Helping my daughter, a teacher, find a place to live in Tucson has been a real eye opener. Her complex notified tenants no renewed leases (renovating? rent increases?). So less than 60 days to find a place to live, 5 rental companies (never talked to a real person), and over $300 in application "fees," ($40 per application), you get a lockbox tour where the availability websites are not up to date. 20 plus attempts, we saw maybe 5. Like zombies, we wandered - apts were never really on the market more than 1-2 days. We had the financial means to deal with this, but how on earth do working families with limited means find housing? Teachers see rolled out sleeping bags in vans during morning student drop offs - this is not sustainable and people should be horrified? ashamed? How about both?
Susan Hansen
Northwest side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.