Fresno Feeling Stress of California Housing Crisis

Laura Bliss writes about rising housing costs in Fresno, a city in California's Central Valley where housing can seem like a bargain compared to cities in other parts of the state. "For seekers with a decent paycheck, as well some retirees and remote workers fleeing higher housing costs elsewhere, Fresno is a welcoming market."

But, notes Bliss, Fresno has long struggled with affordable housing issues. The low median household income, high poverty rates, and wide income gaps mean that many renters are rent burdened. The influx of wealthier residents has housing advocates concerned about gentrification and displacement of people unable to keep up with increasing rents in a tightening housing market. 

With more than 40,000 households on the county’s waiting list for subsidized housing and slow construction of affordable housing, no clear solutions are on the horizon. "From [resident Jeri] Alibrando’s perspective, a healthier local economy just seems to be pushing prices up, rather than putting more money in her pocket," writes Bliss.