"OPINION – I never thought I would be living in my car or on my friend’s couch at this stage in my life. For decades, I worked as a nursing care professional and an active member and steward of SEIU 2015, dedicating my life to helping others heal and recover.
Today, I’m legally blind, unemployed, and homeless – not because I didn’t work hard, but because California’s housing system failed me. For seven years, I rented a single-family home from a corporate landlord who increased my rent by over $100 every year, while also charging me more than $300 monthly for water, garbage, and renter’s insurance. When I was severely injured on the job, affecting my eyesight and reducing my work hours, I began depleting my savings to pay rent. I dipped into my 401(k), skipped meals, and sacrificed everything to keep a roof over my head. My entire retirement is now gone.
Despite these sacrifices, when I paid my rent in full a mere three days late, my landlord refused my check and immediately began eviction proceedings. With no lawyer to represent me, the court sided with the landlord. The stress worsened my injury and my health deteriorated completely, causing me to lose my nursing job entirely. I ended up living in my car for months before finding temporary refuge on my friend’s couch.
This is the human cost of California’s housing crisis – not just homelessness, but cascading health crises, job loss, and shattered lives."