Remember cheap Austin? Before ever-escalating housing costs became a permanent part of our collective landscape? With foreign investors sinking millions into area properties and Austin still A-listed as one of the country's
hottest real estate markets (see last week's column), there's little reason to think the big picture will change anytime soon. But you'd think we could make a difference around the edges.
Which brings us to the plight of a good friend we'll call
Alice (not her real name). Alice recently became the caretaker of her 60-year-old brother; we'll call him
Bob. Bob has had serious mental illness since his teen years and is now also medically fragile. He needs assistance, but many of his symptoms and habits (which are loud and frequent) make him a challenging roommate, especially as Alice has been forced to work at home during the pandemic.