By Murtaza H. Baxamusa, Ph.D., AICP / San Diego UrbDeZine
As the economy improves, California’s affordable housing crisis is worsening. The average rent in California ($1,240) is almost fifty percent higher than the national average. This is pricing out our state’s low-wage blue collar workers, who have flat incomes and rising commutes. It would take a service worker in San Jose 20 years to save up enough to buy a home.
Unfortunately, government programs that help developers build affordable housing have barely met a fraction of the need. [Read more…]