I grew up living on the west side of Bridgeport, and I’ve lived in this city for my whole life. I’m 26 years old now, and I find myself wanting to travel to different places and explore new options for settling down. Something has always kept me in Bridgeport, though. Most of my family and friends live in this area. I find comfort in knowing my way around the city.
My partner and I currently live with 2 other roommates who are great friends of ours. I’m so grateful that we share such a strong bond with each other. We’ve lived in the same 3rd floor apartment for over 3 years now. I dream that one day I could live in a house with my partner and cat, with no landlord or noisy downstairs neighbors. That dream seems like a faraway place because we could barely afford to even look at an apartment of our own right now.
The pricing for apartments in CT is horrendous, to say the least. My partner and I both work full-time jobs and still can’t fathom the prices of a studio apartment in a nice side of Bridgeport. Places we’ve looked at in Fairfield, Stratford, and Shelton cost upwards of $2,000 a month, not including utilities and other expenses!
I currently make the most amount of money I’ve ever made, and I’m still struggling financially. I’m not someone that keeps up with specifics of the housing market and the economy, but anyone can put together that prices have sky-rocketed everywhere. Groceries, utilities, and housing are barely affordable for the average person.
I wish I had a happy ending to this blog post, but the truth is that the cost of living is not equal to the salary of a 9-5 job anymore. My parents and grandparents were once able to work their jobs to afford their homes and feed their whole families. Now, my chances of being able to afford a home any time soon is slim to none. I can only hope that there is drastic, positive change to make my dream a reality one day.