1 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:05,760 Speaker 1: On a street shaded by big redwood trees on the 2 00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:09,680 Speaker 1: east side of Mountain View, California. White McGhee is inspecting 3 00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:13,440 Speaker 1: parked r vs. He's a police sergeant here a wealthy 4 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: town that same to Google one of the world's richest corporations. Yeah, 5 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:19,040 Speaker 1: and you can see and see how this all the 6 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 1: debris are on the windshield, the spider webs. I'll do 7 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:26,599 Speaker 1: my marking and I know what time you know that 8 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:28,680 Speaker 1: I've been here in general, right, And we give a 9 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:30,680 Speaker 1: lot of leeway. We don't come like on the hour 10 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:32,800 Speaker 1: of the third day. We actually typically give it like 11 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:35,400 Speaker 1: a fourth day. Um, and I'll come back and check 12 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:37,800 Speaker 1: on it and see if it's abandoned. Sergey McGee spends 13 00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:39,479 Speaker 1: a lot of his time knocking on the doors of 14 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 1: hundreds of our v's, lining the city streets, logging license plates, 15 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:46,519 Speaker 1: and marking wigs that haven't moved for several days. Yeah. Way, 16 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: and this one's unmarked. Yeah, this carter has been marked. 17 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 1: And then we'll go from there. We'll try to contact 18 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:53,680 Speaker 1: the person and warn him. And now we're get a 19 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:56,800 Speaker 1: ticket with and riding it's tobole. They get two of 20 00:00:56,800 --> 00:01:00,360 Speaker 1: those typically before we we tell although we do allier, 21 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:02,920 Speaker 1: you know, authority that to the first time. That's the 22 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:06,319 Speaker 1: last thing we want to do. These vehicles aren't abandoned 23 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 1: their people's homes. Mountain View is the center of Silicon 24 00:01:09,959 --> 00:01:13,240 Speaker 1: Valleys tech boom, and it's minting millionaires almost by the hour. 25 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:15,840 Speaker 1: But the byproduct of all this new wealth is that 26 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:18,200 Speaker 1: thousands of people are being forced to live in our 27 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:21,559 Speaker 1: vs across San Francisco and the Broader Bay Area because 28 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:24,480 Speaker 1: rent and house prices have risen so high. Living in 29 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 1: an r V used to be a cool life hack 30 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:30,399 Speaker 1: for a few iconoclastic Googlers, extending the Silicon value myth 31 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:33,160 Speaker 1: of sleeping under your desk and working out of a garage. 32 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 1: Now it's become an act of desperation and a symbol 33 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 1: of a housing crisis that can no longer be ignored. 34 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:43,720 Speaker 1: I'm per Gatkari and I'm Alistabar. You're listening to Decrypted. 35 00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 1: A small handful of Googlers have lived in our vs 36 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 1: on and off since the company's early days. I recently 37 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 1: spoke to one former Google and named Matt Weaver, who 38 00:01:56,320 --> 00:01:58,400 Speaker 1: did it in two thousand five. For about a year, 39 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:00,080 Speaker 1: I didn't have to live in an r V to 40 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 1: make and me I did at least a part because 41 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:06,200 Speaker 1: of it. There I had a new kind of uh 42 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:09,120 Speaker 1: tech job in the Bay Area that I was doing 43 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 1: perfectly fine at um and lived in an RV in 44 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:14,600 Speaker 1: non fall parts tipally to say that I had done 45 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:17,519 Speaker 1: such a thing, it was a fun thing. Back then, 46 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:21,240 Speaker 1: Google was a newly public company with about five thousand employees, 47 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 1: and Facebook wasn't much more than a dorm um project. 48 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:28,040 Speaker 1: Since then, things have changed dramatically. Google now has roughly 49 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:31,399 Speaker 1: a hundred thousand full time staff and tens of thousands 50 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:35,080 Speaker 1: of temporary and contract workers, and Facebook, which is headquartered 51 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:37,360 Speaker 1: just a few miles to the north, has about thirty 52 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:43,080 Speaker 1: five thousand employees. Then there's Uber, Lift, Airbnb, Palanteer, PayPal LinkedIn. 