Sponsored link
Sunday, June 21, 2026

Sponsored link

Why building more market-rate housing can’t possibly solve the city’s crisis

JULY 15, 2014 — Yesterday, we presented Part One of our Housing Video Series, explaining how San Francisco got into this mess. And in Part Two, we show how the “market-based solution” that the mayor and so many others appear to favor — just building and building for-profit market-rate housing — will eventually bring down costs.

Fact: We have abundant empirical data to show that’s just not true. Check out this video and understand why trickle-down housing economics won’t work in San Francisco — and to get a sense of what will.

By the way: If you want an idea of what happens to a city that is enamored of building highrise housing without much limit, check out Vancouver. Once a jewel of the West Coast, it now looks like … Hong Kong.  Or Miami Beach on steroids. And housing prices are still out of reach for many.

You want SF to look like this?
You want SF to look like this?

 

Tim Redmond
Tim Redmond
Tim Redmond has been a political and investigative reporter in San Francisco for more than 30 years. He spent much of that time as executive editor of the Bay Guardian. He is the founder of 48hills.

48 Hills welcomes comments in the form of letters to the editor, which you can submit here. We also invite you to join the conversation on our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Sponsored link

Sponsored link
Sponsored link

Latest

This week, the public gets to weigh in on the brutal Lurie budget cuts

Plus: Charter amendments for housing, a public bank, and more mayoral power. That's The Agenda for June 21-28

Wiener starts November race by attacking Chan, setting the tone for what could be a nasty five months

Chan says the magic words Wiener avoids—taxes on the rich—as the fall race starts to shape up

More Hunters Point toxic clean-up mess: ‘surprise’ radiological material discovered in a cabinet

Officials grilled at latest meeting on disaster, and a Lick Wilmerding High School senior takes up fight for justice.

Under the Stars: A house music master takes us back to Zanzibar

... and a techno originator flies us to Tokyo. Plus: New foamboy, Omar remixed, Broken Social Scene's tender missives, more

You might also likeRELATED