4 ms·

Can the Silicon Valley be saved from ever growing cost of living?

15 points by kirillzubovsky 12y ago

kumarski 12y ago
I've been curious about the politics/ specific policies regarding this. It would be cool if rap genius did an analysis of the legal bottlenecks that prevent free market housing.
oldmanjay 12y ago
I made it this far: "It's the only place in the world where visionaries and extremely talented people live within an hour drive from one another." and had to stop to laugh at the sheer arrogance of that statement.
- asymmetric 12y ago
  I stopped at: I suppose it's not uncommon for a housing situation like this to exists anywhere in the world, but somehow US and hostel-living for smart and talented people, that just doesn't seem right. Hostel-living for smart and talented people (= white males) doesn't seem right. If you're poor and therefore uneducated, it's perfectly OK, I assume.
davidf18 12y ago
It is called "rent seeking:" the use of politics to increase wealth. In this case, it is using politics in various forms to limit the supply of housing stock. "rent seeking" harms the economy. Perhaps passing "affordable housing" legislation at the state level would help. State law would override city law.
crgt 12y ago
Slightly off topic, but if you were relocating to the area with 3 kids (ages 7,5,2) in tow, any recommendations on where to live? Office will be somewhere in SF, but exact location still unknown. Would appreciate any suggestions..
- kirillzubovsky 12y ago
  Anywhere you could afford that's close to the Bart line :) I've got a few friends who live almost an hour East, almost at the end of the Bart. Can't remember the name of the area.
adamredwoods 12y ago
I don't think it can be sustained. If someone wants to work in this area long-term, then wages need to rise equal to rent inflation. My current apartment rental has been raised about 10% year-over-year for 4 years (no rent control), yet our income has remained the same. We aren't in high-paying jobs, so at some point our time here will end unless something changes.
pkulak 12y ago
Seems to me like property values are going up so much because rich people are accumulating so much wealth lately while interest rates are staying so low. Might as well put those millions into property. Of course it puts any house in a city out of my price range to buy with a mortgage, but oh well, I guess.
shitlord 12y ago
> Of course, engineers, designers, marketers, sales people and founders, and everyone else working in a startup, we don't come to the Valley for a pay check. I will never understand this attitude. Why on earth would you want to work yourself so incredibly hard for so little in return? The author makes it seem like people are there primarily for some kind of 'shared experience'. If I have learned anything in life, it is that people are primarily self-interested. If I was ever in a position like this, I would ask myself how much a shared experience is worth. Is it worth working >40 hours every week for nothing in return? Is it worth tolerating "hostel" conditions, as the author puts it?
- mercer 12y ago
  > If I have learned anything in life, it is that people are primarily self-interested. I don't think people are, but even if they are, they are still irrational. There are many people who sign up to join the army or a rebel force for reason that don't really make a lot of sense to many of us. Why would you volunteer to likely die? There are people who 'voluntarily' join churches or cults that heavily restrict their freedom. There are many young people who live in ghettos who are likely to die young if they stay, and have the opportunity to leave for a better situation (comparatively), and yet stay anyways. There are people who spend their lives working hard on their career at the expense of their family and friendships, something that few people would consider in the best interest of the self. If I have learned anything in life, it's that people usually don't really know what's in their best interest, and the best we can hope for is that whatever surroundings and values we grow up in and conform to to are ones that benefit us. And that's even assuming that our self-interest is our primary motivator, which is not very likely.

I've been curious about the politics/ specific policies regarding this. It would be cool if rap genius did an analysis of the legal bottlenecks that prevent free market housing.

oldmanjay 12y ago

I made it this far: "It's the only place in the world where visionaries and extremely talented people live within an hour drive from one another." and had to stop to laugh at the sheer arrogance of that statement.

asymmetric 12y ago
I stopped at: I suppose it's not uncommon for a housing situation like this to exists anywhere in the world, but somehow US and hostel-living for smart and talented people, that just doesn't seem right. Hostel-living for smart and talented people (= white males) doesn't seem right. If you're poor and therefore uneducated, it's perfectly OK, I assume.

davidf18 12y ago

It is called "rent seeking:" the use of politics to increase wealth. In this case, it is using politics in various forms to limit the supply of housing stock. "rent seeking" harms the economy. Perhaps passing "affordable housing" legislation at the state level would help. State law would override city law.

crgt 12y ago

Slightly off topic, but if you were relocating to the area with 3 kids (ages 7,5,2) in tow, any recommendations on where to live? Office will be somewhere in SF, but exact location still unknown. Would appreciate any suggestions..

kirillzubovsky 12y ago
Anywhere you could afford that's close to the Bart line :) I've got a few friends who live almost an hour East, almost at the end of the Bart. Can't remember the name of the area.

adamredwoods 12y ago

I don't think it can be sustained. If someone wants to work in this area long-term, then wages need to rise equal to rent inflation. My current apartment rental has been raised about 10% year-over-year for 4 years (no rent control), yet our income has remained the same. We aren't in high-paying jobs, so at some point our time here will end unless something changes.

pkulak 12y ago

Seems to me like property values are going up so much because rich people are accumulating so much wealth lately while interest rates are staying so low. Might as well put those millions into property. Of course it puts any house in a city out of my price range to buy with a mortgage, but oh well, I guess.

shitlord 12y ago

> Of course, engineers, designers, marketers, sales people and founders, and everyone else working in a startup, we don't come to the Valley for a pay check. I will never understand this attitude. Why on earth would you want to work yourself so incredibly hard for so little in return? The author makes it seem like people are there primarily for some kind of 'shared experience'. If I have learned anything in life, it is that people are primarily self-interested. If I was ever in a position like this, I would ask myself how much a shared experience is worth. Is it worth working >40 hours every week for nothing in return? Is it worth tolerating "hostel" conditions, as the author puts it?

mercer 12y ago
> If I have learned anything in life, it is that people are primarily self-interested. I don't think people are, but even if they are, they are still irrational. There are many people who sign up to join the army or a rebel force for reason that don't really make a lot of sense to many of us. Why would you volunteer to likely die? There are people who 'voluntarily' join churches or cults that heavily restrict their freedom. There are many young people who live in ghettos who are likely to die young if they stay, and have the opportunity to leave for a better situation (comparatively), and yet stay anyways. There are people who spend their lives working hard on their career at the expense of their family and friendships, something that few people would consider in the best interest of the self. If I have learned anything in life, it's that people usually don't really know what's in their best interest, and the best we can hope for is that whatever surroundings and values we grow up in and conform to to are ones that benefit us. And that's even assuming that our self-interest is our primary motivator, which is not very likely.