SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Gavin Newsom held a roundtable discussion focused on housing and the rising cost of rent in California.
Three women invited to the discussion opened up about their struggle with affordable housing.
Taylor Desmangles, 27, stressed that, with rent being so high, there is no room for an emergency fund or time to focus on her mental health.
“I live with two other roommates who are also grown women. We all work full-time jobs. And yet, we must live together because we can’t afford to live on our own,” said Desmangles.
Megan Colbert is a single mother of a 2-year-old who experienced homelessness while pregnant. She told the governor that once she found a shelter, had her condition been worse, in a way, it would have been easier to get some of the services she was needing.
“You have to stay there until your baby is 3 months. But since I didn’t have a criminal record, I didn’t have a drug or alcohol problem, I couldn't get the help right away versus other people who [have those problems]. I was just homeless," Colbert explained.
Sarah Dillingham, 71, receives less than $1,000 a month and says if it wasn’t for affordable housing she would have to be a burden on a relative.
“I don’t want to be [a burden]. I want to live my life out to its full potential. I want to be able to have my pride, care about me, and not wake up living under someone else’s roof and someone else’s rules," Dillingham said.
Newsom's proposal to tackle the housing crisis includes $1.7 billion additional dollars in the state budget. He says the money would be used to jump start housing production and prevention.
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