53 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 1: The list goes on. Nowhere near enough housing has been 54 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:49,639 Speaker 1: built to keep up, so home prices and rents have soared, 55 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:52,239 Speaker 1: and the result is thousands of people living in r 56 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:55,079 Speaker 1: v's in towns all over Silicon Valley. If I look 57 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:57,680 Speaker 1: at this road, if you just count with the naked eye, 58 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 1: it's one, two, three for five, six, seven, kind of eight. 59 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:07,440 Speaker 1: But then if if you include these ones, that's it's funny. 60 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 1: I counted about fifty in and around Google's campus on 61 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:13,720 Speaker 1: the eastern edge of Mountain View. The city has logged 62 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: almost three hundred Palo Alto, Berkeley and other Bay Area 63 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:20,360 Speaker 1: towns of similar numbers. The r vs are usually white 64 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:24,400 Speaker 1: or beige, and they either parked along leafy residential streets 65 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:27,960 Speaker 1: lined with detached suburban houses, or they're tucked away near 66 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:38,160 Speaker 1: office pocks. Hi, I'm sorry to bother. The knocked on 67 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:40,880 Speaker 1: the door of a cute ranch style house and one 68 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 1: long time resident was at home, so we chatted for 69 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:46,320 Speaker 1: about half an hour on his front porch. Across the street. 70 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 1: There are about ten RVs. Nice guy works over at Google, 71 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:53,840 Speaker 1: comes over, shakes my hand, says Hi, offers me a beer. 72 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:56,200 Speaker 1: He's just going to be living out of it. Girlfriend 73 00:03:56,200 --> 00:03:58,200 Speaker 1: would come by at four o'clock and go up on 74 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:02,040 Speaker 1: top and do sunbathing. We always joked it is what 75 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 1: it is, and and that was that of all of 76 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 1: the r vs. Maybe that's of what it is. The other, however, 77 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:17,400 Speaker 1: is a pure um and everyone has the same tagline. 78 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:22,039 Speaker 1: It's too expensive here for them to get um, you know, 79 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:25,240 Speaker 1: the house or an apartment or whatever it is. He 80 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:29,080 Speaker 1: sounds like he's accepted the situation, but he's had mixed 81 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:32,080 Speaker 1: feelings about the RVs for some time. Google keeps taking 82 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 1: care of my home value. It keeps going up. Thank 83 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:39,680 Speaker 1: you Google, But um, you know with that you don't 84 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:43,760 Speaker 1: want the crime. I gotta. I got a kid. This year, 85 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:46,760 Speaker 1: tensions between homeowners and the people living in the r 86 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:50,480 Speaker 1: vs has boiled over. In March, the nearby community of 87 00:04:50,560 --> 00:04:54,240 Speaker 1: Berkeley voted to ban RV parking on public streets, and 88 00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:56,920 Speaker 1: a few weeks later, Mountain View followed with a ban 89 00:04:57,000 --> 00:04:59,600 Speaker 1: of its own. In the lead up to that vote 90 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:03,159 Speaker 1: in b a city council meeting devolved into a screaming match. 91 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:05,800 Speaker 1: Would you like us to discuss the r V item 92 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:08,360 Speaker 1: or not? Would you like us to discuss the RB 93 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:11,479 Speaker 1: item or not? There's so much anst around this issue 94 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 1: right now. One day, when I was looking at a 95 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:16,640 Speaker 1: local news website, I spotted a comment from a Mountain 96 00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:20,159 Speaker 1: View resident which said stop feeding the bears, as in 97 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:22,520 Speaker 1: the r V dwellers are bears that should be removed. 98 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:25,000 Speaker 1: So I set out to talk to our V dwellers 99 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 1: and hear their stories. What I found, of course, is 100 00:05:27,839 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 1: that they're not animals. Despite what that amount of View 101 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:33,600 Speaker 1: isn't wrote. They're often well educated, hard working people who 102 00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:36,120 Speaker 1: would be living in a comfortable apartment or small house 103 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:39,160 Speaker 1: in almost any other part of the US. Mountain View 104 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:42,160 Speaker 1: officials have checked the data, and contrary to the perception 105 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:45,120 Speaker 1: of some homeowners, there's no evidence that our V dwellers 106 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 1: are committing crimes at a higher rate than other residents. Still, 107 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:51,960 Speaker 1: Googlers who live in our vs are keeping a low 108 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:55,320 Speaker 1: profile these days. I put letters on windshields of about 109 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:58,520 Speaker 1: twenty r vs around the company's headquarters campus asking them 110 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:01,400 Speaker 1: to get in touch. There's sometimes a telltale sign they 111 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:04,400 Speaker 1: work for the Internet giant. You can often see one 112 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:07,120 Speaker 1: of those multicolored Google bikes part next to an RV, 113 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:10,240 Speaker 1: so the inhabitant can jump on and cycle to the office. 