October 14, 2013 for immediate release
Contact Andrew Wood 415-305-1102 andrew07@well.com
Demystifying Housing Supply/Demand Theory for San Francisco Who: What: Where: When: Admission:
Urban Institute for Development and Economic Alternatives (Urban IDEA) A Community Forum to Discuss Different Approaches to Alleviating San Francisco’s Housing Crisis LGBT Community Center, 1800 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 Thursday November 7, 2013. 6:00pm – 8:00pm FREE: RSVP to http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/487676
October 14, San Francisco. San Francisco’s progressive think tank and policy advocacy group, Urban IDEA in collaboration with San Francisco Information Clearinghouse, the San Francisco Progressive Media Center and San Francisco Magazine are co-sponsoring a panel discussion and community forum. The topic of conversation will be some of the radically different ideas being proposed as solutions to the City’s housing crisis. Panelists include Doug Engmann (Engmann Options), Calvin Welch (San Francisco Information Clearinghouse), Michael Yarne (Build Inc.), Tim Colen (Housing Action Coalition), Farhad Manjoo (Writer, San Francisco Magazine) and Christina Olague (Past Planning Commission President). The panel will be moderated by Fernando Marti (Council of Community Housing Organizations).
Urban IDEA co-founder, Peter Cohen said, “Economists, city planners, policy think tanks, and media outlets have lately been advocating for a supply-side ‘solution’ to San Francisco’s longstanding housing affordability crisis. Build, build, build is the argument – at a rate of 5,000 units of housing construction per year for 20 years (far above what San Francisco has ever built). Eventually, and with enough incentives and deregulation to stimulate and sustain that unprecedented volume of development, they argue that the price of housing in San Francisco will stabilize and actually decline. But does this Economics 101 theory really work for the housing market in San Francisco? Why is housing now getting more expensive and out of reach for most San Franciscans even as more is being built in this latest wave of development? And…CAN WE REALLY BUILD OUR WAY TO AFFORDABILITY?” Urban IDEA focuses on multiple issues confronting municipal and regional governments. It incubates new ideas and approaches to urban and regional development from a left-progressive perspective bringing together researchers, professional practitioners and policymakers. ~XXX~