Comment by pascalxus

I know we'd all love to fix the bay area housing problem here. The most obvious answer is to increase the supply. But, fixing the zoning laws and allowing developers to build isn't the only thing that's standing in the way. The problems are too numerous to fix: NIMBYs sueing developers, CEQA, Proposition 13, AND don't forget about the underlying labor cost (all our middle class people's aren't going to come back, after having been forced out). The bay area has forever lost it's ability to produce cost effective housing. One article I read, said that San Jose rents would have to increase another 25% to 4.75$ per sq foot, just to allow developers to break even on high rise construction! This points to some serious fundamental problem with our economy here in the bay area and it's not going to fixed with just one or two adjustments to the above reasons. We've kindof Venezuela'd our bay area economy here.

Edit: here is the link (4.25 - 4.75$/sq foot to build in San jose!): https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/04/27/construction-costs-co...

By all means, let's work to fix the problem. But, for anyone who wants to get cost effective housing in the next 30 years: I'm sorry to say it, its time to bail out. We need to start lobbying software companies to get the heck out of the bay area and CA in general.

Let's get Elon musk to build one of those hyperTubes to some city like Austin, Denver, Albuquerkee, or madison, WI. maybe some of us could commute in for 4 days a week or something.