Tragedy Underlines Housing Cost

The recent tragedy in Santa Ana, where three people lost lives in a house fire, again brings to the forefront the issue of overcrowding (“Fire Leaves Lives in Ruins,” Jan. 6).

In the various news stories covering the event, public officials expressed a desire to further limit the number of persons per dwelling. The officials’ argument is that with fewer people, there will be less potential for loss of life due to fires.

First, their argument ignores the cause of the deaths--safety hazards, not overcrowding per se. In the Santa Ana tragedy, it is equally possible that if only three people had resided in the house, they would have been overcome by smoke and perished.

Second, public officials should stop blaming those living in crowded conditions and focus on the real problem--lack of low-income housing.

Many public officials fail to understand that the housing situation facing most working families with low incomes in Orange County is very difficult.

Families are often forced to choose between paying for shelter or paying for items most of us consider basic family necessities. Once in that bind, some decide to live in crowded quarters rather than be homeless. Their choice is understandable.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities recently published a report in which Orange County was identified as having the worst record among 44 metropolitan areas for providing affordable housing. The report indicated that, on average, there are six low-income renters for every low-rent unit.

That figure is not surprising when we consider that the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Orange County is $779, and that one in five households in Orange County earns less than $22,961 a year (or $1,913 per month) before taxes. Even households with incomes between $25,000 and $36,700 (38% of the county’s population) struggle to meet rental payments which take 33% to 50% of their income.

Most nurses’ aides, preschool teachers, paralegals, sales representatives, secretaries and other workers whose income is below $36,700 are increasingly priced out of the rental market.

If we want to see an end to unsafe overcrowding, we must create safe, affordable housing for Orange County residents.

If we fail to increase affordable housing, or to increase the minimum wage to a living wage, we must accept overcrowding as a price of our priorities.

The choice is ours to make.

IVETTE PENA

Director of Litigation, Public Law Center

Santa Ana