Is it worth finding a cheaper place to rent?(Sacramento)

[Gary Smith]

I'm currently paying $1300 renting a good apartment in Sacramento, CA. Could I likely find something cheap enough to make it worth moving. Or, stay put.

There's 3 adults in our household: 1 can't find work, 1 works part-time. But we do have $20,000 in savings.

I'm taking into concideration:
- moving expense and time
- location and crime
- Cheaper places are likely to have other expenses

And are the ads for $1000 rentals just scams or really bad areas?

Are rents likely to go down or up as the economy getts worse?

I was also thinking - If I could somehow buy a home, then if I can't pay the mortgage, maybe I can get in on one of those bailouts(half joking). If I go broke as a renter, I suppose I'm screwed.