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Executive Summary: Bay Area Burden

downloadthereportBay Area Burden provides a comprehensive analysis of the “cost of place” in nine counties located throughout the San Francisco region by examining the costs and impacts of housing and transportation on bay area residents, their neighborhoods, and the environment.

Download: Bay Area Burden: Key Findings

THE IMPACTS OF HIGH HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION COSTS
Bay area households spend an average of more than $28,000 annually on housing—about 39 percent of the area median income. In addition to the high cost of housing, bay area households spend nearly $13,400 annually on transportation. Combined, this cost burden of $41,420 per year represents 59 percent of the median household income in the bay area. The high combined costs of housing and transportation leave many bay area households with insufficient remaining income to comfortably meet their basic needs. This underscores the importance of broadening our understanding of housing affordability to consider the combined costs of housing and transportation, as well as the impacts of longer commutes on the environment and quality of life.

IMPORTANCE OF LOCATION EFFICIENCY
This report exposes the complexity of the interaction of housing and transportation choices as well as expenditures, and the unintended consequences on the natural environment when they work at cross purposes. The report also highlights the importance of “location efficiency”—the proximity of housing to transportation hubs, employment, and retail centers—as a driver of both affordability and environmental sustainability.

ALIGNING LAND USE, HOUSING, AND TRANSPORTATION POLICIES
Land use decisions play a critical role in determining the availability of housing that is affordable to bay area working families in locations that are near employment centers and transit. By strengthening the coordination of land use, housing, and transportation policies, bay area jurisdictions could create, preserve, and expand communities that are both environmentally sustainable and affordable to bay area households.