This Single Mom Pays $1,000 a Month to Live in a Garage

When Nicole Jones became pregnant with her daughter, the San Francisco Bay Area mom-to-be lost her job. She couldn't afford her rent and temporarily moved into a shelter. So when she discovered a 250-square-foot single-car garage for rent that fit into her budget, Jones says that she felt "lucky."

In high-rent Silicon Valley, CA, $1,000 per month covers a one-room (garage) living space and a minuscule bathroom with a shower and toilet. Jones cooks in a microwave or toaster, and she sleeps on a pull-out couch; her daughter has a small, portable bassinet. "This is pretty much all I could get," Jones told CNN. Soon, the family of two will grow to three, as the single mom is now pregnant with her second child.

"I didn't know much about homelessness before," Jones told CNN. "Honestly, I thought homeless people were panhandlers or people on the street that were hungry and cold and drug addicts and alcoholics who didn't want to do anything for themselves."