House rents in the USA are skyrocketing and as a result, people have been forced to move out of their houses to live in their cars, go to gyms in order to bathe, and visit libraries to use the free wi-fi to save on the expenses of an internet connection. Last year, house rents in the country rose 24 to 28%. And while the government provides 1200 USD (96, 000 Rs.) as social security per month, a cheap rented house in an average residential area costs 1500 USD (1, 20, 000 Rs.) per month.
Therefore, people are now living in their cars, and the facility to take a bath at gyms is available for 40-50 USD a month, and a library’s membership provides a free wi-fi connection for the same amount. Money is hence spent on food only, to reduce which, the practice of fasting has grown as well, as it is considered good for health. The people, who are homeless but have a car to sleep in, are called ‘homeless elites’.
As per Maria Thompson, who is a housing attorney, who fights the cases of the poor, said that till 2020, 70 lakh Americans used to live in cheap rented homes, and now, after the exponential hike in house rents, it is being estimated that the number of people sleeping in their cars has risen to 5 lakhs. They park their cars in free public parking, as it is risky to park them in residential areas because people whose homes are close by to the parking, call the police.
