By Amelia Naughten and Julia Xia, Staff Writers
While walking through the streets of Millbrae, “for sale” signs flood my vision; while at the same time I see tents and blankets on the downtown streets. As a student and resident of Millbrae, I’ve noticed a discrepancy between the increasing population and the changes that should accommodate this influx of people. Unfortunately, this imbalance puts Millbrae’s future in a perilous position.
Recently, inflation has become more prevalent, especially in the real estate market. Here in the Bay Area, the average cost of housing is around one million dollars. However, in Millbrae, a small residential city within the Bay Area, the cost of an average house has boomed to an estimated $2,000,000 according to Redfin. These absurd prices must be lowered; otherwise, if this trend continues, I fear that it will result in the formation of a dull, uniform demographic lacking in diversity and equity.
An obvious issue with the outrageous prices is that the average person’s salary isn’t enough to keep up with it. Nowadays, the average person in California makes around $80,000 annually. Normally, this would be enough to live in the Bay Area; but those dreams have long since crumbled. Recent projections by the Property Club, an organization that appraises the cost of housing, estimates that you’d need to make over $400,000 a year if you want to qualify for a $2,000,000 mortgage.
Upon first notice, you understand that it’s a lot of money; but do you really know what that means? It means pressuring youth to resort to undesirable professions outside of their interests. It means discouraging professions in the arts due to the often unpredictable nature of those salaries. Professions that meet this quota are in the top 2% of income earners in America’s workforce, including heart surgeons, CEOs, lawyers, or even being the US President. This situation creates unrealistic expectations for youth and others looking to live in Millbrae.
On top of that, many young adults begin working at low-rate jobs paying minimum wage, making home prices in Millbrae far out of their reach. If these prices keep increasing, youth will be hesitant to look for a home in Millbrae. Similarly, minorities that have been systematically put to financial disadvantages are less likely to afford homes in Millbrae. Both of these bring us closer to a future where Millbrae will become populated with the same rich generational families year after year, thereby creating a community void of different cultures, ideas, and practices.
In school, this manifests as a decrease in student exposure to people from different backgrounds. By destroying the diversity in Millbrae, many students will lose empathic experiences that are crucial to understanding what true equity and compassion are. As a current student at Mills High School, it appalls me that the efforts to diversify at my school will be diminished, and the next generation of students at my school, who will be future voters and people in power, could end up lacking a multifaceted, equitable perspective on life.
On the bright side, many people believe that the new low-income housing near the BART station will solve the housing crisis. With the new apartments, low-income families will be able to comfortably afford a place to live. While I commend the city on bringing focus to the housing crisis, it must also be acknowledged that with the new units being right next to the BART station, office spaces, the freeway, the airport, the Caltrain station, and a hotel, there is going to be a lot of toxic pollution. However, this can be easily combated by incorporating more low-income housing into established residential neighborhoods. This way, affordable housing can become available throughout the city rather than being concentrated in one area, thereby alleviating the intensity of congestion there.
Still, there is some controversy over this solution, as many residents feel that the influx of strangers near them is unsafe. In this respect, another solution to the problem of pollution would be to fund more environmentally conscious infrastructure, like consistent sidewalks, frequent bus stops, or pedestrian overpasses, such as the walkable bridges built above streets in Japan. Furthermore, funds could be derived from raising taxes on owners of unused property, which also serves to encourage homeowners to sell or rent their property.
Ultimately, if we want to keep the colorful Millbrae community alive, it needs to accommodate everyone, meaning creating neighborhoods that every demographic can thrive in. Although this may not directly concern you at the moment, if left unattended, it will impact all of our lives and future generations to come with devastating, inequitable results. So in that light, it is imperative that Millbrae residents and council members work together to advocate for modern housing solutions to protect the bright future of our town.