114 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:17,640 Speaker 1: Put my letter there as well. There we go. The 115 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:20,799 Speaker 1: thing to do is you pop it under the windscreen wiper, 116 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:25,560 Speaker 1: rather than obviously knock on the door and disturbed them. 117 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:32,320 Speaker 1: Is only in the morning right now, so people probably 118 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:36,080 Speaker 1: haven't got up yet. A few days later I got 119 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:39,359 Speaker 1: an email from an anonymous address. It said, our group 120 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:43,240 Speaker 1: tries to stay discreet avoiding media inquiries, but we understand 121 00:06:43,279 --> 00:06:46,039 Speaker 1: the importance of having our narrative told I recommend you 122 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:49,360 Speaker 1: reach out to Van Dweller's at Google dot com. When 123 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:51,960 Speaker 1: I emailed that official company address, I got no reply. 124 00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:55,920 Speaker 1: There is a Googler who calls himself Brandon S who's 125 00:06:55,960 --> 00:06:59,200 Speaker 1: been blogging about his experiences, but he tends to focus 126 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:02,040 Speaker 1: more on financial planning advice, such as how to buy 127 00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:04,720 Speaker 1: a house elsewhere while you save money living in a 128 00:07:04,839 --> 00:07:07,440 Speaker 1: vehicle in Silicon Valley. And he didn't want to talk 129 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:10,280 Speaker 1: to us for this podcast, but I was able to 130 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:13,200 Speaker 1: talk to other people currently living in r v's. On 131 00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 1: a sunny spring afternoon, I met up with a guy 132 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:18,960 Speaker 1: called Sam about a hundred yards from Google's headquarters. Hello, 133 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:22,680 Speaker 1: how are you? Sam's forty one and he spent most 134 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:25,200 Speaker 1: of his career in I T but he currently drives 135 00:07:25,200 --> 00:07:28,200 Speaker 1: for Lift. His wife, Linda, works at a big drug 136 00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:31,480 Speaker 1: development company in Silicon Valley. Sam looks like any other 137 00:07:31,520 --> 00:07:34,560 Speaker 1: tech nerd. He had a sharp haircut, wore trendy jacket 138 00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:36,920 Speaker 1: and expensive jeans, and he rode up to me on 139 00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:40,400 Speaker 1: an electric scooter with a high end action camera attached 140 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:46,560 Speaker 1: to his chest. Scooter. Yeah, runs, that's pretty cool, I 141 00:07:46,600 --> 00:07:52,200 Speaker 1: think so. Uh so you live around around here? Well 142 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:55,240 Speaker 1: in the r v s, So yeah, on literally on 143 00:07:55,280 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 1: this road or um. Some days we're right now, just 144 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:04,200 Speaker 1: on the other side, um over between, like the Yahoo building, 145 00:08:04,840 --> 00:08:09,520 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, the YouTube building and the Google Maps forget 146 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 1: the Sam and Linda used to own a house in Sacramento, 147 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:15,800 Speaker 1: but they sold and moved when Ninda got that new job. 148 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:19,600 Speaker 1: Once they arrived, they found out they couldn't afford rent. 149 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 1: This is despite a combined income of roughly a hundred 150 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:26,320 Speaker 1: thousand dollars a year. In most places, you live like 151 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:28,560 Speaker 1: a king on that, but here it's very hard to 152 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:30,920 Speaker 1: make ends meet if you want to also build rainy 153 00:08:30,960 --> 00:08:33,320 Speaker 1: day savings, as we're all told we're supposed to do, 154 00:08:33,920 --> 00:08:36,240 Speaker 1: And we just did the math when we were, you know, 155 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:38,400 Speaker 1: renting a room and we could kind of stay afloat, 156 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:41,880 Speaker 1: but there's no way to save any money for retirement 157 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:45,400 Speaker 1: or the future at all. We just be floating and 158 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:48,959 Speaker 1: then at some point rent prices will go beyond our 159 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:53,800 Speaker 1: ability to pay. Turns