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James Wernikoff: Rebuilding Hope for the Bay Area

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James Wernikoff shares his thoughts on improving the Bay Area’s housing crisis.

Volunteering at my local homeless shelter in San Mateo opened my eyes to the harsh realities of affordable housing in the Bay Area. While working at the shelter, creating a sports camp for children and speaking with residents, I learned that most were unhoused because they could not afford to rent in one of the highest-priced markets in the nation. At that moment, I realized the housing crisis isn’t just a policy debate.

The problem is deeply rooted in systemic challenges. High construction, land and labor costs, restrictive zoning laws and the scarcity of land make it almost impossible to build enough affordable housing. California is just simply expensive. When housing does get built, it’s often luxury condos that many low to medium-income Bay Area residents can’t afford.

Through my research, I’ve explored innovative solutions. Converting empty office spaces into homes stands out to be the most effective one. Because of the high San Francisco office space vacancy rates, over 10,000 new units could be built when converting them to office spaces, which will be more cost-efficient. It will serve to repurpose the many idle office buildings left unused due to remote work associated with COVID-19. However, solving the housing crisis will require more than out of the box ideas for new construction. It will also need cross-county communication and cooperation. Today, San Francisco is carrying the burden of developing affordable housing because of strict zoning laws, leaving neighboring towns like Palo Alto and Mountain View without affordable housing with dominating tech companies.

What we really need is regional planning centered on equity among all communities. Bay Area supervisors should interact and plan accordingly for a fair, equitable and efficient housing plan.

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Solving the housing crisis isn’t about “us” versus “them.” It’s about all of us — students, workers, policymakers and neighbors — working together to create a livable future. By addressing this crisis together, we can ensure the Bay Area remains a place where everyone, regardless of income, can thrive.

With a Perspective, I’m James Wernikoff.

James Wernikoff is a senior student in Menlo Park. He enjoys playing lacrosse and watching sports.

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