California Dreams
CHAPTER 1-- In progress
Today, 70% of Californians cannot afford to own a home, and while the crisis of affordability has always hit low income renters the hardest, it is now a reality for the middle class as well. In 2017, 30% of California tenants put more than 50% of their income toward rent and utilities. The California dream has been shifting, for many, to “simplified living.” In order to afford life in California, people are adapting their lives to fit into smaller spaces and thus creating movements around ‘Van Life’ and ‘Tiny Houses’. Without a single county with sufficient affordable housing across all income levels, it is my goal to address the housing crisis by revealing the realities of the California dream by fostering deeper, more substantive conversations with residents and policymakers with the needs and opportunities in our communities.