SF' income inequality getting National media attention (Berkeley, San Leandro: home, to buy)

[Shizzles]

I've mentioned this on the NYC forum, but it applies here too. Not everyone should nor is entitled to live in SF. Build more and better BART service so middle/working class housing can be built where the space is available and have people commute in.

[tikkasf]

Here is a article related to what is being discussed here:

Low-wage jobs are plentiful in S.F., but where can you live? - San Francisco Chronicle

[ServoMiff]

Originally Posted by Natural510

So how do you recommend someone paying $2k+/mo in rent quit their job or go part-time to go back to school. Hell, even when they're out of school there are only a few industries which can pay a salary making the inner Bay Area feasible. It's not just maids and baristas getting priced out of SF, Oakland, Berkeley, San Jose...it's nurses, firefighters, bus drivers, and just about everyone else who keep a city going.

Actually, firefighters and nurses here make a killing. I talked to a few firefighters at my local station one morning when I was early for basketball, and I learned that many of them don't live in the area, but it's not because they've been priced out - it's because they don't WANT to live here. They make 6 figure salaries at least and live in Texas or elsewhere, and they come in for 3 week shifts and go back home for 3 weeks. That wouldn't get them a huge home in the city if they chose to stay, but a dual income household with one person making 6 figures can do just fine here if they wanted to. My wife is 27 and was 2 years removed from college when she moved here and got into the startup world making 6 figures - no ivy pedigree...nothing other than a strong work ethic and a desire to succeed.

This has been the standard issue response when talking about how the "community is crumbling". When in truth, the only industry outside of the standard low wage earners are teachers who are being displaced. I've spoken to nurses I've met in Ubers and they all doing just fine here. Maybe the porters and other maintenance people, but not nurses.

[tikkasf]

Originally Posted by ServoMiff

Actually, firefighters and nurses here make a killing. I talked to a few firefighters at my local station one morning when I was early for basketball, and I learned that many of them don't live in the area, but it's not because they've been priced out - it's because they don't WANT to live here. They make 6 figure salaries at least and live in Texas or elsewhere, and they come in for 3 week shifts and go back home for 3 weeks. That wouldn't get them a huge home in the city if they chose to stay, but a dual income household with one person making 6 figures can do just fine here if they wanted to. My wife is 27 and was 2 years removed from college when she moved here and got into the startup world making 6 figures - no ivy pedigree...nothing other than a strong work ethic and a desire to succeed.

This has been the standard issue response when talking about how the "community is crumbling". When in truth, the only industry outside of the standard low wage earners are teachers who are being displaced. I've spoken to nurses I've met in Ubers and they all doing just fine here. Maybe the porters and other maintenance people, but not nurses.

Some of these people you have talked to whom seem to be doing fine in SF, may be tenants of rent controlled apartments. When I moved to SF in 1989, I rented a one bedroom apt with garage parking for $680 a month. The rent in my apt has increased over the last 26 years by only approx. $280.

[LoriBee62]

Originally Posted by Shizzles

I've mentioned this on the NYC forum, but it applies here too. Not everyone should nor is entitled to live in SF. Build more and better BART service so middle/working class housing can be built where the space is available and have people commute in.

This is true. I don't get this idea that everyone is supposed to be entitled to live wherever they want even if they don't have the income to support it. I'd love to live in Malibu. You don't see me whining because I can't afford it.

[tikkasf]

Originally Posted by LoriBee62

This is true. I don't get this idea that everyone is supposed to be entitled to live wherever they want even if they don't have the income to support it. I'd love to live in Malibu. You don't see me whining because I can't afford it.

Malibu is a relative small city. SF is a major city with likely a fair sized number of job positions that don't pay anywhere near what is cost to live in SF. or even near SF due to the soaring cost of housing/rentals. I am not referring to entry level jobs either.
My advice to anyone thinking of moving to SF (others on this forum have expressed a similiar opinion), is unless you have a high paying job lined up, think long and hard about coming to SF

[ServoMiff]

Originally Posted by tikkasf

Some of these people you have talked to whom seem to be doing fine in SF, may be tenants of rent controlled apartments. When I moved to SF in 1989, I rented a one bedroom apt with garage parking for $680 a month. The rent in my apt has increased over the last 26 years by only approx. $280.

They're making 6 figure salaries - they don't really need rent control. Look up nurse salaries for some of the local hospitals on glassdoor.

[WizardOfRadical]

Originally Posted by LoriBee62

This is true. I don't get this idea that everyone is supposed to be entitled to live wherever they want even if they don't have the income to support it. I'd love to live in Malibu. You don't see me whining because I can't afford it.

Yea but what happens is you get cities like SF complaining that they can't hire enough teachers, because no one can afford to live there. I can't understand how clueless some people are about the cost of housing and how it affects the city.

[3rdGen SFan]

Originally Posted by Shizzles

I've mentioned this on the NYC forum, but it applies here too. Not everyone should nor is entitled to live in SF. Build more and better BART service so middle/working class housing can be built where the space is available and have people commute in.

True, but the same applies to people who think more housing should be built, people who want prop 13 to be repealed and the people who want those of us who own properties to become YIMBYs and make sacrifices to accommodate them.

The worst of the ones who feel entitled are the heartlessly evil ones who think others should be priced out of their homes through high taxes and rents to supposedly make way for them, but they're so delusional and bitter that they don't consider that even they wouldn't be able to afford higher taxes & rents in the future if they can't even afford the prices we have now.

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by ServoMiff

They're making 6 figure salaries - they don't really need rent control. Look up nurse salaries for some of the local hospitals on glassdoor.

Even a few years back sign on bonuses and starting pay of a 100k for new Grad RN's at SF General...

Law Enforcement and Fire also do well in the Bay Area...