out living without a permanent address 160 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:57,679 Speaker 1: is complicated. We agreed to change Sam and Linda's names 161 00:08:57,880 --> 00:09:00,400 Speaker 1: because they're afraid that if Linda's employer find out she 162 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:03,080 Speaker 1: lives in an RV she'll be fired. It's a very 163 00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:06,760 Speaker 1: gray area living out of a out of an rv UM. 164 00:09:08,640 --> 00:09:13,000 Speaker 1: There's big litigation on whether or not it's even legal 165 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:16,080 Speaker 1: to live out of an RV and have a bank 166 00:09:16,120 --> 00:09:19,720 Speaker 1: account and things like this. So once you become homeless, 167 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:24,400 Speaker 1: it's very difficult to become unhomeless. That's because if you 168 00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:27,640 Speaker 1: don't have a traditional address, it's impossible to get landlord 169 00:09:27,679 --> 00:09:30,760 Speaker 1: references to rent a home, and it's trickier to arrange 170 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:33,199 Speaker 1: a mortgage if you want to buy. Sam and Linda 171 00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:35,000 Speaker 1: had to talk to a lawyer about how to keep 172 00:09:35,040 --> 00:09:39,400 Speaker 1: their bank accounts and retirement savings accounts. Financial regulations mean 173 00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:42,880 Speaker 1: banks usually want a residential address for account holders, and 174 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:46,280 Speaker 1: pier boxes are frowned upon. Technically, they can see our 175 00:09:46,320 --> 00:09:48,840 Speaker 1: accounts and and there go out. I did I did 176 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:52,760 Speaker 1: not think of that, uh E trade accounts, All of 177 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:55,760 Speaker 1: that would could technically go by by if we did not, 178 00:09:55,920 --> 00:09:58,000 Speaker 1: if we were not very careful about how we did this. 179 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:00,840 Speaker 1: Sam didn't want to go into more detail because he's 180 00:10:00,840 --> 00:10:04,240 Speaker 1: concerned about losing access to their accounts. Now that they've 181 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:06,960 Speaker 1: been in this situation for at least a year, he's 182 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:09,079 Speaker 1: torn about whether they should have made the move to 183 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:13,440 Speaker 1: Silicon Valley at all. It's a mixed blessing living. I mean, 184 00:10:13,760 --> 00:10:16,679 Speaker 1: who wants to live half homeless? I mean it's as 185 00:10:16,760 --> 00:10:19,560 Speaker 1: as much as it can look glamorous online, it comes 186 00:10:19,559 --> 00:10:22,920 Speaker 1: as its own problems. Sam struggles in particular with the 187 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:27,000 Speaker 1: neighborhood tensions. It's not easy knowing homeowners don't want you around. 188 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:29,439 Speaker 1: I would imagine if I paid two million dollars for 189 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:31,280 Speaker 1: a house, I'm not in a hurry to see somebody 190 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:33,720 Speaker 1: living out in a r V out on the street either, 191 00:10:33,920 --> 00:10:37,000 Speaker 1: you know, so I people pay very high property taxes 192 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:40,280 Speaker 1: here and to see people kind of skirting that, I'm 193 00:10:40,320 --> 00:10:44,480 Speaker 1: sure it's that's not making people excited about about their neighbors. Plus, 194 00:10:44,520 --> 00:10:47,520 Speaker 1: Sam doesn't work at Google, so he can't enjoy company 195 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:49,880 Speaker 1: perks like showers that make it a lot easier for 196 00:10:49,920 --> 00:10:53,480 Speaker 1: employees to live in an RVY. The Google employees that 197 00:10:53,679 --> 00:10:57,800 Speaker 1: everything subsidized for them, food, laundry, anything they could possibly want, 198 00:10:57,840 --> 00:10:59,840 Speaker 1: which is why they can downsize totally do a van. 199 00:11:00,679 --> 00:11:03,720 Speaker 1: It's one stop shop for them. For some people, it's 200 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:05,920 Speaker 1: it's a stepping stone. For some people it's a it's 201 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:10,080 Speaker 1: a trap. I wanted to get a better sense for 202 00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:12,440 Speaker 1: what life is like for people living in r vs 203 00:11:12,679 --> 00:11:16,200 Speaker 1: without Google providing toilet, showers, food, and laundry. So I 204 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:19,679 Speaker 1: spent an afternoon with another RV resident, Paul Kastner. So 205 00:11:19,720 --> 00:11:23,559 Speaker 1: you want to give me a tour? Sure, Um, this 206 00:11:23,640 --> 00:11:26,439 Speaker 1: is the living room. Paul has spent his career in tech, 207 00:11:26,520 --> 00:11:29,920 Speaker 1: including a recent stint at a semiconductor equipment supplier as 208 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:33,640 Speaker 1: a quality engineer. The company cut staff, including Paul, and 209 00:11:33,679 --> 00:11:35,800 Speaker 1: now he's looking for a new job and surviving in 210 00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:38,560 Speaker 1: an RV. Got a couch that folds down into a bed, 211 00:11:38,880 --> 00:11:42,920 Speaker 1: a couple of chairs. Um, I'm a musician, so I 212 00:11:42,960 --> 00:11:47,880 Speaker 1: have a nice speaker system here with and can listen 213 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:53,560 Speaker 1: listen to songs. Um, that's cool, yeah, all right. And 214 00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:59,560 Speaker 1: then kind of kitchen here. Kitchen I think of it 215 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:03,319 Speaker 