Hannah Brooks needed a new apartment and she was running out of time. It was last July — peak moving season — and Ms. Brooks, 29, had to move to New York City from Austin, Texas, before her boyfriend started a new job. “She said, ‘It’s first month, security deposit and broker’s fee, which comes out to $14,441 dollars,’” she recalled. Living in New York City is notoriously expensive, a consequence of there being too few homes for the number of people seeking them. That was the largest sum in more than a decade and nearly 30 percent above the prepandemic figure in 2019.

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Persons: Hannah Brooks, Brooks, “, ‘ It’s, ” Organizations: The New York Times Locations: New York City, Austin , Texas