UC Berkeley poll: Over half of Bay Area voters consider leaving due to housing costs

Housing construction at 1050 Valencia Street in San Francisco, Calif. on Wed. January 13, 2016. A new UC Berkeley poll found 51 percent of Bay Area voters had considered leaving due to housing costs. Housing construction at 1050 Valencia Street in San Francisco, Calif. on Wed. January 13, 2016. A new UC Berkeley poll found 51 percent of Bay Area voters had considered leaving due to housing costs. Photo: Michael Macor / The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Michael Macor / The Chronicle Image 1 of / 15 Caption Close UC Berkeley poll: Over half of Bay Area voters consider leaving due to housing costs 1 / 15 Back to Gallery

A stunning 51 percent of Bay Area voters have considered leaving due to rising housing costs, says a new poll of California voters from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies.

Bay Area folks aren't the only ones feeling the pinch. In every region of California, the majority of those surveyed had considered moving elsewhere, including 59 percent of Los Angelenos.

The cost of housing in the San Francisco Bay Area has a reputation for being astronomical, but a higher percentage of Southern Californians said they'd considered fleeing the region due to housing costs compared with their neighbors up north. Of everyone surveyed, one in four said if they left, they'd move out of state.

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Unsurprising to those contending with median home prices nearing seven figures, 65 percent of Bay Area respondents viewed affordable housing as an "extremely serious" issue, and the majority of these disgruntled residents want their local government to establish rent controls.

This is an issue of contention among state Democrats and Republicans; 76 percent of blue voters support local rent control, while only 34 percent of their Republican counterparts do.

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Earlier in September, the state legislature approved a package of bills intended to address homelessness and housing costs. The plan landed on California Governor Jerry Brown's desk on Friday.

"For millions of people, it is next to impossible to buy a house or even find an apartment they can afford," Brown said. "These 15 bills will spur the building of more housing and increase the number of Californians who can actually afford to buy or rent."

Under the package of bills, two main sources of funding would be created: new fees on real estate documents and property transactions, and a $4 billion bond measure that voters would decide next year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Read Michelle Robertson’s latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com.



