4 ms·

~wibbles hand~ You might want to check out some rental listings and compare it to the minimum wage. Poor people come to not freeze, but that doesn't mean curr

~wibbles hand~ You might want to check out some rental listings and compare it to the minimum wage. Poor people come to not freeze, but that doesn't mean current circumstances aren't increasing the homeless population all on their own.

gamblor956 8y ago
I see plenty of units available for under $650/month...well within the reach of someone making minimum wage. They're not the most luxurious units or in the nicest neighborhoods but if you're making minimum wage you don't get to quibble about the lack of a pool or the proximity to a liquor store.
- parrellel 8y ago
  Between Zillow and Trulia, I'm seeing ~60 units in that price range in LA on ~8,000 listings (assuming no duplication). Hitting Craigslist, where I'd expect most of them are, I'm seeing ~100 within 8 miles of central LA. Most of them look like spare rooms. The census tells me there are ~800,000 people in LA at or around the poverty line. The LA times tells me there are ~50,000 homeless people wondering around. Now, I don't live anywhere near LA, but the base numbers here make me think that when people say there's a major housing problem, they're telling the truth. Again, this is just to my satisfaction, but I have looked a little more than just relying on anecdotes.
  - seanmcdirmid 8y ago
    California is more than LA, and the poverty rate in LA is not as bad as the more rural areas of California. A lot of California’s poverty comes from migrants.
  - gamblor956 8y ago
    The type of units that cater to people on very low budgets don't usually get posted to the web. You find them by walking the neighborhoods and seeing "For Rent" signs. On my last run, I saw a few dozen for-rent signs in one lower-income neighborhood near downtown, with rents ranging from $250 to $650. Almost none of them are solo units--you'd have roommates--but you'd have decent housing, close to transportation and work.

gamblor956 8y ago

I see plenty of units available for under $650/month...well within the reach of someone making minimum wage. They're not the most luxurious units or in the nicest neighborhoods but if you're making minimum wage you don't get to quibble about the lack of a pool or the proximity to a liquor store.

parrellel 8y ago
Between Zillow and Trulia, I'm seeing ~60 units in that price range in LA on ~8,000 listings (assuming no duplication). Hitting Craigslist, where I'd expect most of them are, I'm seeing ~100 within 8 miles of central LA. Most of them look like spare rooms. The census tells me there are ~800,000 people in LA at or around the poverty line. The LA times tells me there are ~50,000 homeless people wondering around. Now, I don't live anywhere near LA, but the base numbers here make me think that when people say there's a major housing problem, they're telling the truth. Again, this is just to my satisfaction, but I have looked a little more than just relying on anecdotes.
- seanmcdirmid 8y ago
  California is more than LA, and the poverty rate in LA is not as bad as the more rural areas of California. A lot of California’s poverty comes from migrants.
- gamblor956 8y ago
  The type of units that cater to people on very low budgets don't usually get posted to the web. You find them by walking the neighborhoods and seeing "For Rent" signs. On my last run, I saw a few dozen for-rent signs in one lower-income neighborhood near downtown, with rents ranging from $250 to $650. Almost none of them are solo units--you'd have roommates--but you'd have decent housing, close to transportation and work.