Data reveals Bay Area cities with most rent-burdened residents

SPECIFIC AMOUNT BUT THEY SAID THEY DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY TO ENSURE NO OTHER FAMILY SUFFERS THE SAME THING. >>> WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOUSING FINANCIAL EXPERTS OFTEN ADVISOR YOU SHOULD SPEND NO MORE THAN ONE THIRD OF YOU PAY ON HOUSING. THAT DOES NOT REALLY FLY AROUND HERE. NEW DATA REVEALS RENTERS IN THE EAST BAY ARE HAVING THE TOUGHEST TIME OF THIS. HILDA GUTIERREZ JOINS US WITH THESE DETAILS. >> Reporter: THE GOVERNMENT DEFINES AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS COSTING NO MORE THAN 30% OF YOUR INCOME. RESIDENTS OF THE EAST BAY WORLD THAT WAS ONCE CONSIDERED AFFORDABLE TELL US THEY PASSED THAT PERCENTAGE A LONG TIME AGO. THE LATEST CENSUS DATA AGREES. >> WHEN I SAY RENT PRICES TO YOU WHAT IS THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO MIND? >> A SIGNIFICANT PART OF A PAYCHECK. >> IT IS TOO MUCH. IT IS REALLY TOO MUCH. >> RIDICULOUS. >> Reporter: LAKISHA AND HER THREE CHILDREN MOVED FROM SAN FRANCISCO 13 YEARS AGO BECAUSE LIVING IN THE CITY WAS NO LONGER AFFORDABLE. AT THE TIME SHE SAID THAT PRICES SEEMED FAIR IN PITTSBURG , BUT NOT ANYMORE. >> DO I PAY MY CAR INSURANCE OR DO I PURCHASE FOOD. HOW DO YOU KEEP A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD? >> Reporter: NEW ESTIMATES SHOW NEARLY 3/4, 73% OF RENTERS IN PITTSBURG ARE BURDENED BY HOUSING COSTS MEANING THAT THEY PAY MORE THAN 30% IN HOUSING. >> Reporter: IT IS SO HIGH I DECIDED NOT TO MOVE HERE. >> Reporter: ARTHUR SAID WHEN HE WAS APARTMENT HUNTING HE BECAME SO DISCOURAGED BY THE HIGH RENT HE DECIDED TO MOVE OUT OF STATE INSTEAD. >> I SAID NEVERMIND. I DECIDED I WOULD LIVE IN OMAHA AND DO MY WORK HERE. >> Reporter: HOW MUCH ARE YOU PAYING THERE FOR SOMETHING SIMILAR? >> IT'S NOT EVEN COMPARABLE. I HAVE A TWO BEDROOM PENTHOUSE CONDO FOR $2200 A MONTH. >> Reporter: WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE CITIES WITH THE HIGHEST RENT, THREE OF THE TOP ONES WERE HERE IN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY. PITTSBURG IN WALNUT CREEK BOTH AT THE TOP. ANTIOCH IS THE CITY WHERE IT WENT DOWN AFTER THE PANDEMIC BUT ENOUGH BURDENED RENTERS TO MAKE THE TOP FIVE. AT THE COUNTY LEVEL THEY HAD THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF BURDENED RENTERS IN THE BAY AREA. ONLY SAN FRANCISCO HAD FEWER THAN 40% OF RENTERS FACING BURDENING COST. >> THEY RECOMMEND TO SPEND 30% OF YOUR INCOME ON YOUR HOUSING. [LAUGHTER] >> IT IS MORE THAN THAT. >> Reporter: BERTHA PURCHASED A HOME AND MOVED TO PITTSBURG 18 YEARS AGO. AT THAT TIME HER MORTGAGE WAS $1000 PER MONTH. SHE NOW PAYS DOUBLE AFTER NEGOTIATING WITH THE BANK. SHE SET A HOME LIKE HERS RENTS FOR AT LEAST $2500 A MONTH. >> THE BANK TRIED TO MAKE US PAY ALMOST TRIPLE. 3000. >> Reporter: WHAT PERCENTAGE WOULD YOU SAY OF A PAYCHECK. >> IT WAS MORE THAN A THIRD. IT IS MORE THAN AN ENTIRE PAYCHECK. >> Reporter: HOW ARE THEY ABLE TO KEEP A ROOF OVER THEIR HEAD? >> ROOMMATES. >> Reporter: YOU HAVE TO JUGGLE AND FIGURE IT OUT? >> WORKING THREE OR FOUR DIFFERENT JOBS. >> THERE ARE POSITIVE SIGNS FOR RENTERS AS THE LOCAL HOUSING MARKET COOLS OFF. AVERAGE RENT FELL ABOUT 13% VERSUS THIS TIME LAST YEAR

Channel: NBC Bay Area

Views: 26,699

Keywords: rent-burdened, housing, Investigative Unit, Bay Area news

Id: wSoOVAxqSzc

Length: 3min 54sec (234 seconds)

Published: Fri Jan 19 2024