4 ms·

It's crazy to me that big Tech Cos keep building massive offices and don't mind that there's not enough housing built to match. Those rent/housing prices drive

It's crazy to me that big Tech Cos keep building massive offices and don't mind that there's not enough housing built to match. Those rent/housing prices drive up the wages they have to pay.

tropo 8y ago
Perhaps this is the goal. Locating the offices in areas with high housing costs is an effective way to discriminate against people with families. Such people might not want to dedicate life fully to the company. Getting people to live in apartments means that there is no gardening or home repair to do, so one might as well head in to the office and do some more work.
- gammateam 8y ago
  lol discriminate.... its also a great way to boost your balance sheet! Nobody is thinking about anything else. When the notional on paper value of your real estate holdings are higher, your access to low interest credit is greater, your access to deductions is greater, your access to anonymous wealth preservation is greater: a more fungible dollar is worth more than others because the covenants are more numerous At this point it is a self fulfilling prophecy
kochikame 8y ago
Your comment made me think of the Bournville model village that Cadbury's built for their workers in Victorian times https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bournville https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bournville
usaar333 8y ago
> and don't mind that there's not enough housing built to match. Of course they mind. Google even works with developers to build housing: https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/12/12/googles-massive-housing-and-office-plan-poised-for-approval/ https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/12/12/googles-massive-housi... Also FWIW, housing prices (rents) have generally stagnated for the past 3 years in the Bay Area; it's less of a problem now (in terms of getting worse) than it was half a decade ago.
- sorenn111 8y ago
  is that because supply is rising or demand is falling?
- masonic 8y ago
  Google even works with developers to build housing That North Bayshore real estate is trapped between US 101 and the Bay, with no fixed transit and only the already-gridlocked Shoreline Blvd to get through. This is presumably why Google's Mountain View workplaces are on the opposite side of 101.
aikinai 8y ago
Google has tried hard to build or help build housing, but they always get blocked by the local governments.
- masonic 8y ago
  This has literally never happened (in SV anyway).
  - dev_dull 8y ago
    This happens all of the time. Local governments and existing residents are a forceful voice against new building. Besides, local municipalities can make it easier to build by alleviating some of the time consuming (and expensive) permitting process but they don’t really care. There’s all kinds of things they can do even just with zoning.
    - masonic 8y ago
      Name one example where Google has made an actual attempt to build housing and was actually stopped by a local government. One? They give lip service regarding the general concept but have yet to put so much as a specific development before a planning commission, let alone a city council.

It's crazy to me that big Tech Cos keep building massive offices and don't mind that there's not enough housing built to match. Those rent/housing prices drive up the wages they have to pay.

tropo 8y ago

Perhaps this is the goal. Locating the offices in areas with high housing costs is an effective way to discriminate against people with families. Such people might not want to dedicate life fully to the company. Getting people to live in apartments means that there is no gardening or home repair to do, so one might as well head in to the office and do some more work.

gammateam 8y ago
lol discriminate.... its also a great way to boost your balance sheet! Nobody is thinking about anything else. When the notional on paper value of your real estate holdings are higher, your access to low interest credit is greater, your access to deductions is greater, your access to anonymous wealth preservation is greater: a more fungible dollar is worth more than others because the covenants are more numerous At this point it is a self fulfilling prophecy

kochikame 8y ago

Your comment made me think of the Bournville model village that Cadbury's built for their workers in Victorian times https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bournville https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bournville

usaar333 8y ago

> and don't mind that there's not enough housing built to match. Of course they mind. Google even works with developers to build housing: https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/12/12/googles-massive-housing-and-office-plan-poised-for-approval/ https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/12/12/googles-massive-housi... Also FWIW, housing prices (rents) have generally stagnated for the past 3 years in the Bay Area; it's less of a problem now (in terms of getting worse) than it was half a decade ago.

sorenn111 8y ago
is that because supply is rising or demand is falling?
masonic 8y ago
Google even works with developers to build housing That North Bayshore real estate is trapped between US 101 and the Bay, with no fixed transit and only the already-gridlocked Shoreline Blvd to get through. This is presumably why Google's Mountain View workplaces are on the opposite side of 101.

aikinai 8y ago

Google has tried hard to build or help build housing, but they always get blocked by the local governments.

masonic 8y ago
This has literally never happened (in SV anyway).
- dev_dull 8y ago
  This happens all of the time. Local governments and existing residents are a forceful voice against new building. Besides, local municipalities can make it easier to build by alleviating some of the time consuming (and expensive) permitting process but they don’t really care. There’s all kinds of things they can do even just with zoning.
  - masonic 8y ago
    Name one example where Google has made an actual attempt to build housing and was actually stopped by a local government. One? They give lip service regarding the general concept but have yet to put so much as a specific development before a planning commission, let alone a city council.