I've heard SF's laws against denser housing are a major factor in the housing "shortage" there. [1] In NYC, rent control laws are a major factor in the artific

I've heard SF's laws against denser housing are a major factor in the housing "shortage" there. [1] In NYC, rent control laws are a major factor in the artificial housing shortage. There's a consensus across economists of all stripes that rent control is a bad thing ("the most efficient technique presently known to destroy a city -- except for bombing"). See the studies cited here. [2] [1] http://pandodaily.com/2012/12/01/san-francisco-can-become-a-world-capital-first-it-needs-to-get-over-itself/ http://pandodaily.com/2012/12/01/san-francisco-can-become-a-... [2] http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/RentControl.html http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/RentControl.html