Silicon Valley Housing Crisis Continues Despite Tech Downturn

Housing officials say there is little that can be done to eliminate dangerous, overcrowded conditions in the high-priced housing market of Silicon Valley. State housing codes can only loosely regulate the number of people who live in a single dwelling. The City of San Jose received 300 complaints of illegal occupancies in the past year, but officials believe the real number may be three times as high. Cities such as San Jose haven't had much luck in tightening the rules. In nearby Santa Cruz, code enforcers try to work with landlords to improve housing, but won't remove tenants from crowded homes unless there is an imminent danger.