Rental cost inflation due to illegal immigration?

Question

I live in Southern California where I experience rent increases on average of about 20% per year. I'm young and single, and not in any position to buy a home at this point, especially not at the absurd prices people want for them.

Question: Are we just going to let hordes of Mexicans come here until young professionals and young families are forced to live 20 people to a two bedroom house like the Mexicans because of unplanned population increases of poor slobs and a lack of available land to develop housing?

While increased demand for rent has come partially from the choice of potential home buyer's choosing to rent, I think it is a fraction of what 8 million illegal immigrants does to rental prices.

A majority, if not all illegal immigrants rent housing. They also pool their incomes between many individuals in order to obtain access to housing. However, while employers love the wealth these laborers create for them, the rest of us are all paying from the rental price increases due to the huge amounts of demand illegal immigrants bring to the market.

I don't think you can convince me that 8-12 illegal immigrants all demanding rental housing doesn't inflate costs for the rest of us law abiding US citizens who work hard, pay taxes, and are getting screwed.

Well, illegal aliens do serve some useful functions. They perform tasks that educated American citizens should be freed from having to perform, however the burden our free education, health care, police protection, etc. for them is way too high.

I think we need some kind of temporary worker program, and I mean TEMPORARY. They shouldn't put down roots and start families in this country. Just come here to work and send some money home and then let another Mexican who would love to come here have a turn.

As a white Californian I won't even be able to send my kids to public school, that I've paid for with my taxes, because 70% of the kids in school are hispanic. We shouldn't be giving a first world education to third world people.

Enough is enough. The rich have put all the burden of this illegal immigration on the middle class and I'm sick of being screwed by it. Why can't we create some extremely strict workplace verification tools and create a guest worker program. No more job magne

Answer 1

There are a LOT of factors contributing to inflation in California, but most of them can be attributed to government spending. If anything, illegal immigrants who are working for less than the inflated minimum wage are counterbalancing the effect and SLOWING the rate of inflation by providing underpriced labor.

The politicians understand this - and this is why they will not get rid of the illegals. There is still "bipartisan" support for amnesty.

Answer 2

DEFINITELY YES. Wow 20 percent a year is pretty hard. The rule is simple: more people - more demand - more inflation. Illegals are people, they need places to live. There's 12M illegal ie additionnal people in the US. Lots of these people don't have enough money or valid documents or confidence to buy a house so they rent massively. If they were not here more apts would be vacant causing less inflation. Same worry for houses: how much extra dollars must Americans pay for houses because illegals 'occupy' lots of them (lower end but still a house)? Maybe I should open my own question on that one...

Answer 3

While rental costs may seem high, try comparing housing costs for rentals with housing cost for owners. You may be surprised to find that it has been a better investment to rent than buy in the recent past. Also consider that housing speculation may have allowed the landlords to pass some of the abnormal housing price increases on to the renters. Read the following article for a view of why high housing prices were only good for the banks and mortgate lenders: http://www.a2dvoices.com/realitycheck/housing/

Answer 4

Then you go to Mexico and you can't buy property, only lease it. Why isn't Bush demanding that the Mexican government change it's rules to be fair to U.S. people who decide to live south of the border?

Could it be that people with wealth not only gain cheap labor, but at the same time succeed in pushing up their property values. What will happed if amnesty isn't passed? Not only will we all see increases in wages, we will also see housing become more affordable. The only losers will be the rich speculators.

Answer 5

You are so blinded by your extreme hatred, I don't think its possible to discuss anything with you. Others on here have explained the reasons for increases in rental rates, largely having to do with people who bought property that really cant afford it, who are now renting. Stop using Y/A for the purposes of venting your hatred. Where exactly is your question?

Answer 6

Rents are increasing because of increased demand as the housing market cools. Fewer people are able or willing to buy a home so are forced or choosing to rent.

Some factors behind this: banks tightening standards for mortgages as people who undertook risky mortgages defaulted, skittishness about interest rates, stagnant incomes in relation to home prices that skyrocketed quickly.

Please leave illegal immigrants out of it.

Answer 7

chicken feed for a huge united states of america like the united states of a. no one knows the fee or income from "unlawful immigrants" who pay taxes and get few advantages. We in basic terms see shrieking sensational headlines in newspapers attempting to entice shoppers.

Answer 8

Enough is enough, however unfortunately rich uninformed people in small numbers have more power than poor people in alarming numbers. Our gov. could give 2 craps about the lower/ middle class here. In their eyes we are as bad as the immigrants only want more money than they do, which of course makes US the bad guy. Not them.

Answer 9

Two thumbs up to just about EVERYTHING you said! I wish I could add you to my contacts but it won't let me and thanks for your response to my own question!

Answer 10

if you want it to be different contact your legislators