if only SF rent control was linked to the income of the renter! Plenty of well paid engineers and execs living in significantly below market apartments when they could easily afford market-priced housing.
If the aim is to create affordable housing for low income earners, rent control is not the solution.
Most new places (and some old places in desirable areas) in SF are going for ~$3000->$4000/month.
In order to cover $3000/month rent, average power, internet access, and $400/week spending cash, you need to gross $100k/year.
If you pull in less than that, then you run out of money and get evicted. Notice that no provision has been made for savings.
I know of a great many programmers working for successful Bay Area companies who would just barely have enough money to pay market rents on their apartment.
Here's the thing - imagine what it's like if you're making median income in the city of $75k. Or if you're one of the thousands of service workers who are earning sub-$50k yet people on $100k+ also get access to $1000pm apartments.
Doesn't make sense if we're trying to achieve equality (I still don't know what it's really trying to achieve - some kind of nativism)
There is an argument that removing rent control would actually reduce the price of rent through San Francisco but it would take a few years to stabilize.
If the aim is to create affordable housing for low income earners, rent control is not the solution.