are no automated doors. And the bathrooms don't have grab bars on the toilet, and there are no walk-in showers with grab bars as well. Although the building that previously lived in was built back in 1965 (when I was just an 8-year-old kid), it is not handicapped-accessible and ADA-compliant. I need to have a place that is exactly like I have here in the nursing facility. I will not move to a place like the ones that I previously lived in. And the nursing facility doesn't want me to either. They too want me to have a safe place to go to as well.

As far as the income being 2 to 3 1/2 times the monthly rent goes, this is wrong. It is discrimination against low-income people right there. I am on Social Security Disability; which comes here to the nursing facility along with Medicaid; to help pay for my care here. But when I do find me a place, my SSDI income will go right back into my checking account. I am looking for a place where I can afford to pay the monthly rent. I have been in SSDI since 2004. Even though I have had some late payments since I've been on SSDI, my rent payments have both been on time and within the five-day grace period. In the 20 years that I had lived there, I have not had any eviction actions taken against me. However, because my SSDI comes in on the third of the month, I mailed out my rent payments right there on the third. Then I started making online rent payments as well.

Also, they also want you to pay some of the utilities separately as well, and I cannot afford it. At my first three apartments, all of the utilities are included in my rent. But at my last apartment, I had to pay separately for the electricity, and I was on a low-income program with the electric company as well. I don't mind paying separately for the electricity, but I am not going to pay for the gas, the water, and the heat because I can't afford it. And besides, if I want to pay separately for all of the utilities, I might as well go buy me a condo instead.

As far as checking your credit goes, it's not my fault that I've got bad credit. I worked in these call centers on and off for 35 years, and the work wasn't that stable either. It was temporary project work, and I was periodically out of work. And even when I was working, I wasn't making enough money to make ends meet; and yes, my rent fell behind and I had legal action taken against me. But I have not had any legal action taken me in the 20 years that I lived at my last apartment.

All these landlords need to do is just simply verify your income and contact your previous landlord just to make sure that you made your rent payments in a timely manner. But otherwise, if you have low income and your credit's terrible, they don't want you, and that's not right! That is discrimination against low-income people right there.

[veganc]

I can't think of anything worse than living in a vehicle other than being homeless on the streets