7 ms·

This housing crisis is going on for long time. I was wondering why don't these tech giants build housing complex for their employees. It would definitely solve

This housing crisis is going on for long time. I was wondering why don't these tech giants build housing complex for their employees. It would definitely solve a lot of issues, including controlled and balanced housing cost for the employees, group/public transport, and above all a vibrant community. Is it a permit issue? Or something else?

homonculus1 7y ago
Corporate towns are not the solution to outdated, protectionist zoning.
Qwertystop 7y ago
That's called a "company town", or well on the way to it. Not sure I want to encourage Facebook trying to become its own municipality.
lm28469 7y ago
You have a very optimistic view on the thing. Where you see a "vibrant community" I see an inexistent work-life balance and gaited communities. It would be a real life echo chamber, SV is already enough of a bubble as it is I doubt they'd need a FacebookVille or a GoogleVille.
teej 7y ago
They are. Both Google and Facebook are actively working on housing developments in the area. https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/02/08/facebook-unveils-new-vision-for-big-willow-village-complex-in-menlo-park/ https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/02/08/facebook-unveils-new-... https://www.citylab.com/equity/2019/06/google-affordable-housing-california-real-estate-development/591991/ https://www.citylab.com/equity/2019/06/google-affordable-hou...
dwyerm 7y ago
Facebook is looking into paying its employees in scrip, and now they should also be indebted to the company town? I get what you're saying, and I want to agree, but it smacks of the old Company Town that I grew up in, and the current FIFO/DIDO living conditions of remote Australian mining towns. It is bad enough that so many FAANG employees are in trouble with immigration if they lose their jobs. The fear of losing one's home would be a pretty powerful force in labor relations. Yes, it would be a good to build more housing, and it would be convenient to reserve some of that housing for your workers, and it would be a perk to subsidize that housing for your workers, but we'd have to wrap some serious regulations around them that would likely make Company Housing devolve pretty quickly.
likpok 7y ago
The housing crisis isn't because nobody wants to build housing, but because housing is difficult to build legally. The big tech companies face exactly the same problem that everyone else faces (actually: even more so since a "company town" is unpopular for other reasons).

homonculus1 7y ago

Corporate towns are not the solution to outdated, protectionist zoning.

Qwertystop 7y ago

That's called a "company town", or well on the way to it. Not sure I want to encourage Facebook trying to become its own municipality.

lm28469 7y ago

You have a very optimistic view on the thing. Where you see a "vibrant community" I see an inexistent work-life balance and gaited communities. It would be a real life echo chamber, SV is already enough of a bubble as it is I doubt they'd need a FacebookVille or a GoogleVille.

teej 7y ago

They are. Both Google and Facebook are actively working on housing developments in the area. https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/02/08/facebook-unveils-new-vision-for-big-willow-village-complex-in-menlo-park/ https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/02/08/facebook-unveils-new-... https://www.citylab.com/equity/2019/06/google-affordable-housing-california-real-estate-development/591991/ https://www.citylab.com/equity/2019/06/google-affordable-hou...

dwyerm 7y ago

Facebook is looking into paying its employees in scrip, and now they should also be indebted to the company town? I get what you're saying, and I want to agree, but it smacks of the old Company Town that I grew up in, and the current FIFO/DIDO living conditions of remote Australian mining towns. It is bad enough that so many FAANG employees are in trouble with immigration if they lose their jobs. The fear of losing one's home would be a pretty powerful force in labor relations. Yes, it would be a good to build more housing, and it would be convenient to reserve some of that housing for your workers, and it would be a perk to subsidize that housing for your workers, but we'd have to wrap some serious regulations around them that would likely make Company Housing devolve pretty quickly.

likpok 7y ago

The housing crisis isn't because nobody wants to build housing, but because housing is difficult to build legally. The big tech companies face exactly the same problem that everyone else faces (actually: even more so since a "company town" is unpopular for other reasons).