Bakersfield, Fresno, Visalia, and Riverside in California, which were formerly less expensive alternatives to pricier areas like the Bay Area, are no more safe shelters from the state’s affordable housing crisis.
As per statistics gathered by the real estate listings website Zillow, the average seeking rent in these formerly affordable neighborhoods has increased by as much as 40% since the pandemic started.
Another continuing consequence of the COVID-19 outbreak is the increase in rent in California. Starting in 2020, the densely populated coast of California had a population outflow because highly educated white-collar employees, unexpectedly freed from their jobs, grabbed their belongings in search of less expensive and socially connected ways of living.
The flood of new inhabitants seeking housing in numerous smaller California cities has increased the financial burden on low-income citizens, destroyed local real estate markets, and in certain cases, changed the politics around housing and pricing.