RVs Becoming the Only Affording Housing Around Washington

RVs used to be the vehicle of choice for those touring the United States by road. Now they are becoming the only affordable housing option is a region that continues to experience some of the most severe real estate price increases in the nation. The Washington region is also home to the nation's largest job growth. According to some estimates, over 70,000 jobs were created in the area last year, with the largest percent occuring in the professional and business sectors. Government contracting is at an all-time high, and some of these new workers cannot find an affordable place to call home except local campsites that offer long-term RV facilities. "Around here, you have to go so far for a $150,000 house, forget it," said Remi Bergeron, a a computer systems support engineer. "I don't even think there are any." Some campsites have become so popular as homes that they have had to start waiting lists. A similar phenomenon occured in Silicon Valley in the late 90s. "It's gotten old," said one RV homeowner in northern Virginia. "It's not how we expected to spend our life at this age."