It is the day before Christmas. Christmas Eve is my birthday. I have now reached my 54th year of life on this earth. Here is where I am at now, and how my 2023 has gone:
My journey in my new city of Sacramento, which began in the fall of 2022, continues.
I continue to stay in a homeless facility.
I have been homeless in five states, including California, at various periods in my life. The majority of homeless people I have seen have had some sort of issues with addiction, be it drug addiction, alcoholism, etc., but many times, poverty and the loss of a job has been to blame, and I am seeing more and more of the latter this time around. Nationwide, since the COVID pandemic, price gouging in rental properties has been a huge concern. California is an extremely expensive state in regards to cost of living.
According to HUD, the fair market rent for a studio apartment in Sacramento (the 2024 estimate) is $1543. Last year it was $1277. And Sacramento is among the less expensive places in California to live.
In comparison, according to HUD, the fair market rent for a studio apartment in Oakland is $1825. Last year it was $1658.
Fair market rent for a studio apartment in San Francisco is $2292. Last year it was $2156.
I challenge you to show me ANYONE making under $20 per hour who can afford even $1500 per month comfortably for an apartment.
But California is not alone. For comparison I’ll just post the numbers for Phoenix: Fair market rent, the estimate for 2024, for a studio apartment in Phoenix is $1460. Last year it was $1344. Compared to Oakland or San Francisco that’s low, but for Arizona, a state that traditionally has been one of the more affordable states, that’s dramatically higher than normal, and significantly higher than in 2020, when the FMR for a studio was $847.
The lack of affordability in rental housing is a big problem that’s contributing to the homeless crisis and the Federal government needs to take immediate action at the Federal level to bring these rental prices down.
I continue to look for employment, preferably with the state of California.
Obtaining a civil service job in California is frankly a nerve wracking and frustrating process. It is a difficult process that doesn’t need to be as difficult as it is. Fortune 100 corporations have significantly streamlined processes for applying to positions and those companies are able to attract highly competent and qualified people. And because of the aforementioned high cost of housing, it is simply not possible for me to consider any job that pays less than $20 per hour, so that I can have at least a fighting chance to afford to live in my own place here in Sacramento.
I continue to explore generative AI.
I served on a jury here in Sacramento for four days. The case was felony possession of drugs and a weapon with intent to sell. There were five counts. We found “not guilty” in one count and deadlocked on the rest; the judge declared a mistrial. The defendant was visibly relieved to the point of tears. The courthouse in Sacramento dates from the 1960s and is on its last legs. Its replacement is a state-of-the-art 20 story building a few blocks closer to the river which is about 90 percent complete. Jury duty is crazy. This is only the second time I have ever had to serve on a jury, the last was back in Phoenix several years ago on a DUI case (we found that guy guilty).
Outside of all of this, there is nothing new to report. I am waiting for word on whether I got one particular job or not with the state of California; that position begins in early February.
