High cost of living forces San Jose State professor to live in car

An adjunct professor at San Jose State University says the ever-rising cost of living in the Bay Area has made her homeless.

Ellen Tara James-Penney says despite her full-time job teaching four English classes at the university, she sleeps in her car most nights, along with her husband and two dogs.

After class, James-Penney said she often drives to a parking lot to grade papers. When it's dark, she'll use a headlamp from Home Depot so she can continue her work.

At night, she'll re-park in a residential neighborhood and sleep in her 2004 Volvo. She keeps the car neat to avoid suspicion.

"You cannot look homeless," James-Penney said. She explained the hardest part about living in her car isn't the lack of space (though she's gotten rid of so much stuff, all her clothes fit in a duffel bag), it's the fear of being caught.

"You have to watch out for cops because if you park on the street, you get busted. And if you get a fine, then your finances get hit. And that's a real hit."

TOO EXPENSIVE TO STAY? People who left the Bay Area tell us what it's like



Click through this slideshow to see which U.S. cities are the worst for living comfortably. less An adjunct professor at San Jose State University said she doesn't make enough money to afford Bay Area rent prices, so she sleeps in her car most nights.

Click through this slideshow to see which U.S. cities ... more An adjunct professor at San Jose State University said she doesn't make enough money to afford Bay Area rent prices, so she sleeps in her car most nights. Photo: Paul Sakuma / AP / Paul Sakuma / AP Photo: Paul Sakuma / AP / Paul Sakuma / AP Image 1 of / 28 Caption Close High cost of living forces San Jose State professor to live in car 1 / 28 Back to Gallery

James-Penney made $28,700 last year, according to California's state worker salary database. This year, she is making a little more money, taking home about $2,500 per month.

That's still nowhere near the salary needed to afford San Jose's sky-high rental market. A one-bedroom apartment will set you back an average $2,380 per month and a two-bedroom costs about $2,820, according to rental tracking website Zumper.

James-Penney is struggling with another financial issue familiar to many Americans: student loan debt.

"I'm $143,000 in debt. And I'm in my 50s. But I pay that loan back every month," she told KPIX. "That is mandatory for me. But that chunk I pay also affects how much I can afford in rent."

COST OF LIVING: How much must you make to live comfortably in San Francisco?

The teacher has tried to move away from the Bay Area, but found other job offers didn't pan out, or paid so little that relocating would have been prohibitively expensive.

"I'm probably going to have to leave teaching and that makes me sad. I was in high tech and I was in admin, but I was never fulfilled," James-Penney said. "It angers me because I have a passion for teaching. I care about all of my students."

While the Bay Area is often thought of as one of the most liberal and progressive places in the country, income inequality is a growing problem for the region. A 2014 study found the level of income inequality in San Francisco was similar to that of Rwanda. The same year, the San Jose Mercury News reported Santa Clara County had the highest median household income in the country.

"Shame on Silicon Valley. Shame on people who want to continue to live in their little bubble world," James-Penney said. "Take the time to find out who the person is living in the vehicle."

Read Alix Martichoux's latest stories and send her news tips at amartichoux@sfchronicle.com.