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Which means that around 4.8 million square feet are now available for modification into desperately needed residential space, if only the city would permit it.

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I wish it was a solution to housing, but it's going to be very expensive to try to retrofit the additional plumbing, HVAC and electricity load for residential space. It's also expensive to keep a building open, so I can imagine you'll need a high occupancy percentage to also make it work.

Maybe demolish the building and get started on new housing developments then? Let's start with the Salesforce tower.

Who pays for that?

Owners of the vacant office space who like collecting rent more than they hate the expense, risk and hassle. Landlords pay for it, in the expectation of making it back from tenants.

Haven't you forgotten to ask the Board of Supervisors?

Commercial properties are often owned by massive real estate conglomerates who don't have much incentive to convert a property unless they're going to immediately offload it afterwards.

And the buildings that are owned by individuals/families may be owned outright so they don't have much loan pressure on them.

The taxpayers, of course. Take from the people who have and give to the people who need or want. /s

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