A recent Wall Street Journal article titled "Tight Finances Force More People To 'Double Up'" recently caught our attention. The article stated that due to the economy, more and more families are finding it necessary to live together to save money and deal with the high costs of rent and owning a home. According to the article: "This year, about 30% of adults, 69.2million people, are living in doubled-up households, compared with 27.7%, or 61.7 million, in 2007...."
Here in Santa Barbara many families are forced to "double-up" because of the high cost of living. Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara has partner families who previously lived in converted garages and two-bedroom apartments shared by two families because that was the only way they could afford to live in the community that they worked in and where their children went to school. Habitat for Humanity firmly believes that children and families thrive when they have a place of their own, and this article hightlights the need to build and provide affordable, low-income housing that allows family to have a safe, decent, and affordable home to call their own.
