         
|
|
|
|
1st appeared
12
June 2000
Housing Crunch Requires Creative Solutions If home is where the heart is, then chances are you’ve left or will leave yours outside San Francisco.
Fortunately for David Delfiner, a senior recreation supervisor for UCSF’s Millberry Programs & Services, he didn’t have to go too far. He’s one of a few UCSF employees who are living on Treasure Island, property leased to the city from the US Navy for seven years. Originally created in 1938 to host the Golden Gate International Exposition, the man-made isle last year began renting its renovated housing to the public. As part of the San Francisco Consortium of Higher Education, UCSF jumped at the opportunity to offer faculty, staff and students priority access to former military housing on Treasure Island and at the Presidio. A year ago Delfiner was unwillingly thrust into San Francisco’s real estate feeding frenzy after the Sunset District home he had been renting for seven years was put up for sale by its owner. For anyone who has ever had their home sold out from under them, it’s a scary situation -- especially in today’s tight housing market, where property prices have gone through the roof and competition is fierce. "I felt like I was being displaced. I thought I was going to be homeless if something didn’t come up," recalls Delfiner, a UCSF employee for ten years. "I looked to buy, but it was the worst possible time and I don’t like competing with people who are bidding $20,000 over the asking price." Today, Delfiner and two housemates rent a four-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom house with views of the city for $2,000 a month. While the number of bathrooms, backyard and ample parking are considered luxuries by city standards, the rent is affordable for three. Although Delfiner reports his rent increased by 2.9 percent this year, Treasure Island housing is still considered a bargain compared to San Francisco’s market-rate rental units. Rental listings this week show a three-bedroom house in the Excelsior District rents for $2,000. For $2,200 a month, renters can move into a three-bedroom house in nicer neighborhoods in the outer Richmond or Portola districts. At these monthly rates, however, renters better have two incomes, big bank accounts or rich relatives. "Looking for roommates is probably the most difficult thing to do," Delfiner says. "You’re competing against maybe a hundred other people and you have to fit in with their needs. If you want to get a place by yourself, you’re talking a minimum of $1,000 a month for very limited space and that’s probably not in a good neighborhood." Part I - Housing Crunch Requires Creative Solutions Part 4 - Weighing Other Alternatives Links: Source; Lisa Cisneros, Newsbreak Editor |
||
|
DAYBREAK | ARCHIVES
| CALENDAR
| CAMPUS NOTES Copyright ©2000 Regents
of the University of California. All rights reserved. |
||
