Even if you take that stance, it’s hard to square it with the fact that Silicon Valley needs more than VCs and startup founders to function.
The amount of money the region makes is more than enough to support that population over that area...
http://www.bayareacensus.ca.gov/
Cost of living on the peninsula has already pushed many people to the east and south and even then you don't get much of a break. Land use restrictions mean there is very little new land on which to build and having to jump through eleventy different legal hurdles to do so means that when built, it's already more expensive than many of those in need can afford.
I moved away after being there ten years as a software developer because the cost of living, level of congestion and crowding was obnoxious, and I have no intention of returning. But then, I had that option.
So, if 86,000 is "poor" (defined as the minimum needed to live in the area), the person doing the food preparation has to be paid at least that. The "burger flipper" has to be paid that.
If people moved out, quickly the "burger flipper WOULD be paid that". But that, in turn, would attract "burger flippers" who simply compare the money. Resulting in high unemployment, and the need for food banks again.
Its the concentration of rich people that is the problem.
Apparently so.
There are too many people to maintain our suburban character, sure.
It's the top result from googling "silicon valley population"
Still 7 million people is not a lot density-wise, I'm just saying you just can't blame high prices on people density only...
At least you can blame it on "not enough housing". Which sounds weird to me, cause cheap housing is very quick to build.