Affordability Crisis Hits First Responders
The high cost of housing in Silicon Valley is hurting first responders. Firefighters in Facebook’s home, Menlo Park (downtown above), are being forced to live farther away as prices make owning a home in the city unattainable. Fifteen of Menlo Park’s firefighters now live at least 100 miles away since they cannot afford a home in the immediate neighborhood, according to the Wall Street Journal. The long commute has some fearing emergency services won’t arrive at the scene in time if a disaster strikes.
Menlo Park fire chief Harold Schapelhouman has started giving out housing stipends ranging from $100 to $2k a month. Some tech firms have used similar strategies. (Facebook offers employees a one-time payment of $10k to $15k to move closer to work.)
While tech companies have contributed to equipment purchases and the addition of a new police officer in the past, they don’t plan on donating more to the police or fire departments. The trend represents a larger affordability problem in high-growth economic areas that’s pushing public workers such as teachers and nurses out of the communities they serve. Some are considering building housing for teachers.
Bay Area cities such as San Francisco have implemented bonus programs and are reassessing affordable housing requirements to address the housing crisis. [WSJ]
