> Even in places canonically held up as examples (e.g. Houston), affordability is maintained by sprawl...which is not an option for San Francisco.

We do possess the technology to build higher buildings, rather than simply create sprawl. Housing is expensive enough in SF that said technology could be profitably employed.

This is especially important to consider in much of silicon valley, which has very few high buildings and not much density.

Adding more housing is probably not going to drastically drop prices, but it'll certainly help contain price increases.