Perhaps Portland can learn from SF's mistake, and actually allow massive building of new housing if there's a spike in demand.

But then it wouldn't be "Portland" any more, just some terrible city full of huge ugly housing projects (or so the argument goes).

I've never seen a single example of this idea working.

I've seen this idea lead to higher rents, with fewer people owning and more people renting.

I've seen it lead to developer hand-outs in the name of tax incentives, zoning variances, and outright grants for subsidized (but still rental) housing.

I've seen it overload local infrastructure, allowing developers to reap the profits while externalizing the costs.

We need to address the root cause -- ever-growing income inequality -- not exacerbate the root cause by building an ever-higher wall between individuals and home ownership.

Tokyo, Toronto, and Houston are all examples of large cities where it is relatively easy to build housing and housing is relatively cheap.

Frist time I've heard anybody use Tokyo as an example of cities with cheap housing.

Desirable areas of housing in Houston are only cheap relative to SF area, downtown Portland, and downtown Seattle. Plenty of million dollar condos in Houston, and a nice but small one bedroom/studio in a good part of Houston start at about $1500 a month.

It does appear to be easy to build here, though. Tons of new high density residential being built, but it's not making the prices come down at all.

You're using a very unusual definition of "relatively cheap".

Wealth redistribution would only slow down the problem, not fix it. At some point you have to concede that market forces exist and no amount of economic fiddling (aside from total abolition of currency and private markets) will address the issue.

I think the days of Portland being the affordable West coast city are on the way out. Portland real estate prices are forecast to overtake Seattle in the near future. Dilapidated bungalows in our hood across the street from houses with bi-monthly drive by shootings are selling for 650K for the land alone...

Come to San Angeles. Not cheap by any stretch but costs are kept in check by the simple fact that there's so much of it.