Making It in the Bay in 2020

Bay Area residents have known that Making It in the Bay doesn't come cheap. But this year, like all things 2020, has really put a spotlight on the housing crisis.

Here's a breakdown of some of our Making It in the Bay content for a month-by-month review.

February

Let's start from the very beginning.

The Bay Area’s housing crisis, which has spiraled out of control, can be traced back to before the start of the tech bubble — all the way to the 1970s when local cities were starting to boom, and taxes were rising with them. Details here.

The Bay Area’s housing crisis is a slow-moving storm that’s been churning for decades. But now the storm has become a full-on hurricane. In the eye of the storm, middle-class families striving to achieve the American Dream of owning a home. NBC Bay Area's Melissa Colorado takes an in-depth look at how the housing crisis spiraled out of control.

Unable to keep up with rising rents, tenants of an Oakland apartment building protested in a bold way – they went on a rent strike. Their story here.

When it comes to the Bay Area housing crunch, a recent study found more workers in the region are becoming super commuters, traveling long distances to work and back because they can’t afford a home near their jobs. The full story, here.

When it comes to the Bay Area housing crunch, a recent study found more workers in the region are becoming super commuters, traveling long distances to work and back because they can't afford a home near their jobs. Bob Redell reports.

Now these may be a little hard to watch.

NBC Bay Area’s Scott Budman and Scott McGrew took a look at what you can buy for a certain amount of money in the Bay Area compared to other locations. Click on each number to watch.

March

Before we look back at how the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic affected the Bay Area's housing market, let's start with something good.

After spending 10 years on the streets, a former homeless man is now happily living in a new South Bay studio apartment thanks to his new friend. His story below.

Thomas Johnson is not sleeping in his van tonight. The formerly homeless man is happily living in a new South Bay studio apartment thanks to his new friend. Damian Trujillo reports.

Then came the COVID-19 pandemic, having a huge impact on the Bay Area market. Click on the following headlines for some of our stories.

Coronavirus concerns are affecting home sales in the Bay Area, including some sellers canceling open houses and some even taking their houses off the market.

April

Once COVID-19 hit the Bay Area, it became the topic of conversation of almost everything and everyone, especially the housing market. Leaders in most Bay Area counties did what they could to help out.

Multiple Bay Area governments this week are expected to pass local renters protections that go beyond the governor’s mandate issued at the beginning of the shelter-at-home order. Kris Sanchez reports.

The coronavirus pandemic seemed to be dumping a big bucket of water on the Bay Area’s once red-hot real estate market, putting the brakes on what was expected to be a booming April. Joe Rosato Jr's story below.

The coronavirus pandemic seems to be dumping a big bucket of water on the Bay Area’s once red-hot real estate market, putting the brakes on what was expected to be a booming April. Joe Rosato Jr. reports.

After weeks, even months, of struggles, much-needed relief came for residents and businesses in April with the stimulus checks. Here's a story on that topic.

Bay Area Pizza Shop Receives Much-Needed Financial Aid

Though the money was very handy for recipients, it also caused a fight between a tenant and a landlord in the North Bay. Jodi Hernandez' story below.

A Solano County couple unable to pay their full monthly rent during the COVID-19 crisis claims they have been harassed and even threatened by their landlord. The couple said the landlord even pretended to have checked with the IRS to see if they received their stimulus payments. Jodi Hernandez reports.

May

By May, the pandemic had already had a huge financial impact on most of the Unites Stated, and the Bay Area was no exception.

A study by a Columbia University economics professor said that COVID-19 could lead to 30,000 Californians ending up homeless, as well as 45% surge nationwide. Details here.

Click on each link below for some of our top Price of the Pandemic stories:

The coronavirus led to a lot of people working from home. Below is a story about what effect that had on the housing market.

Twitter is doing it. Square is doing it. Even Facebook now says it is working to allow most, if now all employees to work from home permanently. Scott Budman reports.

June

Despite the hardship the coronavirus pandemic brought onto the Bay Area, the housing market remained "hot and expensive" in the beginning of June.

Despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Bay Area housing market remains hot and expensive. Scott Budman reports.