1: like a European kitchen. It's got everything that anybody here has, 216 00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:07,040 Speaker 1: but just like tiny bit smaller inside, Like got a 217 00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:13,720 Speaker 1: stove and I think, umallon tank in the back, uh, 218 00:12:13,880 --> 00:12:18,280 Speaker 1: and then two tanks by the way. That lapping sound 219 00:12:18,320 --> 00:12:21,680 Speaker 1: in the background was Paul's dog, Bandit, who was very friendly, 220 00:12:22,360 --> 00:12:24,199 Speaker 1: and I was impressed by the way Paul made use 221 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:27,120 Speaker 1: of his small space, but it did smell musty, I 222 00:12:27,160 --> 00:12:29,920 Speaker 1: have to say, and dealing with sewage seemed difficult to 223 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:33,079 Speaker 1: There's a service center about eight miles north where Paul 224 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:35,640 Speaker 1: can go to emptiest tanks and refill with fresh water. 225 00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:38,439 Speaker 1: The other option is to use a hose to empty 226 00:12:38,480 --> 00:12:41,640 Speaker 1: the waist directly into the sewer system through sewer cleanouts 227 00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:44,320 Speaker 1: on the street. Paul says that goes to the same 228 00:12:44,320 --> 00:12:48,400 Speaker 1: place everyone else's waist goes. But ultimately Paul's main challenge 229 00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:51,079 Speaker 1: is the same as sounds. Your neighbors don't like you, 230 00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:54,199 Speaker 1: or they're even scared of you, And for the people 231 00:12:54,240 --> 00:13:08,280 Speaker 1: living in r v's it's about to get worse. In March, 232 00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:13,080 Speaker 1: Berkeley band r vs from parking overnight, Pacifica, East Palo Alto, 233 00:13:13,240 --> 00:13:15,960 Speaker 1: and other Bay Area towns have enacted limits as well. 234 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:18,680 Speaker 1: At the end of March, mountain View voted to do 235 00:13:18,760 --> 00:13:21,400 Speaker 1: the same. It's unclear when this band will kick in, 236 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:24,559 Speaker 1: but it's coming. At a mountain View city meeting in March, 237 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:27,840 Speaker 1: several residents and our redwellers blame big tech companies for 238 00:13:27,880 --> 00:13:31,120 Speaker 1: indirectly raising prices and not doing enough to fix the issue. 239 00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:35,120 Speaker 1: The city council was criticized to Dozens of people came 240 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:38,559 Speaker 1: with signs that read I stand with Mountain View Vehicle residents, 241 00:13:38,960 --> 00:13:41,400 Speaker 1: and a group representing the people living in our vs 242 00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:44,720 Speaker 1: came to speak at the event. Preventing parking and throwing 243 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:48,000 Speaker 1: more people out of our community is unconscionable. I do 244 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:50,880 Speaker 1: not want to live in a town where the only 245 00:13:50,880 --> 00:13:54,240 Speaker 1: people who can afford to be here are very very rich, 246 00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:57,880 Speaker 1: tech eas or very very old retirees like myself. Thank 247 00:13:57,920 --> 00:14:02,920 Speaker 1: you again. This is a polarizing issue for Mountain View residents. 248 00:14:02,960 --> 00:14:04,880 Speaker 1: Some people are standing up for the rights of our 249 00:14:04,960 --> 00:14:08,760 Speaker 1: View residents, but other homeowners are happy about the parking bands. 250 00:14:09,400 --> 00:14:11,440 Speaker 1: These are often people who were lucky enough to have 251 00:14:11,480 --> 00:14:14,040 Speaker 1: bought a home many years ago. They don't want new 252 00:14:14,080 --> 00:14:17,760 Speaker 1: apartment buildings marring their suburban paradise, and they get angry 253 00:14:17,840 --> 00:14:20,520 Speaker 1: at the thought of affordable housing bringing poorer people to 254 00:14:20,560 --> 00:14:24,400 Speaker 1: their neighborhoods. For at least a decade, this attitude has 255 00:14:24,400 --> 00:14:28,360 Speaker 1: won out. Rising salaries and a growing population, combined with 256 00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:31,760 Speaker 1: a limited supply of new homes, has sparked a surgeon prices. 257 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:35,360 Speaker 1: The median rent in Mountain View has almost doubled since 258 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:39,000 Speaker 1: late two thousand, ten to four thousand dollars a month. 259 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:43,280 Speaker 1: That's nearly triple the national average. The median Mountain View 260 00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:46,640 Speaker 1: home value is one point eight million dollars, up from 261 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:50,160 Speaker 1: seven hundred and fifty thousand ten years ago. Landlords are richer, 262 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:54,160 Speaker 1: homeowners feel richer and smarter for buying early. The odd 263 00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:57,160 Speaker 1: homeless person on the street could easily be ignored or 264 00:14:57,240 --> 00:15:00,720 Speaker 1: explained away as a product of poor life choices. The 265 00:15:00,880 --> 00:15:03,960 Speaker 1: r V explosion is changing all of this. When cities 266 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:06,480 Speaker 1: cracked down, r V dwellers usually move on to the 267 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:08,600 Speaker 1: next town and hope for the best. But now that 268 00:15:08,680 --> 00:15:11,680 Speaker 1: many towns and limiting parking, it's unclear where all these 269 00:15:11,720 --> 00:15:15,040 Speaker 1: people will go. I spoke to Jennifer Loving, the CEO 270 00:15:15,200 --> 00:15:17,520 Speaker 1: of a group called Destination Home, which is trying to 271 00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:21,440 Speaker 1: reduce homelessness in Santa Clara County, where Mountain View is located. 