The new tech boom that's driving up rents in San Francisco could have rippling impacts on East Bay communities.
Some Oakland residents and housing analysts say the city is poised for a displacement crisis fueled in part by AI companies, reports Natalie Orenstein in The Oaklandside.
The impending boom could mirror the early 2010s, when renters priced out of San Francisco during the Silicon Valley tech boom drove up demand in Oakland and surrounding areas, leading to the displacement of long-time residents and a rise in homelessness.
However, Oakland has built over 15,000 new housing units since the early 2010s, according to city officials, and the AI industry is creating fewer jobs than the tech boom of the 2010s. "Oakland has also tightened its tenant protections in recent years, making it harder for landlords to evict households and capping price increases in rent-controlled buildings." More demand could also spur a construction boom, Orenstein notes. "More rental demand generally creates more opportunities to build, more residents walking around and spending money in the city, and more property taxes and developer fees to support desperately needed services in Oakland."
Read the full story: Is an AI-fueled housing boom — or displacement crisis — about to hit Oakland?
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