Adventures in Housing

Finding a new apartment is always tough. Then the pandemic hits

Maria Hollenhorst Mar 23, 2020
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A for rent sign outside a California house. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Adventures in Housing

Finding a new apartment is always tough. Then the pandemic hits

Maria Hollenhorst Mar 23, 2020
A for rent sign outside a California house. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
HTML EMBED:
COPY

Finding an affordable place to live in Los Angeles is rarely an easy task. But for Aziz Rubakovic, who needed a new apartment the same week that a statewide shelter-in-place order went into effect, the task was even tougher than usual.

“While it’s already difficult to find a place to live, that circumstance is just kind of multiplied doubly or triply so by the fact that two of my three jobs have shut down and the third one looks like it might do so as well,” Rubakovic said during his search. “Finding money to put down for a deposit for a new place is difficult.” On top of that, he struggled to find people looking for new housemates.

After one place fell through, Rubakovic did find somewhere to live: in an apartment formerly occupied by a French couple who left the country on short notice in fear of future travel restrictions.

“The coronavirus has made my life very difficult, but life still continues,” Rubakovic said. “Despite it and partially because of it, I was able to find a place to live.”

Tell us about your adventure in housing below.

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