Developments in Development: Greener pastures

I guess it’s that time of year again — when various polls come out revealing how sick people are of the housing crisis, and respondents bluster about how we’re all going to just up and leave this horrible place.

This time, it’s the city Controller’s Office that looked at move-out plans. Thirty-one percent of residents reached by the Controller indicated they’re likely to leave the city (a percentage only topped in 2005, when 33 percent proclaimed the same thing).

Of course, that percentage goes up for families of young children — and nonwhite people are more likely to be considering a change of scenery than whites (although, interestingly, the city’s white population seems to have dropped just a hair). I guess unsurprisingly, those older than 54 are least likely to want to leave.

For a more, um, candid take on what people think of the city they live in, please enjoy — and add to — a new tool called Hoodmaps, brought to my attention via Curbed. So far, for the Mission, it offers such pointed labels as “like, 4 Mexicans left,” “too many transplants” and “people standing in line.”

Also in the world of information compilation, CALmatters has set out to produce something of a housing-crisis encyclopedia for the state. Its reporters looked at a range of areas that affect the cost of housing which, yes, is a state issue.

The report is very bleak: The state isn’t building, so things are unlikely to get better anytime soon, especially for low-income residents. California’s home prices have far outpaced the rest of the country’s. Incomes aren’t rising to keep up with the cost of rents. The crisis is dealing a blow to the local economy.

Still, there’s a ton of information there, especially for people who might not spend all of their time at planning meetings — and reporters are ready to investigate your questions.

But, hey, at least rents are down from last year — almost a whole 2 percent! And summer appears not to have come without the usual spike in rent prices.

Which I’m sure will elicit mixed reviews, since none of this is enough of a drop to make it significantly easier to live here. At least it’s moving in the right direction.

Personally, I’ll start believing things are getting better when Curbed’s list of what you can rent for $1,700 includes only apartments with actual kitchens. Or like, at least a hot plate. Come on, y’all.

Speaking of price drops: Valencia condos keep popping up on Socketsite as non-moneymakers, this time with one on 19th and Valencia selling for less than it did in 2014.

Actually, an interesting development in the attempted sale of an expensive condo unfolded over the last few weeks: The Anti-Eviction Mapping Project circulated a video a local realtor had made with drag queen Carnie Asada marketing units in a building on Dolores Street.

They then also cut a new video, which spliced the marketing video with news footage covering the evictions that had taken place to empty those units out. 48Hills published the juxtaposed videos and some background on the units. Shortly thereafter, Carnie Asada convinced the realtor to remove the offending video and penned an explanation.

One last piece of gossip to leave you with: Remember a little while ago when another complaint surfaced about a building in the former church on Dolores and Cumberland being used as a commercial space? Seems they are looking to make an exit: Socketsite reports that the unit is now up for sale.