Submitted by ProdigyofOne t3_10f9gji in Washington
I'm currently in good ole Texas, something I need help understanding about Washington. I can make it on SSI here just alright I'm not complaining with my studio apartment, I could even rent an affordable low income small in some areas of Texas. My question is How do people only on SSI in Washington live?! Everything is a thousand plus even for the smallest of places, people on disability what exactly do you do?
Lot of towns in eastern Washington that ain't as cheap as they used to be
That is true, sadly.
Having a bunch of roommates crammed into one space is the only way. Source: me.
I hate this so much. My most traumatic events have come from roommates. It's not enough that my income is low, it keeps me in emotional danger by having to live with people.
Yep. People constantly stealing your shit, invading your space, getting you sick, keeping you up at night, and picking fights for no reason will make you mentally ill. The problems of being poor just compound on eachother.
When volunteering on the phones at my local foodbank, we had tons of clients where the person who owned the house had to take in roommates to pay their mortgage, taxes and insurance to afford to keep their home once they’d retired So damn sad.
Stay in Texas there is no housing, and no affordable at all. I work my ass off as a long haul truck driver to pay for where my wife and I live.
Roommates, family or eastern Washington. It’s extremely difficult.
Live in the middle of the Eastside of the state
Not a great idea, crime is high here and the prices keep getting higher.
Unfortunately that’s the whole state
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Construction pays well
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I’m a commercial electrician. It’s a five year apprenticeship but I’m currently making $74/hour. They start you off mid 20s.
Are you union? I'm a commercial electrician (apprentice, non union) in Oklahoma but journeymen only get around $30/hr so i thought about relocating once I'm a journeyman myself
Yes I am union. Depends on the local on pay. Seattle local pay is one of the highest in the country.
Try asking this over at r/Spokane definitely lower cost of living and they might have some more specific answers for you.
Washington is a small state, and there’s only one housing market where all housing is identical. Everyone on SSI moves to Texas.
Not everyone on SSI, I'm not sure if u trying to diss Texas but idc if u are I'm not from here.
This guy is being a dick. Ignore him. Housing is expensive and I am not sure if people only on SSI actually can make it here. I've lived on both ends of the I-5 corridor, and it's pricey. As another said, eastern WA is a different place, more affordable. Lots of smaller towns with fewer and further between bigger towns (Yakima, Spokane, etc.)
There are always a few of these assholes. “Don’t move here it’s terrible” he’s just being a troll.
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Half of Washington is cheap (the Eastern half)
Download Zillow, the southern east side of Washington has a lot of low income apartments that look fairly decent. They’re all in the 700ish range from what I’ve seen.
Part of Washington is beautiful, green and progressive, the other part is barren, sunny and cheap (more similar to Texas)
As the days go by, eastern wa is no longer cheap.
I know some people that live near Spokane. They have jobs in the city. Hot there in the summer!
Yakima, Pasco, Kennewick, Richland, Moses Lake. Lots of sage brush and sunshine.
It is very difficult for so many people on fixed incomes. The state is finally beginning to talk about it. Today I read the perfect phrase for the situation "Rent Gouging".
Most the west coast is experiencing a housing shoratage. But common, man! $1500 for a 500 SQFT, one bedroom 2 hours outside of Seattle, landlords insisting your total monthly gross income is three times your rent? People make $4500/mth can't afford homes, now they are stuck in a tiny mold ridden apartment. It is very frustrating and a major factor to our increasing homeless situation.
A few Tenant Unions are forming. No one has the guts to vote in rent control. It works on the East coast and it is overdue on the West.
Most if not all counties have some form/amount of subsidized housing. Not enough, generally, but some - In my county the wait time to get into one of these apartments is over 5 years. Google the county you want housing in along with "area agency on aging". You should come up with an office you can call to get a list of the subsidized housing options in that county. Although it's titled aging, most of them also serve people with disabilities as well. I worked at one, and got lots of calls from people on SSI who were having to become homeless and/or move away. It was (and still is) really sad.
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Yeah, Eastern WA may be cheaper but not cheap. Most 1 bedrooms here are going for 1K -2.5K a month. There is almost no housing here to begin with. If you haven’t bought a house 20 years ago you’re Probably not going to. I wouldn’t mind moving to TX if I could find a good job in my field.
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Our property taxes make everyone run for the hills.
Texas property taxes are twice as high as WA.
There’s plenty of more affordable places, just go south or to the peninsula or literally anywhere outside the I-5 corridor and there’s probably some affordable apartments.
Remote workers and AirBnB have gobbled up that supply. Aberdeen, one of the most depressed areas, has four listings (five units) with only one renting for less than $1,200.
There isn’t much around here in the dirty deen. There’s one for 500k and they must be on crack cause it’s tiny, on a Main Street, down on the flats and not in a good neighborhood.
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Not on SSI, but moved here from Texas in 2021. It’s nuts. I make 6 figs and still have no idea if I’m going to be able to afford a home (currently renting a tiny apartment). I really feel for people on a fixed income, working hard to make ends meet, in SSI, immigrants, etc. I heard that Seattle was accepting Afghan refugees a few years back and was stoked. Then I was like, wait, this is like one of the highest CoL areas in the country…
ChickenBootty t1_j4vioyq wrote
They live in the smaller towns and/or eastern WA.
A lot of times they live with family or roommates.