The Cheapest Possible Housing in the San Francisco Bay Area

If you've ever tried to find a place to live in San Francisco, you might have noticed that it's incredibly expensive to find housing anywhere for a reasonable price. Due to the tech boom, the Bay Area now has one of the highest costs of living in the United States. Rent and housing prices have skyrocketed as tech worker salaries have increased and area cities have barred new housing developments.

As nearly impossible as it is to find a good place to live at a reasonable price in the city, we have found ways to find the absolute cheapest housing in San Francisco. These are the secrets that the greedy landlords do not want you to know.

The Mission District is one of the most popular places to live in San Francisco. But if you've tried looking for a suitable apartment, you might have noticed that they run in excess of $3000/month! That's a lot of coffee from the organic, free-trade, locally roasted coffee shop on the corner! What if there was a way to live in the Mission District without having to pay a dime in rent?

Meet the Rent Free SF movement. The movement, started by several college educated young adults, has established tent cities around the city. We took a visit to the tent city in the Mission District to ask how the living experience was.

"I love living here," said Adriana Macentyre. "I moved to SF about 2 weeks ago to start my new job as a barista at the coffee shop on Harrison Street. The wages are a lot higher here than San Leandro! I only needed to stop drinking coffee for 2 days to scrape together enough funds to buy my tent. I didn't want to have to commute as I don't have my drivers license and BART takes too long. Now I can afford to go to the same thrift shops my friends go to!"

"Tenderloin was an absolute mess," said Harold Newmeyer. "I had my shoes stolen the night I moved in. Now over here in the Mission District, that never happens (Harold was not wearing any shoes during this interview). Everyone here is so happy, it's almost like they are on drugs or something. Despite the occasional naked dude running around the place, I like it here better."

"I was paying half of the $5000 a month of the studio I was sharing with my 5 friends on Nob Hill," said Jillian Faller. "My dad stopped giving me money to live there so now we all live in the tents. He keeps telling me to get a job, but no one here appreciates my Art Deco Studies degree. But I got to say it's like we're camping every single day!"

Live free in San Francisco!
(Image Source: Jack Newton)

The group has not been without it's problems. Minor crime occurs within the tent cities, the most prolific being theft. Common items stolen include shoes, articles of clothing, gourd water bottles, and Macbook Pros. Several of the founders have left the tents as they "liked living homeless before it was cool." Mayor Lee has yet to make a statement on the group's existence, but landlords everywhere have been lobbying for the removal of the tents. The tents are expected to remain for a while though, as the locals seem to approve of their existence.

It's time to stop searching for the best deals on a deluxe studio. Stop bitchin and start pitchin! Live rent free today!