The Bay Area is the most expensive place to live in United States. The cost of housing is the single most important factor driving the cost of living.  The housing affordability crisis is principally a function of supply and demand: a strong demand for a constrained supply has driven prices and rents higher and higher in spite of the sub-prime lending crisis.  In the next 16 years, the Bay Area will have nearly 1 million more people.

The housing crisis negatively impacts both quality of life and the region’s economic competitiveness. The high cost of housing leaves less money available for other quality of life issues, such as paying for healthcare, education or leisure activities. The lack of affordable housing in the interior of the Bay Area pushes the workforce to find housing on the exterior fringes of the Bay Area. These workers drive longer commutes to their jobs, allowing them less time with their families, causing congestion in the counties they commute through as well as substantial air pollution. The lack of new, denser housing in the interior also spurs the loss of farmlands and open space.

The supply of housing must increase to provide a more affordable market for housing in the Bay Area.  Our goal is to secure an adequate housing supply of sufficient affordability for the entire population—particularly for the workforce—in order to sustain long-term economic prosperity.

Many barriers to housing production rest in the public planning and permitting process.  The Bay Area Council housing program is focused on making change to policies and regulations that block and deter housing from being produced in the places that support the smart growth of the region.

Get real on housing developments
 
Bay Area Housing Profile
 
Local governments are responsible for planning for and accommodating housing.  The Bay Area Housing Profile provides a regular report card with various measures to determine how well the cities and counties in the Bay Area are meeting their housing responsibilities.  The production and placement of housing are key determinants in economic strength and quality of life experienced in the Bay Area.  By tracking the progress and shortfalls, the Bay Area Housing Profile provides a measure of accountability to the region on jurisdiction at a time.  We are currently planning for the next Housing Profile which will track green building standards and codes throughout the region.  Contact Andrew Michael if you have input as to how this report could be structured.
 
Relevant Committees:  
Housing and Land Use Committee
Housing Endorsement Committee
Energy and Natural Resources
Bay Area Alliance for Sustainable Communities