The 234 Apartment

David Engberg wheels through the third apartment he’s had in two years. PHOTO BY KARLOS RENE AYALA David Engberg and James Clark cling to their independence by a thread. Both men were born with cerebral palsy and live off Supplemental Security Income , or SSI—a stipend that puts them under the federal poverty line . So far, they’ve managed to keep a roof over their heads by splitting the cost of rent. But since the affordable housing crisis hit , the roommates have been priced out of two apartments in just two years. The stressful shuffling was witnessed by Jennifer Schmidt, their case manager at InAlliance, a nonprofit that provides employment and living services for people with disabilities. Advocates such as Schmidt are becoming increasingly alarmed by the way skyrocketing rents are affecting Sacramento County ’s 14, 000 disabled residents . Several independent surveys suggest Sacramento is experiencing some of the largest rent increases in the nation. Few feel those tectonic ma...

When Matt Metzger and Carly Wingert showed up to view apartments early Friday afternoon at a complex on the south end of town, the property management office was closed. Another tenant pointed them to the mailbox with applications they could take and fill out. But it was empty. So they were off to make more calls. They'd already looked at a couple of places, including one that still was under renovation. "The struggle is real," Wingert said, still cheerful nonetheless. "It's not easy at all," Metzger said. After looking at just a handful of units, they were already talking about how to adjust their budget and possibly work overtime to afford a suitable home.  Wingert and Metzger plan to finish their degrees at the University of Montana — he's studying wildlife biology and she's interested in literature and the environment. They're among a slew of students looking for housing around the same time. Despite all the construction that's been ...

Today, we wrap up our weeklong  Points Summer Book Club discussion of Matthew Desmond 's Evicted. The conversation is taking place on Facebook, in the Literary Dallas group . Joining the conversation is easy, but if you need instructions, this post should help. Here's today's topic of discussion: In Evicted , Matthew Desmond makes the case that the right to a decent home is part of what it means to be an American. And our eviction epidemic is challenging that: "Losing your home and possessions and often your job; being stamped with an eviction record and denied government housing assistance ; relocating to degrading housing in poor and dangerous neighborhoods; and suffering from increased material hardship , homelessness, depression, and illness — this is eviction's fallout," he writes on Page 298. He suggests solutions both small and big, from increased legal aid to outlawing discrimination against voucher holders to implementing a universal voucher prog...