272 00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:25,680 Speaker 1: She blames the lack of affordable housing for low income workers. 273 00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:28,040 Speaker 1: She said, this type of real estate isn't as profitable 274 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:31,560 Speaker 1: for developers who would rather build mcmansion's for wealthy tech workers. 275 00:15:32,080 --> 00:15:37,160 Speaker 1: We have rising rents, we have gentrification, we have people 276 00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:41,480 Speaker 1: being displaced, and and all of that together is creating 277 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:46,480 Speaker 1: an untenable situation for thousands and thousands of families and 278 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:48,640 Speaker 1: individuals that are trying to live and work here in 279 00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:52,080 Speaker 1: this community. I also spoke to Alison Hicks, one of 280 00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:55,000 Speaker 1: only two Mountain View Council members to vote against the 281 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:57,840 Speaker 1: r V parking ban. She says the tech boom happens 282 00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:00,760 Speaker 1: so quickly that residents are struggling to adjust to the 283 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:03,280 Speaker 1: fact that they now live in a densely populated area 284 00:16:03,360 --> 00:16:07,000 Speaker 1: with different needs. A hundred years ago, this area was 285 00:16:07,360 --> 00:16:09,560 Speaker 1: farm land. It was the valley of heart to Delight. 286 00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:12,520 Speaker 1: After post war it became a suburb, and now we're 287 00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:16,960 Speaker 1: becoming a more urban place. Urban places have problems that 288 00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:20,560 Speaker 1: suburban and rural places down. So this is the reason 289 00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:23,920 Speaker 1: Sergeant McGee spent so much time driving around Mountain View 290 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:26,840 Speaker 1: keeping track of our V dwellers and offering them support, 291 00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:30,080 Speaker 1: warning them of the coming parking band, and pushing people 292 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:32,920 Speaker 1: to sign up for what little affordable housing is available 293 00:16:33,040 --> 00:16:35,800 Speaker 1: right now. And there are other worrying signs too. When 294 00:16:35,800 --> 00:16:38,800 Speaker 1: I rode along with Sergeant McGee one recent afternoon and 295 00:16:38,880 --> 00:16:41,280 Speaker 1: our V resident ran away from us, we jumped in 296 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:43,840 Speaker 1: the police car and quickly caught up with him. Sergeant 297 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:46,760 Speaker 1: McGee found what he suspected was meth and fetamine on 298 00:16:46,800 --> 00:16:49,720 Speaker 1: this person. So what do you do now, I'm again 299 00:16:49,960 --> 00:16:56,480 Speaker 1: I can bug him to take a big problem, um 300 00:16:57,040 --> 00:16:58,760 Speaker 1: buck m but he's going to come right out. So 301 00:16:58,760 --> 00:17:01,720 Speaker 1: he lives in that RV right where that canvass very 302 00:17:01,760 --> 00:17:05,399 Speaker 1: painted a citation go to court. And then there's that 303 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:08,680 Speaker 1: sewage issue. Sergean McKee stopped to inspect one r the 304 00:17:09,119 --> 00:17:12,320 Speaker 1: that had brown liquid leaking from an outlet pipe near 305 00:17:12,320 --> 00:17:14,760 Speaker 1: the rear wheel. And we've again complaints about this one 306 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:16,960 Speaker 1: leaking sewage and I just haven't got it with leaking. 307 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:20,520 Speaker 1: You can see there's dried something underneath it. But you 308 00:17:20,560 --> 00:17:23,680 Speaker 1: can see the duct tape and say the cap that's 309 00:17:23,760 --> 00:17:26,520 Speaker 1: that's the reservoir for the sewage. So it's you can 310 00:17:26,560 --> 00:17:29,240 Speaker 1: see you see where it's darker right underneath it. Yeah, 311 00:17:29,280 --> 00:17:32,080 Speaker 1: you can see where it's it's been dripping. The sergeant 312 00:17:32,119 --> 00:17:35,440 Speaker 1: tested the slowly growing pool to prove it was human waste. 313 00:17:35,720 --> 00:17:38,600 Speaker 1: It was, and he got serious with the people living 314 00:17:38,600 --> 00:17:41,479 Speaker 1: in the vehicle. A self driving car world passed as 315 00:17:41,480 --> 00:17:44,000 Speaker 1: he lectured the two residents. So you guys need to 316 00:17:44,040 --> 00:17:46,960 Speaker 1: take care of it like a SAP, so we're supposed 317 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:49,479 Speaker 1: to there's a new ordinance for towing like we're supposed 318 00:17:49,480 --> 00:17:52,239 Speaker 1: to it. I'm not gonna towd today, but tomorrow if 319 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:54,560 Speaker 1: I come out here and it's like this, it's getting towed, 320 00:17:54,600 --> 00:18:06,919 Speaker 1: all right. So you've been notified so early after all 321 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:09,520 Speaker 1: your reporting on this. What was your sense about how 322 00:18:09,560 --> 00:18:11,760 Speaker 1: people are feeling about the issue. Do they think tech 323 00:18:11,800 --> 00:18:15,040 Speaker 1: companies should be doing more? Yeah? Most people I heard 324 00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:17,560 Speaker 1: from think think Google, another big tech company, should really 325 00:18:17,560 --> 00:18:20,040 Speaker 1: step up more than they've done so far, and in 326 