Security deposits and prepayments for rent are expensive.

I know that for most people reading this, this experience may sound familiar. (To quote another favorite philosopher, Morrissey, stop me if you think you’ve heard this before.) But as a newbie, I really had no idea how difficult it could be to find a place to live and ultimately sign a contract. rent.

For me, it started with the shock of paying my monthly rent and ended with the discomfort of sitting on a cold table in a doctor’s office as $10,000—and my dignity—leaved from my checking account.

To back it up a bit: I moved here earlier this year from Seattle to work in Globe. During an interview, someone asked me if I could actually take this step, e.g. money. I kind of brushed off the question: “Oh yeah, no problem.” Of course, I thought it would be difficult, but I’ll figure it out. Right?

This is the part of the article where you say, “Well, dumbass, haven’t you bothered to do any research?” I have no worthy objection to this question. All I can say is thank you for this observation. Appreciate it.

Let me stop for a moment: I should point out that I have a good job and I won’t pretend that I went through some unprecedented ordeal. Many people have it much worse. In my previous job, I worked in housing in my home state of Texas. And I know full well that the struggle of people living month after month is real. Many households are one auto repair or one medical diagnosis away from financial disaster. This gap between rising prices and stagnant wages is only growing.

For me, finding an apartment in this area was not a problem, although it is always difficult here; that was the price of moving into it.

Seattle has a reputation for being an expensive place to live, and it certainly is. But there are levels up to the most expensive cities in America. And Boston, I discovered, is next level.

Households here are estimated to spend a staggering 47 percent of their monthly income on rent or mortgage. Barry Bluestonefounding dean Northeastern School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs. The federal government considers housing affordable if people spend no more than 30 percent of their income on housing (in Seattle, people spend 28 percent, Bluestone found), rather than nearly half their salary.

“The majority of Boston residents, especially young people, are expected to pay much more” than that 30 percent, Bluestone adds. “A lot of them were able to stay in Boston just because they had two or three roommates.”

The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Boston was $2,358 as of September, according to the agency. Globe’rental tracker. In Cambridge it was even higher – $2,735.

I searched for six weeks, feeling constant fear. I looked outside the office in the city center. I looked into Eastie. I looked at Dorchester. No luck.

Even though I had help from my new employer, paying high rent, deposits, and brokerage fees meant raising funds from a variety of sources—suddenly we were entering five-figure territory.

First of all, there was a question of qualifications. Good rental history, check. Good job, check it out. Good credit… wait a second.

In my previous life as a journalist, I co-founded a nonprofit news organization that ran for nearly five years in my hometown of San Antonio. I made the entrepreneurial decision to prioritize the solvency of the organization at the expense of my personal finances. In other words, I have accumulated a lot of debt. So, I turned to a friend for help.

Without this help, I would not have been able to take this step financially.

I wonder how many people get a job in Boston and have to quit because they can’t afford to move? How much talent are we allowing to flee the city?

Yes, people should earn more money. Yes, housing should be made more affordable by building a stock for all income levels. But I also think landlords should consider past rental history. Mine is almost pristine.

I ended up in a studio in Cambridge, paying $600 a month more than in Seattle and getting a smaller apartment. At first I thought I could upgrade next year. But every time this idea comes to my mind, I think: “No, I feel good here.” I’ve been beaten enough already.

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Ben Olivo can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @rbolivo.