2019May
"Unpacking myths about housing development in the Bay Area"
The nine-county Bay Area, currently home to 7.7 million people, is projected to add another 2 million new residents by 2040. Such growth comes with opportunities for innovation, vibrant communities, and a sustainable urban consolidation of people and resources.
...More"California’s answer to the housing shortage? Anything but housing"
California lawmakers appear increasingly willing to advance every response to the housing shortage that does not entail building housing.
The latest example is legislation by Assemblyman David Chiu, D-San Francisco, to cap rent increases across the state, which the Assembly took the remarkable step of passing Wednesday.
...More"I Got Mine"
Like college debt and climate change, the housing affordability crisis is generational warfare.
The numbers in California tell a dire story these days: In 2018, despite low unemployment and high wages, the state’s population grew at its slowest rate in history. Fewer people are coming and more people are leaving because it’s very hard to find a place to live.
...More"Major Transit Village Development Coming to West Oakland"
Decades after BART rolled through West Oakland, along 7th Street, destroying what was once a vibrant, black, entertainment and commercial business district, local developer, Panoramic Interests, is planning to replace the devastation with a new and vibrant community of housing and small businesses.
...More"We Used to Do This Everywhere"
I just got back from a few days in New Orleans, where I stayed—as most tourists to that city do—in the French Quarter. The name is actually a misnomer from the particular perspective of an urban planner: most of the historic architecture in the French quarter dates to a period of Spanish rule from 1763-1801, and much of the urban design suggests a strong Spanish influence.
...More"An RV Camp Sprang Up Outside Google’s Headquarters. Now Mountain View Wants to Ban It"
With house prices out of reach, where will the van dwellers go?
In a quiet neighborhood near Google’s headquarters last month, rusty, oleaginous sewage was seeping from a parked RV onto the otherwise pristine street.
...More"The affordable housing crisis, explained"
Blame policy, demographics, and market forces
The United States is facing an affordable housing crisis.
Nearly two-thirds of renters nationwide say they can’t afford to buy a home, and saving for that down payment isn’t going to get easier anytime soon: Home prices are rising at twice the rate of wage growth.
...More"Wealthy Bay Area suburbs could have a whole new look under California housing bill"
When Paul Wickboldt moved to the Bay Area from Boston more than two decades ago, he settled in Walnut Creek for the same reasons many families choose the suburbs: good public schools, safety, a backyard for the kids to play in, and the pleasure of knowing his neighbors.
...More"Millennials Put Pressure on Tightening Housing Supply"
From August 2018
In the coming years, an increase in Millennials forming households will create robust demand for both single family homes and apartments. Why inadequate supply over the long term may bode well for apartment REITs.
...More"Why Are Companies Ending Remote Work?"
With research suggesting that companies can save money, boost morale and attract top candidates by offering work-at-home options, why are some employers calling their telecommuters back into the main office?
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