19 Apr I’ve Watched Antioch Go Downhill as Prices Go Up

Tenants and housing rights activist rally in opposition to rent hikes at the Casa Blanca Apartments in Antioch on July 21, 2022. (Kiley Russell / Bay City News)

Commentary, Arionna White

As I’ve transitioned over the last decade from a teen growing up in Antioch to a single parent raising her own kids in the same city, I have witnessed not only the downgrade in the neighborhoods and safety but also the rise in prices for basic necessities. 

Being the head of my own household, the bills became solely my responsibility. I was making $25 an hour, and working side jobs that boosted my income, such as DoorDash and performing. Even still, without child support, I would not have been able to live alone with my children. When I was a teenager, the amount of money I make now would have not only allowed me to afford a two-bedroom apartment, but I would not have needed to consistently pick up multiple jobs just to buy basic needs for my household. 

And I’m not the only one struggling with how expensive everything has gotten.

In just the last five years, Antioch has seen a huge increase in its homeless population. Downtown by the water and surrounding alleys that line the neighborhood have been filled with tents. Years ago, the area was known for its beauty and family attractions, with parks full of children playing; it is now overrun with homeless people of all ages. 

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Why is this? People are often split between a couple different reasons. Is it because the younger generation is not determined to work? Or has Antioch become unaffordable? In the past 10 years, the average rental price has almost doubled. In 2013 and 2014, you would have been able to rent a one-bedroom for around $850-950 and a two bedroom starting at $1,050-1,200. Back then, if you made $20-25 an hour, you could afford rent and still enjoy a stable lifestyle. 

Currently, in Antioch, the average rent price for a one-bedroom is $1,987; a two-bedroom is $2,232. To be approved for many apartments, you have to make 3.5 times the monthly rent, which for a one-bedroom would be $6,954.50 and for a two-bedroom, $7,812 — that’s around $83,000-$94,000 a year. 

With such high demands for income and most jobs not offering such wages, many Antioch residents have taken to doubling and tripling up in households to make rent. Many have taken to renting rooms for what used to be the price of a one-bedroom apartment — without the amenities. Most people who are able to live alone are living paycheck to paycheck and working more than one job to stay afloat. At almost 30 years old, for me, making almost $30 an hour is starting to feel like $10 an hour with the rise in prices. At $30/hour before tax, for an average 40-hour workweek, in a month, you would bring in $4,800, which still wouldn’t qualify you for anything more than a room for rent in the current housing market for Antioch. 

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People tell me, well, there is always housing assistance from HUD [the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development] and low-income properties. But those are hard to get and not much easier to afford. Checking income-based apartments, I found that not only are many full with a long waiting list that may not even be open, many are close to the same price as average apartments, around $1,700-1,900. In addition to rent, whatever you bring home after taxes must be able to cover bills, car expenses, insurance, gas, food, toiletries and any other needs your household may have, such as medications. 

In Antioch alone, people young and old are suffering from the rises in prices without rises in wages. Without some change, I could guarantee that in the next few years, most of Antioch’s community will be struggling to meet the basic needs of maintaining stability as long as housing prices are taking up the majority of their income. 

Where is the help? What can be done? One resource is Monument Impact, a nonprofit that helps organize tenant unions to create strong networks of support, advocacy, and building a stronger community amongst local neighbors. In Antioch, it has been working to make just cause for evictions an anti-harassment policy. In Concord, it is starting a guaranteed income program, which will provide $500/month to 120 low-income families, and trying to get a rent stabilization ordinance passed. Overall, Monument Impact is working to change policies so that housing is seen as a right and not a business, and it offers help across Contra Costa, bringing awareness and aid to low-income families. 

Housing should be a right for everyone, not something people have to fight for. I see young adults eating out of garbage cans and sleeping in apartment dumpsters because it is too cold outside and they have nowhere to go. Not everyone has a family to lean on, nor can everyone afford to have a decent lifestyle with the large rise in housing prices. As a community, can you really expect every age group to make over $40 an hour, or is Antioch just simply becoming unaffordable?