Housing Fiasco

Hey there! Just wanted to touch a little bit about the current housing issue. Having recently been in a very comfortable situation, I was relaxed and not worried about a roof over my head. You get comfy and secure in knowing that you have everything together. I mean, for the first time in my entire life I have lived at one address for just shy of 9 years, and believe me, it is a shock to think about it still. I do believe at last count I had roughly 50 different addresses over the course of my decades on Earth thus far. We do not have it bad here, the house is far from perfect, the neighborhood has it's entertaining moments, but the location and convenience and price are right. All in one swooping moment, chaos swept in a suddenly we were faced with having to find a new place to reside. Piece of cake right? Wrong! Forgetting that this country is in the throes of a huge financial crisis which is affecting jobs, housing, food, gas and everything else that you can think of. I dove head first into house hunting. And, let me tell you, I got a headache. Stress became the norm for me everyday. As the time grew shorter and my deadline was looming, my money was dwindling from paying for application fees deemed fair by greedy brokerage firms. They make money off of every application submitted and the fee is per applicant. Let us not forget the same lofty standards set by these companies that demand that your credit score be over 650, again per applicant as well as making 3 times the rental price. Now in todays' market, that is an averagerental price of $1900 per month, your monthly income has to be at least $5700. Get the hell out of here with that BS! I know people who have great jobs and do not make that kind of money. And here we are in the great state of Arizona where the cost of living does not raise to meet higher cost of living standards and do not forget that inflation rate in Arizona is than other states. Everything has gone up at an average of 1% monthly. Gone are the days of being able to talk to a homeowner and rent a place. Gone are the days of going into a rental community and filling out a reasonable application. What are we to do? Where do you go when faced with this? There are no easy answers and there are no easy solutions. On a personal level, I had of course the nagging thoughts that we would have to move in with someone, thusly splitting up the household. I had nagging thoughts of having to move so far away that all things including employment would be in question. I am sure that so many people are facing this situation. I am sure that so many people cannot afford to move. I am sure that is why the homeless community has become even more critical. I am sure that is why many now resort to living in their vehicles. I am sure that is why we are now allowing tent cities to pop up in Phoenix. I am sure that is why we are in a crisis that seems undending. What can be done? What can we do? I personally am waiting to see the market crash. I personally am waiting to see more desperate times. I personally am praying for the break that everyone so deserves. I am fortunate that I am no longer stressed about looking for a place, I now have a year to focus on that move. I am prepared now, this I know. So many others are not as fortunate and are desperately searching for a place to call their own, a roof over their heads and food in their bellies. Please keep everyone out there in desperation in your thoughts and prayers. Please be kind, you never know how close someone is to a breaking point. Please be a little more patient and be a little more understanding. If you see someone struggling, ask them if they are hungry, if they need water, if they need a list of community resources. A little goes a long way. One last note, remember to be grateful for what you have, you never know when it could be taken away from you. Remember to keep kindness in your heart. Remember to be focused and keep striving for your betterment. Thanks for listening. I leave you with peace and love always Ti