First person: Heartache of a young Fresnan trying to find a rental she can afford | Opinion
Finding an affordable place to live in Fresno is near impossible these days, especially for a 22-year-old single person like me. That’s because the rent is too high. Since the pandemic, rents have shot up as high as 40 percent, giving Fresno the title for the highest rate of rent increase in the country during the pandemic.
Mayor Jerry Dyer says he feels for struggling renters, yet he still won’t support rent control, saying it sends a bad message to housing developers. If the mayor is choosing profits for corporations over Fresno renters, what does that mean for our future? It’s simply not true that keeping vulnerable families housed would mean we lose out on opportunities to continue developing and improving our city.
For as long as I can remember, I have been in transition and without the promise of secure housing. Born and raised in southwest Fresno, I moved out of my parent’s house before I became a legal adult. I have bounced from place to place since and haven’t been anywhere for more than two years. First a youth shelter, then an apartment I got through a low-income housing voucher. I was finally feeling stable after two years there when the building burned down. Next stop was at my grandparents. Now I live in a new housing development in Clovis through services I receive from the county Department of Behavioral Health to support my mental health.
I consider myself one of the lucky ones. In one of my previous jobs as a service aide for the city in the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, I heard heartbreaking stories of young people and families struggling to maintain or find affordable housing. Many were one paycheck away from being unhoused. I don’t need to be a policy expert or have some fancy title to know that time and again, the mayor and our city leaders have failed all of us. They have chosen to prioritize corporate landlords and developers over rent control and adequate tenant protections, leaving young people and families to struggle through Fresno’s housing crisis.
According to the latest study by United Way of California called “How Much it Costs to Struggle: The Real Cost Measure in California 2023,” a 22-year-old single person in Fresno County would need $795 a month for rent. The reality is the average rent for a one bedroom apartment in Fresno is $1,410 — out of reach for many, considering about a third of Fresno residents live in high poverty neighborhoods.
In California, one in three households pays at least 30% of their income for housing, with Black and Latinx households struggling the most. In Fresno, 34% of households spend more than 30% of their income on housing. Because COVID tenant protections are expiring and many people who are low income are facing rising rents, Black and Latinx families are having a hard time finding affordable housing, let alone accessing work opportunities that pay a living wage to cover the rising cost of rent, food and other basic needs.
Fresno needs rent control to prevent evictions and provide relief to renters most at risk of losing their homes. This is critical in a city like ours, where more than half of households are renters (52%). By regulating the rate at which rent can increase, we can stop young people and families from being unhoused. It is our best bet to increasing the stability, safety and vitality of Fresno’s neighborhoods.
The rent control fight is far from over. Young people are critical to the future of a thriving Fresno. I am inspired by community members from Fresno United for Rent Control who testified at the last City Council budget meeting, shared their stories, and left the room chanting “What do we want? Rent Control! When do we want it? Now!”
A stronger Fresno is ours to build. That is why I am working with Power California to stand up to corporate landlords and their pay-to-play schemes so that families like mine have a place to call home. The city of Fresno must prioritize our futures and act now to protect young people and our families.