Even with generous wages house prices are rising faster than salaries. And let's be frank about this, when well-paid sw engineers are feeling the squeeze, imagine how awful the economic situation is for anyone in a less fashionable job. There are lots of people who work just as hard as any coder and whose jobs are just as necessary to a livable economy but who face certain economic ruin if they lose their lease - hence all the pressure for a $15 minimum wage. Meanwhile a lot of people who already own property fight tooth and nail against any large-scale building. It's a vicious circle.