Two Californians who moved to Texas after experiencing homelessness said they’ve been here less than a year and already want to move back to California, arguing that the Lone Star State didn’t live up to their expectations.
In a conversation with Business Insider’s Erin Snodgrass, Danielle Price and Eiman Monam said they lived in Riverside, California, for a long time, but the prices in the state drove them to look elsewhere.
Price, 47, said she and Monam were in a romantic relationship; they’re still married but separated. She said she first moved to Tears in June 2021 with her mother, who lived in Henderson.
At first, she was surprised by the cost of living in Texas.
“I got online and started looking. The houses were so cheap, and they were huge! Everything was really low cost,” Price wrote.
She said she found a job and liked the state, despite the extreme weather. But she decided to move back to California because her daughter was depressed in Texas.
When Price returned to California, she planned to stay with Monam, but he struggled with money and ended up homeless. Pierce said she also became homeless, but found a shelter.
“I’d been homeless in California before,” she said. “People in my family have been homeless there. The rising costs knock you down. But in California, we had access to resources that helped us get back on our feet.”
They were able to get a job and move into their apartment. They lived in California for two more years, when Monam felt they were missing an opportunity to live somewhere cheaper where they could save money.
They then moved to a small apartment in Tyler, but struggled with finances in the state.
“We pay for all our utilities here, which I’ve never done in California,” she said. “All our bills are behind because I haven’t been able to find a livable, long-term, full-time job. I’m about to lose the car I finance.”
Price was also frustrated because she was making far less than she was in California. She said she made almost $18 an hour in California, compared to $11 in Texas. She also said she didn’t do her due diligence before moving.
Both Price and Monam expressed that it was harder to find a job in Texas and that they were significantly worse off than in California. However, they said they loved the outdoors.
“The nature and clean air are my favorite things about Texas,” Price said.
“But we are definitely not planning to stay in Texas. We just want to get back home to California once our lease is up in May.”
