RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: Good morning. I'm Renee Montagne. Rent in San Francisco has reached crazy highs, and so have some of the workarounds, like illustrator Peter Berkowitz, whose cartoons have made it into The New Yorker, but who can't afford an apartment in the city. Inspired by Japan's capsule hotels, he set up a wooden pod in a friend's living room. According to Business Insider, it has a skylight and a fan, though no room to stand. But the pod rents for a modest 400 a month. It's MORNING EDITION.
Peter Berkowitz wanted to share an apartment with a friend but the rent was too high. Instead, inspired by Japan's "capsule" hotels, he set up a bedroom pod in the living room of some friends.