She just allocates the money differently:

"When I add up my monthly expenses in Detroit and compare them to my monthly expenses in New York, they are basically the same. Only the distribution is different. Yes, my rent in New York was twice as much as my mortgage now, but my transportation costs in Detroit are six times higher than they were in New York. That, combined with the unfortunate job insecurity I’ve had since moving here and the walloping tax bill, has made it more and more financially difficult to live here. I chose Detroit because I thought that it was the place that would allow me to pursue my art and yet somehow escape my “starving artist” status. I had been told that art could thrive in the Motor City because artists could do more than just “survive.” So far, neither one has happened for me."

http://nextcity.org/daily/entry/movi...rdable-housing