3 ms·

Apparently it is incredibly expensive to convert office to living and meet most housing standards (windows, bathrooms, HVAC, etc.) I recall a story about a mon

Apparently it is incredibly expensive to convert office to living and meet most housing standards (windows, bathrooms, HVAC, etc.) I recall a story about a month ago that a firm said they would be willing to have undertaken that cost for a tower in downtown San Francisco but the city, and it's wisdom, had passed an ordinance that required a certain percentage of new housing to go for low income people and thus for low rent and when that was baked in it made absolutely no sense (or cents). So not only do you have the trouble of the cost of conversion, you also have the trouble of meddling do-gooders messing things up (because one of the easiest ways to reduce rent for everybody is to slam a lot of supply into the market)

anon35 3y ago
See also good podcast dedicated to this topic: Why can't we turn all the empty offices into apartment buildings? https://pjvogt.substack.com/p/why-cant-we-turn-all-the-empty-offices https://pjvogt.substack.com/p/why-cant-we-turn-all-the-empty...
devoutsalsa 3y ago
When I moved to San Francisco for the 2nd time in 2016, I was looking at bottom of the barrel apartments. One unit was a studio in an office building, but without a bathroom. For some reason the shared office bathroom had a shower. I was imagining it walking down the hall in my underpants while accountants and lawyers came to work.
- oldbbsnickname 3y ago
  Was it cheaper than living in a storage unit or someone's rented closet? I kid you not that people in SF both live in storage units (with power, cooking, fridge, and TV) and rent walk-in closets to live in.
  - cj 3y ago
    Oh boy, I remember 10 years ago living in SF and renting out an alcove in our 3 bedroom apartment for $350/month. It was a 10 foot by 10 foot nook off a hallway without a door. That was after converting the living room to an extra bedroom. All to pay the monthly rent (no profiting). Fun times though!
  - devoutsalsa 3y ago
    Haha, I don't remember exactly, but I do recall that everything below about $1600/month was a little too weird.
BenFranklin100 3y ago
Those ordinances are commonly called “Inclusionary Zoning” ordinances. Even their supporters acknowledge they frequently adversely affect housing production. It’s effectively a tax on new homes.

anon35 3y ago

See also good podcast dedicated to this topic: Why can't we turn all the empty offices into apartment buildings? https://pjvogt.substack.com/p/why-cant-we-turn-all-the-empty-offices https://pjvogt.substack.com/p/why-cant-we-turn-all-the-empty...

devoutsalsa 3y ago

When I moved to San Francisco for the 2nd time in 2016, I was looking at bottom of the barrel apartments. One unit was a studio in an office building, but without a bathroom. For some reason the shared office bathroom had a shower. I was imagining it walking down the hall in my underpants while accountants and lawyers came to work.

oldbbsnickname 3y ago
Was it cheaper than living in a storage unit or someone's rented closet? I kid you not that people in SF both live in storage units (with power, cooking, fridge, and TV) and rent walk-in closets to live in.
- cj 3y ago
  Oh boy, I remember 10 years ago living in SF and renting out an alcove in our 3 bedroom apartment for $350/month. It was a 10 foot by 10 foot nook off a hallway without a door. That was after converting the living room to an extra bedroom. All to pay the monthly rent (no profiting). Fun times though!
- devoutsalsa 3y ago
  Haha, I don't remember exactly, but I do recall that everything below about $1600/month was a little too weird.

BenFranklin100 3y ago

Those ordinances are commonly called “Inclusionary Zoning” ordinances. Even their supporters acknowledge they frequently adversely affect housing production. It’s effectively a tax on new homes.