00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:22,760 Speaker 1: the short term they should at least make some of 327 00:18:22,800 --> 00:18:26,400 Speaker 1: their big parking lots available so are the owners can 328 00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:29,600 Speaker 1: park pretty safely overnight. What about this concept, you know, 329 00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:33,840 Speaker 1: this historical concept of the company town which auto companies, 330 00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:35,919 Speaker 1: mining companies have done in the past, where they not 331 00:18:35,960 --> 00:18:38,679 Speaker 1: only build housing directly for their workers, but in some 332 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:41,920 Speaker 1: cases whole towns. Yeah. I've spoken to someone who's familiar 333 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:45,080 Speaker 1: with Google's thinking on this, and they said the Internet 334 00:18:45,119 --> 00:18:48,000 Speaker 1: Giant is not at all interested in becoming a residential 335 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:51,760 Speaker 1: home builder or like a major landlord for staff, and 336 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:55,760 Speaker 1: it's actually, unfortunately unlikely to make car parks available for 337 00:18:55,880 --> 00:18:59,920 Speaker 1: RV parking either. Google officially declined to comment for this story, 338 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:02,159 Speaker 1: but they did point me to an interview one of 339 00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:05,480 Speaker 1: their public policy managers did. She's Rebecca pros And and and 340 00:19:05,640 --> 00:19:09,200 Speaker 1: she spoke to PBS back in two thousand sixteen. Obviously, 341 00:19:09,320 --> 00:19:12,800 Speaker 1: our footprint creates pressure, creates pressure on housing and transportation. 342 00:19:13,280 --> 00:19:16,320 Speaker 1: But that pressure isn't just tech. It's not just Google. 343 00:19:16,720 --> 00:19:19,840 Speaker 1: It is all the industries that are creating the economy 344 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:22,119 Speaker 1: of the Bay Area. We all have to work together 345 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:24,080 Speaker 1: to figure out what we are going to look like 346 00:19:24,119 --> 00:19:26,520 Speaker 1: and how we're going to live. Alie, I mean, she's 347 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:29,880 Speaker 1: right that this isn't solely Google's problem to deal with, 348 00:19:30,280 --> 00:19:32,479 Speaker 1: but it is true that most of the wealth created 349 00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:34,680 Speaker 1: in the last few years has come from the tech industry. 350 00:19:35,040 --> 00:19:37,080 Speaker 1: So I wonder is there a push for Google and 351 00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:39,920 Speaker 1: other tech companies to pay more in local taxes. Yeah, 352 00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:42,719 Speaker 1: there's a general feeling, including from that guy in Mountain 353 00:19:42,800 --> 00:19:45,840 Speaker 1: View that we spoke to, the resident, that the industry 354 00:19:45,920 --> 00:19:48,680 Speaker 1: isn't paying enough tax on their huge profits that they make. 355 00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:51,920 Speaker 1: But Google is giving money to a lot of organizations 356 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:54,560 Speaker 1: to tackle these issues. It's also got a very big 357 00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:57,639 Speaker 1: plan to invest millions and millions of dollars in an 358 00:19:57,680 --> 00:20:01,480 Speaker 1: area called North Bay Shore, which is nearby it's headquarters. 359 00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:05,199 Speaker 1: And this will add thousands of homes, including about of 360 00:20:05,280 --> 00:20:08,320 Speaker 1: homes in that plan that will be affordable housing. It's 361 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:11,439 Speaker 1: definitely encouraging that Google could help to create thousands of 362 00:20:11,480 --> 00:20:14,159 Speaker 1: new homes through that plan. But I can't help thinking 363 00:20:14,520 --> 00:20:17,040 Speaker 1: Google is a company that has more than a hundred 364 00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:19,960 Speaker 1: billion dollars in cash on its balance sheet, so still 365 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:22,560 Speaker 1: even after those millions are donated, it's a bit like 366 00:20:22,640 --> 00:20:24,840 Speaker 1: you or I giving ten dollars to a homeless person 367 00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:27,880 Speaker 1: we pass on the street. And that housing advocate Jennifer 368 00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:30,440 Speaker 1: Loving that we spoke to, she thinks the North Bay 369 00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:33,600 Speaker 1: Shore plan should include a lot more affordable housing. She said, 370 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:37,800 Speaker 1: is nowhere near enough to solve this problem. And then 371 00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:40,720 Speaker 1: of course you also have to think about the fact 372 00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:43,280 Speaker 1: that it's not just about money. You know, Google could 373 00:20:43,359 --> 00:20:46,160 Speaker 1: in theory throw a million billions and billions of dollars, 374 00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:49,080 Speaker 1: not millions of dollars, but you need the political will 375 00:20:49,160 --> 00:20:51,240 Speaker 1: as well, so people who live in these areas that 376 00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:54,040 Speaker 1: they actually have to want to help their neighbors. And 377 00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:57,040 Speaker 1: when push comes to shove sometimes you know that doesn't 378 00:20:57,080 --> 00:21:00,239 Speaker 1: happen so if it does take time, maybe year is 379 00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:02,480 Speaker 1: to really address this issue. Do you think there's a 380 00:21:02,600 --> 