Young people who choose to live in cars are increasing in America

It is a general perception that an American house has a space with a garden with enough space to compare with Japan. However, it seems that in America, in recent years, people who live in cars and small apartments are increasing mainly among young people.

Why it is becoming cool to live in your car - or a 150 - sq. Ft. Apartment - CSMonitor.com
https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2017/0821/Why-it-s-becoming-cool-to-live-in-your-car-or-a-150-sq.-ft.-apartment

In America, the values ​​of 'Do not own a house' are spreading, centering on the young generation. This seems to mean not only "to choose a rental housing without purchasing a house", but also a rapid increase in people who "live in a car".

28-year old woman "living" in the suburbs of Seattle Shona Nelson has a SUV type Ford Explorer as a stronghold. The rear seats are removed and equipped with a bed with an animal pattern blanket and there is a lamp to read a book in a lying down state. Mr. Nelson says he will fall asleep if he is convinced that he will not be kicking the parking violation or being towed. Mr. Nelson who started sleeping in a car from a year ago said, "Should I spend $ 1200 a month (about 130,000 yen) per month for apartment living probably not thrilled or should I spend $ 1,200 on a trip Is it talking? "


The rapid increase in homeless like Nelson's way of living in a car is not only a housing problem of rising house prices occurring in various parts of the United States, but also cut down necessary items to a minimumMinimalismIt is caused by the rise of the value of saying. For this reason, it is characterized not as a homeless situation where general low-income people are obliged, but as a new residence form in the middle class.

According to the survey, it is known that the 18 to 35-year-old generation tends to continue to live in rental houses over the previous generations. 74% of those who were between the ages of 18 and 35 in 2016 live in rental housing, which in 2000Generation XIt is said that generation exceeds 62% of the proportion which lived in rental housing. Changes in the lifestyle of young people are not limited to houses, consumption to meals, travel and recreation exceeds 20%, as opposed to expenditure on consumer goods and automobiles by less than 10%.

Sophia Borges, who teaches architecture at the University of Southern California, says, "I think the economic downturn has changed many people's lifestyles." Kim Henderson who was over $ 80,000 a year (about 8.8 million yen) as a marketing manager before Lehman shock is one who has greatly changed his life by depression. "I never found a job like before 2008," said Henderson, who said that such a job has gone to young people, now he is an administrator of the bar who wants an annual payment of $ 37,000 (about 410 It is said that he lives in a very small rental apartment in the center of Los Angeles. Mr. Henderson who lives in a quasi-room of four king size beds, because the average rent in Los Angeles is 1,500 dollars (about 165,000 yen), it costs only 685 dollars (about 75,000 yen) including the electricity bill Sometimes there seems to be enough disposable income to travel.


Among the series of trends "from mono consumption to consumption", changes in lifestyle that reduce the cost of houses that occupy a large cost in life and devote themselves to what is necessary for others are living in cars It seems to say that they are increasing people living in people and narrow apartments. Nonetheless, in the life of living in a car, there is no difficulty in procuring toilets and baths. Although only a few square meters of residence called "micro apartment" has appeared, it seems that the possibility of becoming mainstream will not be so high in the future due to problems related to the building related laws and regulations.

Some experts point out that changes in lifestyles based on changes in values ​​based on the young generation have circumstances that changes in technology are underpinning. If an automated driving car is put to practical use, it is expected that the commuting style will change dramatically, but there is a possibility that a lifestyle of "living in a moving body" may appear.