Sponsored link
Tuesday, December 9, 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

Under the Stars: Band of the moment chokecherry gets a glow up

Plus: RIP Jimmy Cliff, Momoko Gill's massive debut, K-Lone's radiant house, La Luz gets 'Extra,' Davia Schendel crashes, more

SF fires immigrant advocate—and activists are confused and angry

'It's just weird.' Why was Richard Whipple fired from the Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs?

‘Mood Swings’ crooner Mario: ‘San Francisco has always been supportive of R&B’

The singer talks to us about his new release, whose title pays homage to a time 'when R&B was in your favorite movies.'

Drama Masks: A visceral crawl through our wild moment in ‘weird inkling’

With poignant hullaballoo, Keith Hennessy and Circo Zero literally tore it up at the figure it out dance festival.

You might also likeRELATED