00:21:05,160 Speaker 1: risk that the whole situation could escalate if it's allowed 381 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:07,920 Speaker 1: to fester. Yeah. I think there are a couple of risks, 382 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:10,880 Speaker 1: And the first one was was put pretty well by 383 00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:14,159 Speaker 1: Allison Hicks, who was that Mountain View council member we 384 00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:18,080 Speaker 1: spoke to. Her point is that if regular people can't 385 00:21:18,119 --> 00:21:22,240 Speaker 1: afford to live here, the fabric of the society breaks down. 386 00:21:22,320 --> 00:21:26,560 Speaker 1: So if you think of teachers, chefs, trash collectors, baristas, 387 00:21:26,600 --> 00:21:30,160 Speaker 1: those types of people, these are people who make everyone's 388 00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:34,400 Speaker 1: community function properly. And if these people are pushed further 389 00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:37,280 Speaker 1: and further way, it's going to become a strange city 390 00:21:37,280 --> 00:21:40,080 Speaker 1: and especially very hard for those people. And you can't 391 00:21:40,119 --> 00:21:42,640 Speaker 1: have a town that functions if we only have tech 392 00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:45,199 Speaker 1: workers living in it. Just even if you have no 393 00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:48,720 Speaker 1: compassion for people themselves, you know, it won't be a 394 00:21:48,720 --> 00:21:51,560 Speaker 1: functioning city as I know it. It wouldn't be a 395 00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:53,520 Speaker 1: city that I would want to live in. And the 396 00:21:53,560 --> 00:21:55,840 Speaker 1: second issue could be even more of a risk, and 397 00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:59,600 Speaker 1: that's that tech companies could go elsewhere. So in February, 398 00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:02,680 Speaker 1: the Google CEO summed up pitch I he announced a 399 00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:05,879 Speaker 1: plan to spend thirteen billion dollars and that would go 400 00:22:06,119 --> 00:22:09,679 Speaker 1: on new offices and data centers. And a lot of 401 00:22:09,720 --> 00:22:13,040 Speaker 1: this was outside Silicon Valley, and that's almost becoming a trend. 402 00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:15,000 Speaker 1: We know Amazon has decided to do the same thing 403 00:22:15,040 --> 00:22:19,080 Speaker 1: as well, expanding outside of Seattle after housing and infrastructure 404 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:21,640 Speaker 1: has come under a lot of strain in that city. Yeah, 405 00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:24,040 Speaker 1: and and and when pushed on this type of thing, 406 00:22:24,080 --> 00:22:26,800 Speaker 1: tech executives who are based around here, you know they'll 407 00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:29,400 Speaker 1: blame it. They won't blame it directly on on this 408 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:32,400 Speaker 1: homeless crisis or the housing problem, but they'll basically say, 409 00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:34,679 Speaker 1: you know that the amounts we have to pay for 410 00:22:34,840 --> 00:22:37,880 Speaker 1: smart for smart engineers is just way, way high, and 411 00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:40,240 Speaker 1: you know the reason. The reason is because it costs 412 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:42,439 Speaker 1: so much to live here. And just going back to 413 00:22:42,440 --> 00:22:45,560 Speaker 1: sergeant McGee, did you ask him Ali how he feels 414 00:22:45,560 --> 00:22:47,600 Speaker 1: about all of this. Yeah, we got into it a 415 00:22:47,600 --> 00:22:51,399 Speaker 1: bit when my ride along with him ended. I asked 416 00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:55,040 Speaker 1: basically whether the r V wave will ultimately be solved, 417 00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:59,720 Speaker 1: and he looked pretty tired as he thought about the answer. Yeah, 418 00:22:59,720 --> 00:23:01,920 Speaker 1: And you know, the way things are going, I don't 419 00:23:01,920 --> 00:23:05,160 Speaker 1: see how it's all going to disappear. I mean, where 420 00:23:05,480 --> 00:23:07,320 Speaker 1: are we going to put everyone? You know, there's not 421 00:23:07,520 --> 00:23:12,560 Speaker 1: enough housing at the moment. After a twelve hour day, 422 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:15,000 Speaker 1: he had a long drive ahead to get home because 423 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:23,480 Speaker 1: he can't afford to live in Mountain View. And that's 424 00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:26,479 Speaker 1: it for this week's episode of Decrypted. Thanks for listening. 425 00:23:27,080 --> 00:23:29,040 Speaker 1: If you live in a city where house prices have 426 00:23:29,119 --> 00:23:31,480 Speaker 1: been affected by the tech boom, I would love to 427 00:23:31,520 --> 00:23:34,080 Speaker 1: hear from you. You can write to us at Decrypted 428 00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:37,840 Speaker 1: at Bloomberg dot net. Well, I'm on Twitter at Alistair 429 00:23:37,960 --> 00:23:41,440 Speaker 1: m bar and I'm at piagad Cary and please help 430 00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:43,720 Speaker 1: us spread the word about our show by leaving us 431 00:23:43,720 --> 00:23:46,440 Speaker 1: a racing or a review wherever you like to listen 432 00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:50,600 Speaker 1: to podcasts. This episode was produced by Pierge Cary and 433 00:23:50,720 --> 00:23:54,719 Speaker 1: Lindsey Cratterwell. Our story editor was Emily Buso. Thank you 434 00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:57,840 Speaker 1: also to Aki Ito and Vander May and Brad Stone. 435 00:23:58,200 --> 00:24:01,840 Speaker 1: Francesco Levi, his head of Bomberg Podcast. We'll see you 436 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:02,760 Speaker 1: next week.