Commuters Not by Choice

Most of them come into Orange County each day by auto, driving alone in their cars. Some car-pool. A few ride the bus or train. They are commuters living in Riverside, Los Angeles, San Bernardino and San Diego counties and working here.

For about 128,000 of them, however, according to the latest statistics compiled by the Fair Housing Council, the daily trip is not one that they make by choice. They are forced onto the freeways because of the lack of affordable housing in Orange County, victims of the cause and effect that many residents fail to connect when they hear about traffic congestion, air pollution and the high cost of housing.

These unwilling commuters have no choice. In Orange County the cost of rental units continues to climb faster than growth in incomes, and apartments are becoming more difficult to find, especially affordable ones. An estimated 42% of Orange County residents now rent; the current average rent is $756 a month for a non-luxurious two-bedroom unit and $947 for a three-bedroom rental. The Orange County Annual Survey released last Monday reports that 37% of the county’s renters pay more than $750 a month for housing.

The vacancy factor is around 4% and dropping. It is expected to soon fall below 2.5%, close to a “nil” vacancy factor that keeps rents high and out of reach--even if an apartment can be found.

The situation is no better for commuters seeking to buy homes here. New-home prices are among the highest in the nation, and they are still climbing. The 11th Annual Chapman College Economic Forecast--compiled by James Doti, acting president of the college, reports that the median resale price of a single-family home in Orange County rose more than 20% this year and predicts that it will go up another 11% in 1989.

And about three out of every four people in the county are paying more for housing than they can really afford.

The lack of lower-cost housing in Orange County explains why the labor market here is drying up, why some firms are deciding to locate or relocate elsewhere, why air pollution and traffic congestion are growing worse--and why at least 128,000 people who work in Orange County but can’t afford to live here are being forced onto the freeways each day, adding to all those problems.