Tech capital Cupertino is facing a homeless crisis that’s about to blow your mind. In a shocking twist, the city known for gleaming Apple campuses and sky-high median incomes just saw its homeless population more than double in two years.

The Not-So-Glamorous Side of Tech Wealth

Remember when everyone thought Silicon Valley was just shiny startups and venture capital? Think again. Cupertino, with its median household income of $231,139, is now confronting a stark reality of economic inequality that’s been brewing under its pristine surface.

When Affordability Becomes a Myth

Local experts like Sujatha Venkatraman from West Valley Community Services aren’t surprised. “If we don’t build affordable housing, we are going to see more unhoused, unsheltered people in our cities,” she bluntly states. The culprits? Skyrocketing living costs, wage stagnation, and a housing market that seems more like a fantasy than a realistic option for most residents.

A Regional Problem with No Easy Solutions

With neighboring cities pushing out RVs and implementing strict parking ordinances, homeless populations are essentially being shuffled around like unwanted chess pieces. Cupertino’s latest RV parking ban is just another symptom of a deeper, systemic issue that no single city can solve alone.

The numbers don’t lie: from 48 unhoused individuals in 2023 to 101 in the latest count, Cupertino’s homeless population is a glaring reminder that even in the world’s tech capital, economic precarity is just a paycheck away.