I am 68 years old. I am a grandmother. I am homeless.
I never imagined that at this point in my life I would be living in a hotel and being put on a waiting list, hoping that an affordable apartment would become available so I could finally have a safe and permanent place to call home.
According to a study released last year by UC San Francisco’s Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, seniors are the fastest-growing demographic among Californians experiencing homelessness. I am also among the 80% of homeless seniors who had housing before becoming homeless, whether due to loss of income, landlord conflict, or the high cost of housing in California.
In my case, it was the relentless harassment of my previous landlord and numerous building code violations in my apartment building that caused me to become homeless again. The city’s housing authority ordered me to vacate my home because my landlord refused to take care of numerous maintenance issues. Fortunately, the city placed me in the St. Joseph’s Center housing program and I have been living in the property for almost a year.
The city promised to give me a new affordable apartment, but so far nothing has happened. Why? There is hardly any affordable housing in Los Angeles.
In fact, affordable housing is virtually nonexistent for low-income seniors like me and others whose incomes are not enough to afford the government’s high housing costs.
Despite double-digit increases in homelessness across the state, despite the lack of affordable housing, and despite the fact that polls show homelessness is the most important issue facing Californians, the state has made very little progress investing in the housing that so many of us need. In 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom promised to build one million affordable homes by 2030. Two years later, the governor is still far from that goal.
To make matters worse, the state budget passed last month cut more than $1 billion from affordable housing and homeless assistance programs. California spends less than one percent of its budget on housing, despite needing about $18 billion in annual investments to solve the housing crisis.
Worse, state lawmakers recently refused to put on the November ballot Rep. Buffy Wicks’ proposed $10 billion affordable housing bond, which would have given a huge boost to the goal of building one million affordable homes across the state.
Initiatives like these can combat homelessness and housing insecurity and provide hope and stability to seniors and vulnerable populations. That’s why I strongly supported Proposition ULA in 2022, colloquially known as the “mansion tax,” to tax the wealthy and fund affordable housing in Los Angeles.
The state of California should follow suit and do its part. We have immense wealth and more billionaires here in California than almost anywhere else in the world. Taxing the wealthiest among us to fund housing solutions is not only common sense, it is also the morally right thing to do.
It is an investment in the future of our communities and ensures that everyone, regardless of age, race, or income, has access to safe and decent housing. This will help Newsom deliver on his promise to create one million affordable homes by 2030.
I have always believed in the saying: “You get what you pay for.” We cannot solve the housing crisis with cheap means.
Maria Briones is a member of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment and lives in Los Angeles.
