Newark City Councilmember Mike Bucci is joining a long list of residents who have been priced out of the Bay Area. Bucci announced his resignation last week, saying he and his wife have been unable to find a local home for less than $7,500 a month.
Friends, I’m heartsick to have to announce that I’ve decided to resign from city council. Unfortunately, we’re just the next people in a long line of folks who have been priced out of town. We tried to buy a home a number of times over the years but it never happened for us. Now the window has closed and any chance we had to stay in Newark is long past. One of the most frustrating parts for me is that I grew up in a time where we really believed hard work and perseverance would lead to, at the very least, a place to call your own. That’s just not the reality anymore. I’ve had a good, union job in the trades for 20 years, my wife has a successful career at DSRSD and I’m an elected member of my community. If we can’t do it how are other working class folks ever going to do it? What chance does the next generation have? What chance will any of them have to stay in the communities they love? The most insane part is that even with 60k down and a 785 credit score we can’t get into the cheapest house in Newark for less than $7500 a month. If I put my entire Millwright and council salary towards it every month, it’s still not enough. I just turned 47, what am I going to do, take out a huge mortgage that won’t be paid off until I’m 77? That’s not a real option.
I know this isn’t a unique situation. I’ve held out hope we would get our chance at a home of our own while watching lots of friends continuously get pushed out for years. The brutal truth is that we would probably have been better off if we moved years ago but I was woefully optimistic our opportunity would come. I mean it had to right? The fact that there is no future for us in the city I love is soul crushing.
This has been a very difficult decision for us and even though it’s the best path forward for our family, it doesn’t make it any easier. I had dreams of becoming a great mayor like Al or Dave and doing big things for our city. I had dreams of Kendra bringing a state championship home for Newark. I never imagined what a life somewhere else would be like because I never wanted to be anywhere else. I’m not going to sugar coat it, being pushed out because of the cost of living is just devastating.
It has been the greatest honor and privilege of my life to serve as your councilmember. Your trust is something I worked very hard to earn and to be rewarded with your support has meant everything to me. I always put your best interest first in every decision I ever made. Even when I was the lone solider fighting a fight I knew I couldn’t win. I never used this position to improve my own situation, never did anything I couldn’t stand in your living room and tell you about, never signed a single NDA and can proudly walk away with my head held high. I can confidently say that I’m leaving my seat better than I found it and at the end of the day I think that’s what matters most.
I'm sorry guys, I did my best.
The average home in Newark is valued at over $1.3 million. Housing prices have jumped 10.5% in just the past year.
Bucci isn’t the first public official in California to publicly blame housing costs for his departure. Former Palo Alto Planning and Transportation Commissioner Kate Vershov Downing penned a blistering resignation letter eight years ago, blaming “astronomical” housing prices.