Bay Area Residents Less Happy Than Last Year: Report

Housing, traffic and the climate are all among the things
making people who live in the Bay Area very unhappy these days, enough to think
about moving.

Even though some studies say the Bay area is one of the healthiest,
happiest places around, one local survey says there’s lots of issues.

“I think traffic is out of control,” said Jessica Heinzer
from San Jose. “After twenty years, it’s gotten worse.”

Traffic is bad, but according to a survey by the Silicon Valley
Leadership Group and the Bay Area News Group, the housing situation is worse.

“The housing prices, for sure, being a young professional,
it’s kind of unattainable,” said Traci Pickering from San Jose.

The survey says 89% of Bay Area residents call homelessness
the biggest issue. Followed closely by housing prices, the high cost of living,
traffic, and environmental concerns.

Three out of every four people responding to the survey say
the quality of life in the Bay is worse than last year. 

“Nearly one in 10 of us are thinking about leaving,” said Carl
Guardino, CEO of Silicon Valley Leadership Group. “We are planning to leave the
Bay Area in 2020, period, stop, we’re gone.”

More people than ever citing homelessness as our most
serious problem.

“At its core, all of this is caused by a lack of affordable
housing and a rise in the cost of living,” said Ray Bramson from Destination
Home.

In this election year, 60% of people surveyed mentioned
division between political parties as one of our top problems.

Source: NBC Bay Area