Living Crisis in The City That Never Sleeps

By N’zingha Cesar

The cost of living in The Big Apple has skyrocketed. In the last 4 years, It’s become almost impossible for middle-class families to rent or own a home.

Every year the rent and mortgages in New York increase. Although, the cost of living depends on where you live, New Yorkers across the board are paying increasingly high bills. Families lose their homes and are left figuring out where the next place to lay their head is. “ I went to renew my apartment lease and realized the rent was raised to $5,000 a month. It clicked to me that it’s time to buy a house and stop renting for that much,” says Nadine, a resident of Cunningham Heights.

Cunningham Heights Apartments has always offered reasonable rents (1 bedroom, for $1700 a month). But recently, residents have complained they can no longer reside there because of how high the rent is.

“I’ve lived in this apartment complex for 30 years and I’m questioning if I should stay here because every year I’m paying more and more for rent and it’s difficult,” says an anonymous resident .

The residents of Cunningham Apartments aren’t the first or only people to complain about rent increases in New York. According to Curbed New York, Queens’ median rent is now $2,850.

“I’m from New York, I love living here but I can’t stay here,” says Martha Johnson, a resident of Forest Hills, Queens.

Many relatives and other people who are New York natives who wouldn’t want to move anywhere else, now feel like they’re forced to leave because of the expense. The urge to leave Proves how unnecessarily expensive New York has become.

Seems like New York has become a city for just the rich.