Limited rental choices: Low-income families try to keep up with Del. rent, By Eric Ruth, August 28, 2012, News Journal: “Up and down Delaware and across the nation, the housing market is seeing new vitality. Sales are starting to edge up, builders are beginning to see hope, and for many, the dream of homeownership seems closer to reality again. Yet for thousands of other Delawareans, a different kind of housing crisis continues, with no solution in sight. Even as the state enjoys a renewed sense of energy in the market for single-family homes, the supply of apartments that lower-income Delawareans can afford continues to dwindle, even as rents continue to rise, leaving thousands struggling day by day to keep a roof over their heads…”
Day: August 29, 2012
Youth Unemployment – France
As youth unemployment soars, France offers to let companies hire young people on its dime, Associated Press, August 29, 2012, Washington Post: “The French government wants companies to hire young people so much that it’s offering to pick up the tab. The new Socialist president, Francois Hollande, told his Cabinet Wednesday that he wants to wage a war on unemployment and unveiled a plan for the government to pay most of the salaries of tens of thousands of young people hired next year. Unemployment in France is 10 percent, but nearly 23 percent for those under the age of 25. That’s an imbalance that many European countries are struggling with: In Spain, youth unemployment is over 52 percent; it’s 34 percent in Italy…”
Low-Income Seniors – San Francisco, CA
Low-income seniors struggle in S.F., By Kevin Fagan, August 26, 2012, San Francisco Chronicle: “Beverly Brumfield worked hard all her life, but she didn’t really know hard until the golden years hit. She had no savings. She was alone. Her Social Security check didn’t cover rent. It’s a very American story, with federal statistics showing that a quarter of the country’s senior citizens are poor, a third say it’s hard to meet monthly expenses, and nearly half say they have housing problems. In some places, this translates into cramming in with family, or at worst, homelessness…”