Refugees of a Sort

Doing Census work, I’ve encountered some of these Bay Area Covid refugees. I thought it strange these folks would flee here, since Covid rates are similar between here and there, but it’s more about housing costs and work flexibility than anything:

The coronavirus pandemic that was virtually imprisoning them in their tiny downtown San Jose walk-up also offered an unexpected escape option. No longer tethered to the office, they could live almost anywhere outside the pricey Bay Area and keep their jobs.

Last week, the couple moved into a 2,700-square-foot home on a leafy street in the suburban Sacramento community of Fair Oaks. It’s their first home purchase. They’ll turn two of the four bedrooms into his and hers offices. And they plan to add a gym and a backyard pool.
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“Because of COVID, we didn’t want to be stuck in a tiny space,” Shanni, a 34-year-old tech worker, said. “But we knew there was no way we could afford in San Jose.”