Sponsored link
Tuesday, November 18, 2025

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

In ‘Demonschool,’ ’70s Italian horror films meet university life. Plus demons.

Necrosoft's Brandon Sheffield on his rad new Giallo-influenced game, his journalism background—and why rents must come down.

Supes panel refuses to protect existing housing from demolitions

Rich Family Zoning Plan moves forward, without tenant or small business protections

Brian Jonestown Massacre returns in a psychedelic rush and swirl

'The key is, I never gave up' says frontman Anton Newcombe of the band's rocky beginnings in SF—and its later triumphs

John Mavroudis doesn’t hold back from speaking out through art

The self-taught artist grew up in a passionate Greek family, and describes himself as 'doomed to care' about the state of the world.

You might also likeRELATED