Tech, not recalcitrant cities, is the root of our housing crisis
By Eric Filseth in SF Chronicle Open Forum
“Bay Area voters understand the root of our housing crisis is not local officials — the political narrative — but enormous tech demand for housing. The region has generated vast wealth, but hasn’t invested enough of it in the housing and transportation needed to support its expansion. Instead, those costs have fallen on communities. SB50 continues that, and communities know it.
Voters also know SB50 departed from its elevator pitch of housing near transit — nearly all of Silicon Valley is jobs-rich, with relatively little near transit — and tilted rigidly to the left about local control and zoning for single-family homes. That’s nutty. It surely says something about a bill when you have to buy its political support by handing out exemptions, as was done for Marin.”