NathanLiving In Vans
Millennials in the Bay Area have come up with strange ways to battle the soaring price ranges of aprtments there. There are many millennials that have decided to live inside their vans. Dwayne Golstein happens to be one of them. He works in Los Altos, California in a pathology firm. Golstein rented a 15-foot van he found on Craigslist to live in and he has a few complaints.
The Downside
“At least once a day I lose my mind. It’s low light, I’m tired, and I’m trying to get out of my clothes,” he admitted. “I’m loading up my laptop. Wait, where’s my phone? I just had my phone,” he went on, “Or I’ll cut up something to eat. Where are my utensils? You’re sitting basically on a bed where you can’t walk around and look. That’s the difficulty.”
Law Not Really Enforced
In most major cities, there are laws that prohibit people from living in their cars. In San Francisco, there is highly limited law which determines where and when you can live in your car. The San Francisco Municipal Police Code states that the “use of vehicles for human habitation” is prohibited in streets, parks, and beaches from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Banning This Practice
Recently, there has been an extensive effort made my these cities to combat van-dwellers. In 2014 alone, 81 cities had decided to be ban this practice. But Los Angeles had recently overturned the law after it was deemed unconstitutional. Will this lead to an increase in numbers of van dwellers? Was this a good or bad decision? Only time will tell.
Losing Weight
Look at this converted van. Who knew vans could become so appealing to live in? But it seems van-dwelling is far from ideal according to Golstein. He says that fooding and bathroom time has become quite restricted. “I mean, it sucks I can’t eat food unless I’m at work, or I go out and eat, buy something. I’ve lost some weight because I walk everywhere already,” he confessed.
Van Rent > Apartment Rent
“The back of the van, there’s a little stove, but I just think it would look odd at 2 o’clock in the morning for this guy to have smoke coming out of the back of the van in the neighborhood,” he further adds. In order for his phone and computer to get charged, he would often spend time inside coffee shops and cafes. The $250 per week price tag for van rent is far more favorable than the apartment prices still.