Archive · 5 Nov 2025
Google Employee Slept in Car to Afford Bay Area Job
Imagine you got a dream job, but the city it's in is super expensive to live in.
That's what happened to Kento, who got a job at Google.
He was living in Santa Barbara, which is far from Google's office.
To get the job, he told them he lived nearby, but he really didn't.
After getting the job, he found out he couldn't afford to pay rent in both Santa Barbara and the expensive Bay Area.
So, he decided to live in his car for three months!
Luckily, Google had cool perks like free food, showers, and laundry, which helped him manage.
He even stayed late at work sometimes to avoid the cold in his car.
When his old lease ended, he moved to Google's New York office, which was still expensive but meant he didn't need a car and could use the money from selling his car for an apartment deposit.
A Google employee named Kento Morita lived in his car for three months after accepting an AI role in the Bay Area.
Morita lied about his living situation during the interview, stating he had local family ties to secure the position.
High rent in the Bay Area, with a median one-bedroom costing $3,600/month, made affording simultaneous leases in Santa Barbara and the Bay Area impossible.
Morita utilized Google's campus amenities like free food, gym, showers, and laundry services to support his car-living situation.
After three months, Morita transferred to Google's New York office, using the sale of his car to cover apartment deposit costs.
- Who
- Kento Morita, a Google contract employee in the AI field
- What
- Lived in his car for three months due to inability to afford Bay Area rent after securing a job
- When
- In 2019, for three months following his hiring
- Where
- Google's Mountain View headquarters and surrounding areas, later transferred to Google's New York office
- Why
- To take advantage of a job opportunity at Google despite the prohibitively high rent in the Bay Area, exacerbated by an unexpired lease in Santa Barbara.
Employee's Perspective
Company/External Perspective
Living Situation Justification
Employee's Perspective
The employee felt it was necessary to lie about local family ties to secure the AI role, prioritizing the job opportunity over immediate housing stability due to high Bay Area rent.
Company/External Perspective
Lying about living situation during the interview process is a breach of trust, regardless of external pressures like high rent.
Housing Solution
Employee's Perspective
Living in a car, supported by Google's campus amenities, was a practical and resourceful solution to manage the financial strain of dual rent and extreme Bay Area housing costs.
Company/External Perspective
While campus amenities were helpful, living in a car is an unsustainable and potentially unsafe housing solution that highlights broader issues of affordability.
- Employee's Name
- Kento Morita
- Year of Hiring
- 2019
- Original Residence
- Santa Barbara
- Job Location
- Google's Mountain View headquarters
- Duration of Car Living
- 3 months
- Vehicle Used
- 2005 Volvo
- Median 1-Bedroom Rent (Bay Area, 2019)
- $3,600/month
- Subsequent Transfer Location
- Google's New York office
