As you may have heard, TriplePundit is developing a three-part multimedia series to examine the challenges facing many tech companies when it comes to their impact on the communities in which they operate. First up, HOUSING.
Along with a booming economy and demand for high-value tech employees have come massive increases in the cost of housing. According to Zillow, the median rent price in San Francisco is $4,195, which is higher than the San Francisco Metro median of $3,000. Rental prices rose almost 15 percent in a single year, while salaries only jumped 2 percent in the same time period. In short, people at all economic levels are being squeezed. While tech companies hire like crazy and pressure local municipalities for permission to build office space, there is often no one fighting at the local level for increased housing.
- Why can’t we just build more high-rises? Zoning in the Bay Area.
- How corporate interests have influenced local city zoning regulations in Mountain View, Palo Alto and San Francisco, from housing and office allotments to tax breaks.
