"Saratoga looks picture perfect when you walk around the neighborhood, but there are people out there that need help," said Joan Cornbleet, activities coordinator and social services coordinator for adult care at the Saratoga Senior Center. "People have come in to me in almost desperate situations."

For Santa Clara County, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development considers $37,150 per year to be a very low income for one person. For two people, $42,450 is very low income.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median household income for 1999 in Saratoga was $139,895, three times higher than the state. The per capita money income for 1999 in Saratoga was $65,000, nearly three times higher than for California. In 1999, 2.8 percent of Saratogans were below the poverty level, as opposed to 14.2 percent of Californians.

Although Saratoga ranks highly compared to the rest of the state and the nation, Cornbleet said that between three and four times a week people come into the center in search of help. "The housing issue is of great concern," she said. "There's just not a lot of availability."

Financial strains caused by medical and legal issues and demands on working families caring for elderly parents are among the problems Cornbleet hears about.

Marge Bunyard, program vice president for the League of Women Voters, agrees. "A lot of people who are elderly are affected by the high cost of medical care," she said.

Bunyard said that because of Saratoga's high cost of living, a sudden personal crisis, such as a divorce or being laid off from a job, could be enough to force someone out of town.

"If you suddenly have no job and look for six months to a year, some people decide to move elsewhere," Bunyard said. "Some people are ashamed to talk about it when they get in these situations."

Saratoga's high cost of housing is also a challenge for the teachers, firefighters and police officers who serve the community, Bunyard said. "People move here for the schools but teachers can't afford to live here," Bunyard said. "Some teachers commute from Berkeley where they can find affordable housing."

Carlos Garcia, director of the Fellowship Plaza, which provides low-income housing in Saratoga for seniors, said that the majority of the 175 seniors at his facility are from other parts of Santa Clara County, but some are from Saratoga.

"It's very diverse," Garcia said of the population at the Fellowship Plaza. Koreans, Chinese, a small Hispanic community, a fairly large Russian community and a slim majority of American-born residents make up the population, he explained.

"Almost in every case, they are on Social Security and some on Supplemental Security Income," Garcia said. "The situation in this market when it comes to housing is terrible. The average for an apartment is about $1,000 a month and SSI is $814."

"We do have people applying with Saratoga addresses," Garcia said. "In most cases in Saratoga, applicants are Asians with elderly parents." He said Asian families in Saratoga submit applications to the Fellowship Plaza hoping to keep elderly parents in a facility close to home.

Cornbleet said that when people come for help, whether they are working people with an elderly parent or seniors searching for affordable housing, she can assist in attempting to find a solution.