Employed Individuals and Families Face Homelessness Amid High Rents

2025-11-16

The BareStory

A number of working individuals and families in the United States are experiencing homelessness despite being employed, according to recent reports. The primary factors cited are a combination of low wages, soaring rental costs, and poor credit scores, which can prevent people from securing traditional rental housing.

As a result, many are compelled to live in precarious situations, such as extended-stay hotels that charge high rates. One report profiled several affected families, including a family of five that spent $17,000 over eight months in a hotel and a single mother who pays $375 per week for a room. These hotels were described in one account as being substandard. The living situations also create employment challenges; one mother reportedly continued working through a cancer diagnosis to afford her room, while another was flagged for noise while working remotely.

Brian Goldstone, an author who has researched the topic, has described the situation as a "big business of homelessness." According to Goldstone, some extended-stay hotels exploit their tenants' desperation by charging double or triple the price of a regular apartment. He also asserted that some Wall Street investors contribute to housing instability by purchasing rental properties and filing for eviction immediately after a missed payment.

Left Perspective

Employment is insufficient to secure stable housing.
People are forced into expensive, substandard living conditions.
The situation creates significant personal and professional hardships.

Right Perspective

A profitable "business of homelessness" has emerged.
Some extended-stay hotels are accused of exploiting tenants.
Certain investors are said to contribute to housing instability.

Left Perspective

• Employment is insufficient to secure stable housing. Despite holding jobs, a number of working individuals and families find themselves without a home. The article states that a combination of low wages, prohibitively high rental costs, and poor credit scores prevents them from being able to secure traditional rental housing.

• People are forced into expensive, substandard living conditions. As a result of being locked out of the rental market, many are compelled to live in extended-stay hotels that charge high rates. One family of five spent $17,000 over eight months in a hotel, while a single mother pays $375 per week for a room, with these accommodations described in one account as substandard.

• The situation creates significant personal and professional hardships. The precarious living arrangements add immense stress and make it difficult to maintain employment. One mother reportedly had to continue working through a cancer diagnosis to afford her hotel room, and another individual working remotely was flagged for noise complaints, jeopardizing her job.

Right Perspective

• A profitable "business of homelessness" has emerged. According to author Brian Goldstone, who has researched the topic, the situation has created a business model that capitalizes on housing insecurity. He describes it as a "big business of homelessness" that preys on the desperation of working people without stable housing.

• Some extended-stay hotels are accused of exploiting tenants. Goldstone asserts that certain hotels take advantage of their tenants' lack of options by charging rates that are double or even triple the price of a standard apartment. This is presented as a direct exploitation of people in vulnerable situations.

• Certain investors are said to contribute to housing instability. The author also alleges that some Wall Street investors are a contributing factor to the problem. He claims these investors purchase rental properties and then file for eviction immediately after a tenant misses a single payment, which exacerbates housing instability.

How it may affect me

As a U.S. reader:

• You may struggle to secure traditional rental housing despite being employed, due to a combination of high rents, low wages, and poor credit scores.

• A market of high-priced extended-stay hotels is emerging as a costly alternative for those unable to find standard apartments.

• Certain investment practices, such as filing for eviction immediately after a missed payment, may increase your risk of losing rental housing.

Employed Individuals and Families Face Homelessness Amid High Rents

The BareStory

Left Perspective

Right Perspective

How it may affect me

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