Santa Clara - the county which encompasses Silicon Valley - has the highest percentage of homeless in America, according to the latest Department of Housing report.
Yet it also has the nation’s highest average household income and some of the most expensive homes in the country - all down to the high-tech economy on its doorstep.
The state’s minimum wage was recently increased from $8 to $10 an hour. “It’s a step in the right direction,” Mr Bramson says, “but unfortunately the self-sufficiency standard is around $15.
As a native of Santa Clara she has seen the area change beyond recognition.
It was once known for its orchids, earning it the nickname the Valley of Heart’s Delight. Until the 1960s, it was the largest fruit production region in the world and Del Monte was the biggest employer in town.
Eileen Richardson, Downtown Street’s founder, is a venture capitalist and former tech CEO herself, previously heading up the online music site Napster. She volunteered with the homeless on a sabbatical leave 10 years ago and was so shocked by what she saw she started up her own organisation to help.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/hotel-22-the-dark-side-of-silicon-valley-2014-11#ixzz3KoTesmih
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/hotel-22-the-dark-side-of-silicon-valley-2014-11#ixzz3KoTesmih
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