Editor’s Word: This text was written for Mosaic, an impartial journalism coaching program for highschool and faculty college students who report and {photograph} tales beneath the steerage {of professional} journalists.
San Jose is likely one of the priciest locations within the nation to buy or hire a house. Because of this, many native college students, particularly those that come from low-income backgrounds, say they fear about serving to their households afford housing.
Sofia Hernandez, a 17-year-old San Jose Excessive Faculty scholar, mentioned she is fearful about her household of 4 having to pay excessive costs for housing amongst different requirements like meals or college provides.
Hernandez mentioned that feeling motivates her to work part-time at an area mall. She desires to assist contribute with different bills, so her mother and father can give attention to paying hire, which is round $4,000 a month.
“I try to help by working and buying my own stuff with my money,” she mentioned. “I also help with paying school stuff for my little sister or buy some groceries. At least they don’t have to spend on that.”
In keeping with San Jose-based Block Change Actual Property, the median worth for a single-family residence within the metropolis is about $1.44 million. The typical hire of a two-bedroom in San Jose is $2,898 a month. Roughly 400,000 individuals, or 45% of San Jose’s inhabitants, are renters.
Fellow scholar Fernanda Chiw additionally worries in regards to the costs within the Bay Space and the excessive value of dwelling. The 17-year-old desires to assist her household of 4 with hire as quickly as she will get a job.
“The rent is way too expensive for my family. It doesn’t let us live comfortably and to buy our necessities,” Chiw mentioned.
Alexis Miranda, an 18-year-old who lives in San Jose, mentioned he worries about not having the ability to assist his household financially. Miranda, who lives at residence together with his mother and father, desires to discover a place to maneuver to however says it’s too costly.
“I’m going to work this year and look for cheaper places,” Miranda mentioned. “It’s way too expensive in San Jose.”
California considers a household of 4 in Santa Clara County that earns as much as $160,000 yearly low earnings. In San Jose, 79,000 residents, or 8% of town’s inhabitants, are thought of low earnings. In the meantime the typical family earnings in San Jose is $141,565.
East San Jose, particularly the Mayfair and Alum Rock communities, has the biggest low-income inhabitants within the metropolis.
It’s not solely college students that discover the rising housing costs, however adults as nicely.
San Jose resident María Martinez mentioned she struggles to make her month-to-month $2,500 hire on time. Martinez, who’s a single mom of three youngsters mentioned it is usually troublesome for her to afford different requirements.
“It’s so difficult to try to make ends meet, more so when you are a single mother of three,” Martinez mentioned in Spanish. “I’m trying to make the rent payment on time. I can’t afford groceries and rent at the same time.”
Her neighbor Elvira Alvarez mentioned she can be involved about rising housing costs. Alvarez lives in East San Jose and acquired her home within the late Nineteen Nineties. Whereas Alvarez is a home-owner, she worries for her neighbors, who must pay plenty of hire.
“The prices have changed a lot in recent years,” the 71-year-old mentioned in Spanish. “I won’t say back then it was definitely more affordable than today.”
“I am grateful for buying a house before all of these absurd prices,” she mentioned. “If this continues, the people in the community won’t have places to live.”
Angelique Alvarez Martinez is a member of the category of 2026 at San Jose Excessive Faculty.
