Sponsored link
Saturday, October 24, 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

Latest

BIG WEEK: Sandcastle Classic, LitCrawl, Annie Sprinkle, 125 Years of Lawn Bowling….

'Roll Fog,' Chinatown After Dark, SF Dance Film Fest, SOMArts' Día de los Muertos, 'Wicker,' a Britney Spears musical, more to do!

Good Taste: Warriors score early wins with tasty new fare

Delightful Dungeness sandwich, fire pozole, perfect vegan pancit are some of this season’s culinary highlights at Chase Center.

Under the Stars: Noise Pop’s phase one lineup drops—with a load of local love

Plus: Funkadelic's 'Maggot Brain' reissue (again), Late Aster's constellations, hometown high-fives from Treasure, more

Juvenal knew: Seeing our current ‘orgy of greed’ through ancient eyes

A 'No Kings' encounter put us in mind of a Roman poet's satirical—and unfortunately immortal—take on the kakistocracy.

You might also likeRELATED