How can there be a housing shortage if residents are leaving in droves? Alternative facts?

There are 100 people who want to eat an apple, but I only have 10 apples. Half of these people leave, so I must have enough apples now, right?

Word on the street is that

nobody lives there anymore its too crowded

If you don't like leave!
Some listened. And we still lack natural resources and schools for those who remain. Commutes are wasting time and energy. It is just a matter of time until the bubble pops.

I, for one, am getting more than a little weary of the tech company party line that immigration drives innovation. Close to 60% of tech company employees are foreign born and we're supposed to just nod our bobble heads as if this is OK? This ridiculous propaganda is contributing to high unemployment rates and a failing economy. I find this mindset that American born citizens are incapable of getting the job done both insulting and unacceptable and think it's past time that people speak up and say so!

"high unemployment rates and a failing economy" did you actually read the article?

@hsnpoor, I think you missed the point on those sorts of comments. Without the abilities of those 60% that value will be captured elsewhere in the world. The US has some terrific folks that are born here and also immigrated here. There is a wide variety of talents and this country has done a great job in unleashing those abilities.

I'm not sure how you got to failing economy and high unemployment rates. I work in a tech-ish business and jobs are everywhere. And, personally I like competition. If anyone can do the job better and/or cheaper, that's fine by me... I'll do something else and find a way to succeed.

Well, the housing shortage is a side effect of the building restrictions we have in the Bay Area. I am not saying we shouldn't have them, I am saying that if you severely limit where you can build housing, you are constraining supply and you know the rest.

On the one hand it is very nice that we have large areas of undeveloped land and the Bay Area doesn't look like LA. The big tradeoff is that there is not enough space to build housing close to where people work. So, they must buy houses farther away which causes our freeways to clog up.

Pick your poison...

The report is attempting to simplify a very complicated picture, my observation is this.

This report does not in fact distinguish contract workers from full employees. The typical breakdown in the valley is there are 65% workers who only have 6 to 12 month contracts. I have a Human Resources Business degree, and my opinion for what it is worth is that contractors must be reclassified to accurately report economic stability. Since they are not employed by anyone indefinitely, only temporary. This creates a very big illusion regarding what the real employment pictures are in the economy as a whole. The fact is these people will be back being unemployed by design, they are constantly told that it is a temp to perm, but it never transitions. Most economists don't even want to touch this subject.

So the claim that the Valley economy is stable can be questioned. If these contractors only reside for 6 to 12 months at a time in the valley, they have no incentive to stay. As an example, I have to stay here, but I get job offers from everywhere on the earth (literally Japan, Kuwait, Afghanistan), even though my Resume clearly states my only choice to work is in the valley or San Fran. No recruiter seems to even bother to read my first lines of text.

I had 2 college friends who went with me to a local CSU, but they moved away last year even though the husband was never having any problems with employment, it all came down to cost of living. He chose to move to Texas, where even though he earns 20% less cash, his cost of living is 38% less, he got a raise of 18% earnings, his own house, and a better work life situation.

This situation is not simple, but the smarter of the people who work here do not intend to stay here. They make their big checks, to save the money, they sometimes live in their cars, vans, truck, rvs or even tents, and when done move away. This is a employment turnover. As long as the valley gets new people coming in, like H1B visa employees, it is ok. But when the people thinking about working here question the worth and decide not to come, or if Trump cuts off the H1B visa program, the valley is in for a serious implosion.

Why do you see so many tech firms talking about the H1B Visa program now. It has been a TEMP program where they can get 100% value of the worker, but only pay about 75% the price, and they simply do not care if the worker stays. The H1B TEMP is just like a waiter, you use them for your meal, then leave them without a job after.

So is it a simple situation, NO, are the problems more complicated for the future of the valley, YES.

The High Speed Rail will solve the commute and housing problems and create thousands of GREEN jobs for latino workers as well as others seeking construction, service and infrastructure employment. Check out this site for breaking news !

http://railroader.com

8 is watt 8 is...
If you can't stand the HEAT, then GET THE HELL OUT OF THE KITCHEN.

If you says that those who cannot afford to live here should leave, you imply you support a market based economy. If that is the case, let the market build more and more varied housing. It's intellectually dishonest to artificially restrict supply, and at the same time, blame those who suffer from the housing shortage. Our government is the problem, not the people who work hard to make a living in the Valley. Worry about the effects of extra people, build more infrastructure, don't ban growth.

To address some of the comments above. It is far more complex than simply thinking in terms of handover.


