South San Francisco, CA July 25, 2021 by A Concerned SSF Citizen, Call me Old Timer
I have been watching housing changes for a long time, well actually maybe more since the PUC site on El Camino Real got to me and other residents. Too many people think that supply and demand will lower housing prices around here but that will not happen. South City has been my home for over 76 years and I welcome change that benefits everyone, and this is not one of them. This article I am attaching explains how investors are buying property all over the place and this will happen here too. Imagine an investor buying the house nextdoor to you to tear it down to build a 4-plex or 10-unit complex. That is what Sacramento is trying to do with this bills.
Like many in my generation, I worked hard to buy a single family home because I wanted a yard for my kids to play in, and to enjoy close friendship with neighbors. I have watched new neighborhoods popup in South San Francisco including the recent one up here off Westborough Blvd. There is so much building going on with new homes going in where we use to have a car wash, and over by the freeway too. And I think the City is going to build 800 more places close to Kaiser. My point is that we have new housing and we have continued through my 76 years in this City to build more. Yes, I am an old timer and remember when we had farms and a slower life. I know the young people today want everything now, free, and fast but they don’t think of long term consequences. And local politicians have second homes to escape to and/or move away after they are done here leaving us stuck. I don’t blame them for moving, I would too but my friends are here, although many have passed on. But the senior center, my doctors at Kaiser and neighbors are my world here because one of my kids died and the other one had moved away to another State.
In my 76 years I have seen a lot, and a lot of changes, and I sure wish the younger folks would use one of their ears to hear some wisdom gained by us old timers. A buddy sent this to me and I hope maybe your readers will see how this could hurt our dear City. Thank you for letting me say my 2 cents because I cannot make it to meetings because I don’t want to get sick being around groups of people. I know I have spelling mistakes but maybe it will make sense anyway, maybe you can fix it up some. I had help from a GI Bill for my house because I served in the war, but they don’t remember that far back, or maybe don’t care.
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i noticed that no one has opened pandora’s box called, gridlock, remember folks, YOU elected these
crooks, NOBODY else did
What you are saying is so true and the article you attached is excellent. What we need is housing that people in SSF can AFFORD, so our children and our teachers can afford to live here. A few units in each of these big projects is set aside for so-called below market rates, but those units are so few that they need a lottery to choose who can live in them, and the rules for these applicants is like jumping through multiple loops – while apartments that rent for $3000 plus are going to young people who can’t afford San Francisco. It is a disgrace.