However, soon after, rent prices started to drop. Here are some headlines:

And to wrap up the month, Silicon Valley Pain Index provided a by-the-numbers look at disparities among white, Black, Latino and Asian populations in the Bay Area. The report, below.

While tech companies are booming, a study by a San Jose State University professor makes it clear minorities are being shut out and the problem may be rooted in education. Marianne Favro reports.

July

By July, businesses began adapting to the new norm and residents saw a drop in rent prices in some of the Bay Area, however not all.

Here are some headlines:

New information from real-estate company Zumper shows rent prices changing in parts of the Bay Area as people's lifestyles change during the coronavirus pandemic.

Leaders quickly stepped in -- some counties extended their moratorium on evictions and gave permissions for more affordable housing.

Some tech companies helped fight the housing crisis by donating big amounts a money.

Click on the stories below for more.

August

After several months of working from home due to COVID-19, many residents started considering leaving the Bay Area.

In an anonymous survey, two out of three tech workers say they would consider moving out of San Francisco, only if they could work remotely for good. So keep the Bay Area salary but not the Bay Area rent. Details here.

Another study released this week shows more people in the Bay Area are thinking of leaving. Scott Budman reports.

Here are some headlines:

September

On the first week of September, the housing market hit new highs and new lows -- in the same week.

For the first time in six years, the average one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco could've been yours for less than $3,000 a month.

The Bay Area housing market has managed to hit new highs, and new lows, both in the same week. It has become less expensive to rent here, but also more expensive to buy. Scott Budman reports.

Let's end the month on something good. Standing 6 feet 3 inches tall, he can't help but capture attention as he walks through downtown San Jose. Here's the story of a Silicon Valley superhero.

The anonymous 19-year-old dons a Batman costume to bring food and clothes to his unhoused neighbors — and he's already inspiring others to follow suit.

Fore more stories like this one, check out our Good News of 2020.

October

While the pandemic caused rent to drop in several cities throughout the Bay Area, in October, San Francisco was hit the harders.

While rents are dipping in many cities throughout the Bay Area and the country, no place is seeing prices drop further or faster than San Francisco. Scott Budman reports.

And a new study by Santa Clara-based company Upwork revealed that the Bay Area appeared to get hit the hardest by an exodus in California.

More than 20,000 people and found that cities with the highest housing prices are seeing the largest number of people leaving. And few places are as pricey as San Francisco and San Jose. Details here.

November

So here comes something that may not come as a surprise to many. Bay Area zip codes are among the most expensive in the U.S., according to PropertyShark. Details here.

A group of women known as Moms 4 Housing took over a vacant West Oakland home in November of 2019 to call attention to the plight of many homeless people affected by the housing crisis in the Bay Area.

Well, a year later, one of its founders was elected for Oakland City Council. The incredible story, below.

The Moms 4 Housing movement was the launching pad for one of its founders who was just elected to the city council and she is already making plans for what she will do to tackle Oakland’s housing affordability and homelessness crisis.

December

The year wrapped up the same way it started, with rent prices in San Francisco at a drop.

The number of vacant apartments in San Francisco has more than doubled in the last year, as many tenants have deserted the city during the pandemic – leading to a drop in rent prices.

It’s a renter’s market in San Francisco, but a combination of economic pain and new “work from anywhere” policies means rents have plummeted and both renters and property owners are adjusting. Scott Budman has the details here.

By the end of the year, renters across California will owe $1.67 billion in unpaid rent, according to a recent study. NBC Bay Area's Investigative Unit found that statewide eviction protections for those impacted by COVID-19 are set to expire in February, but a pair of bills would extend them through the end of 2021. The investigation below.

Statewide eviction protections -- aimed at keeping hard-hit renters in their homes -- are set to expire in the new year. So what does this all mean for tenants who now owe thousands in back rent and their landlords who are struggling to pay their own mortgages? Senior Investigative Reporter Bigad Shaban reports.

As more small businesses fold because of the pandemic, buildings, even entire shopping centers, are increasingly desperate to find new tenants. So, the city of San Jose stepped in with a plan. Details here.