Suppose that there are 100 apples.
Tomorrow, 3 more apples may appear, making it 103.
For now, we only have 100 apples, because the problem is already apparent with 100.
Let's begin.
All 100 apples are in someone's hands.
1 person has combined their apple with the one next to it.
10 people want to sell theirs and leave the table.
30 people want to buy an apple.
10 people buying apples don't even use it. They just needed to buy something as an investment.
10 apples don't belong to people who are at the table, or in the area.
25 people have already made their apple shinny to make it cost more.
10 people buying are only in it to make shinny apples, not cheap ones.
40 people don't want to grow more apples due to fear and anger.
15 people who have apples at the table couldnt afford their apple, so everyone chipped in.
40 people at the table have apples, but can't afford the next bite.
3 apples are stuck in paperwork.
2 apples are just sitting there with no one using it.
1 apple is being turned into a pie.
1 apple is made of pure gold.
1 apple is rotten, or destroyed by nature, and under repair.
The crowd is now so large you can't even reach your apple on the table.
Everyone agrees, "NO PINEAPPLE!"

We collectively started the fire,

“Suppose that there are 100 apples.

Tomorrow, 3 more apples may appear, making it 103.”

WE STILL HAVE ONLY 100 APPLES

“All 100 apples are in someone's hands.”

OK WE HAVE 100 APPLES

“1 person has combined their apple with the one next to it.”

WE STILL HAVE 100 APPLES

“10 people want to sell theirs and leave the table.”

OK WE STILL HAVE 100 APPLES

“30 people want to buy an apple.”

OK WE STILL HAVE 100 APPLES

“10 people buying apples don't even use it. They just needed to buy something as an investment.”

OK THEN WE NOW HAVE 90 APPLES (100 APPLES SUBTRACTED BY 10)

“10 apples don't belong to people who are at the table, or in the area.”

WE STILL HAVE 90 APPLES

“25 people have already made their apple shinny to make it cost more.”

WE STILL HAVE 90 APPLES

“10 people buying are only in it to make shinny apples, not cheap ones.”

WE STILL HAVE 90 APPLES

“40 people don't want to grow more apples due to fear and anger.”

WE STILL HAVE ONLY 90 APPLES.

“15 people who have apples at the table couldnt afford their apple, so everyone chipped in.”

WE STILL HAVE 90 APPLES, BUT NOW 5 ARE SPOILED BECAUSE THEIR APPLE HAS ROTTED. THIS IS ASSUMING THAT 10 OF THEM WERE AN INVESTMENT ONLY. THAT LEAVES 85 APPLES.

“40 people at the table have apples, but can't afford the next bite.”

THAT MEANS 40 MORE APPLES HAVE ROTTED, LEAVING US WITH 45 GOOD APPLES.

“3 apples are stuck in paperwork.”

THAT LEAVES US WITH STILL 45 GOOD APPLES.

“2 apples are just sitting there with no one using it.”

THAT ROTS 2 MORE APPLES WHICH LEAVES US WITH 43 APPLES

“1 apple is being turned into a pie.”

THAT CANNOT BE CORRECT, IT TAKES AT LEAST 3 APPLES TO MAKE A PIE I THINK. WE STILL HAVE 43 APPLES.

“1 apple is made of pure gold.”

WELL THAT MEANS WE LOST ANOTHER APPLE, 42 APPLES REMAIN.

“1 apple is rotten, or destroyed by nature, and under repair.”

NOW WE HAVE 41 APPLES REMAINING.

“The crowd is now so large you can't even reach your apple on the table.”

SO WHAT STARTED OUT AS 100 APPLES RESULTED IN REALITY TO BE ONLY 41 FRESH APPLES. THE ONLY WAY TO SERVE EVERYONE APPLE IS MAKE APPLESAUCE. WOW WE WENT FROM 100 APPLES TO JUST OVER 40 APPLES, WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?

Move some of the business to other parts of the Bay Area, including San Francisco, Oakland, East Bay, further inland , etc. ; which IS happening. As more apartments are built in the Bay Area, the problem will ease a bit. As people car pool more, the same. Sacramento and now LA Area will pick up the slack, as Silicon Valley expands and comes to more and more of California.

I do not understand your use of graphics. The first graph you present ends in 2015 and still has a net positive, though small, increase. In other words, more people coming in than leaving. The third chart seems useless as it appears to give total hours by all commuters in a year spent driving(?) which fails to consider length of commute, number of commuters, etc. It isn't a useful chart. There must be better graphics you could have used to illustrate your points.

Okay. I referred to their report, and I would say you are exaggerating in the headline if not lying. The report says, "People are moving out of Silicon Valley nearly as quickly as
they are moving in. Between July 2015 and July 2016, the
region gained 22,500 foreign immigrants, but lost 20,801
residents to other parts of California and the United States." In no way, can this be the same as your words: "More people leaving Silicon Valley" which implies more are leaving than coming in. Perhaps you meant to say that the number of people leaving is increasing which is a bit more accurate but the next line should read, but is balanced by new foreign immigrants and births.

I note the number type and license plates of U-Hauls towing out of State Cars; I live across from a RE/MAX Realty Office. Yes, we have a few more " transplants " every year. I just wish they would leave their bad habits along with the former habitats. Learn what it means to be a true Coloradan, including the fact that every OPEN CARRY person is a personal threat to themselves. We DO have dangerous snakes ( including the two legged kind ) so be prepared.

a) that's really creepy
b) we live in California, not Colorado

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