I just moved here a couple months ago and am currently searching for apartments. There is no doubt that most people complaining of the prices are competing for housing in the most desirable areas. However, if an area isn't desirable to live in, it quickly slides into very undesirable, for example, the Tenderloin. Is it livable? Yes, but for people who aren't used to living around a bunch of drugs and homeless people, it can look pretty daunting.