A teacher who launched a GoFundMe to help him afford a place to live has put a spotlight on teacher salaries as the new school year begins.
Bill Atkinson, a fourth grade teacher in Austin, Texas, said he began living in his car this summer when his previous living situation fell through and he could not afford rent on his $54,000 annual salary.
“No matter how much I borrowed or scraped, there was no catching up, because I just did not make enough to cover rent – because I was so used to living paycheck to paycheck, I didn’t have anything in savings to try to cover rent for a couple months,” he told “Good Morning America.” “So I tried to get a place, [but I] was having a hard time finding a place I could afford on my own.”
A lot of people don’t realize HOW expensive the Austin area is. It is up there with New York and L.A… His salary would barely cover a mediocre apartment, vehicle and the basics. Throw in an unexpected medical bill or repair bill for the car and your screwed. You end up exactly like this guy. His salary is essentially minimum wage for the area. He is essentially forced to find a roommate or get in a relationship to make up the gap.
For those saying, just move farther away, the prices for apartments 30 minutes outside Austin are still incredibly high priced, and a lot of times the offset in rent is made up in gas and wear and tear on the vehicle.
I don’t think anyone suggested that’s the solution. I just said it’s unfortunately the same way where I live, but fortunately here you don’t have to go too far. Austin is much bigger, like you said.