2019
"Kaiser Permanente to build giant, new $900 million Oakland headquarters"
“…Kaiser’s consolidation will free up a significant amount of space for other growing companies, according to Colin Yasukochi, research director at real estate brokerage CBRE.
It opens up additional office space for tenants seeking a lower-cost alternative” to San Francisco,” he said. “There’s a stronger likelihood that more jobs will be located in Oakland.”
...More"5 Reasons California’s Housing Costs Are So High"
From May 2018
Why are California housing costs so high? At its most basic level, it’s a story of supply and demand — lots of people want to live here, and there aren’t enough homes to go around.
...More"Americans Need More Neighbors"
“…But advocates for affordable housing should be jumping up and down and screaming for the construction of more high-end apartment buildings to ease demand for existing homes.
Those new buildings are filled with people who would otherwise be spending Saturdays touring fixer-uppers in neighborhoods newly named something like SoFa, with rapidly dwindling populations of longtime residents…”
...More"Don’t Blame Developers for the Housing Crisis, Blame the Homeowners"
Rising populations and limited housing options have created an unprecedented affordability crisis in America’s urban cities. Randy Shaw, author of “Generation Priced Out: Who gets to Live in the New Urban America,” joined THINK to discuss the policy change that could save America’s cities.
...More"Every NIMBY’s Speech at a Public Hearing"
Friends, neighbors, it’s good to see all of you. I know you, you know me, and just seeing all of your faces at this city council meeting reminds me why I love living in this town. Because I feel comforted by stasis and regularity, both fed by ignorance, and which combine to perpetuate injustice.
...More"West Oakland readies for massive, transit-oriented apartment complex"
“…Unlike some mega-projects in Oakland, the Kirkham Street venture has received little opposition, city staff said.
That is partly because the development is being built on a vacant lot, but also because city staff say they have been working closely with the developer, Panoramic Interests, to meet the community’s needs…”
...More"Another housing myth debunked: Neighborhood price effects of new apartments"
New research shows new apartments drive down rents in their immediate neighborhood, disproving the myth of “induced demand” for housing
If you’re a housing supply skeptic, there’s one pet theory that you’ve been able to hang your hat on, in the face of a barrage of evidence that increasing the supply of housing helps hold down, or even drive down rents.
...More"‘It’s a miracle’: Helsinki’s radical solution to homelessness"
Finland is the only EU country where homelessness is falling. Its secret? Giving people homes as soon as they need them – unconditionally
...More"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
