A new analysis reveals that high rents are the primary driver of the Bay Area's severe homelessness crisis, not poverty or unemployment. - Bay Area counties rank in the top 1% of rental costs nationwide, with median rents from $2,200 to $2,800 per month.
- The region has more than twice the national average of homelessness per capita, with over 38,000 people affected. - Experts blame decades of sluggish housing construction and political forces for the crisis.
The findings challenge common assumptions about the causes of homelessness in the region.