The housing shortage is a completely self-inflicted wound. Like Prop 13, it benefits current owners at the expense of their children and other newcomers.
And even when housing can be built, it is overly expensive due to insanely conservative zoning requirements. A great explanation of just how awful it is in LA is here:
And SF and the Bay Area have been even worse than LA at building housing.
Crazy conservative (in the sense of "no change allowed") people dominate all the planning meetings, which control what can and can not be built. Meeting code and zoning is not enough, you have to convince the extreme ends of your opponents to get anything built.
And even when housing can be built, it is overly expensive due to insanely conservative zoning requirements. A great explanation of just how awful it is in LA is here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/comments/6lvwh4/im_an_ar...
And SF and the Bay Area have been even worse than LA at building housing.
Crazy conservative (in the sense of "no change allowed") people dominate all the planning meetings, which control what can and can not be built. Meeting code and zoning is not enough, you have to convince the extreme ends of your opponents to get anything built.