After years of declining confidence, Bay Area residents are beginning to feel more hopeful about the region’s direction. Yet beneath that optimism, housing costs, homelessness, and affordability continue to challenge both residents and local leadership.
The latest Bay Area News Group and Joint Venture Silicon Valley poll surveyed 1,634 registered voters across Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties. Results show a slow but noticeable rise in optimism about the Bay Area being on the right track, an important shift following the low point of 2023
The bottom line: optimism is growing, but confidence remains fragile.
By the Numbers
Respondents rated several key quality-of-life factors, showing where progress is most needed:
- Only 3% rated the Bay Area as an excellent place to rent, and another 3% said it is excellent for buying.
- 74% view homelessness as a very serious problem.
- 77% say the cost of living is a very serious issue, and 80% say the same for housing costs.
- 37% consider crime a very serious problem, while 24% see it as not too serious.
The Big Picture
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, who represents the region’s largest city, credits a “back to basics” approach for improvements in his community, including cleaner neighborhoods, consistent enforcement of quality-of-life crimes, and steady progress addressing homelessness and housing.
Other Bay Area mayors are also focusing on the same core priorities—community safety, homelessness, and neighborhood conditions—that have long shaped public frustration. While the improvements remain incremental, they reflect a meaningful change in tone and accountability across the region.
Why It Matters
The Bay Area’s challenges are real, but so is its resilience. Rising confidence may encourage more residents and workers to re-engage with their communities.
- Revitalizing city centers. Renewed optimism can bring people back to urban cores, supporting retail, restaurants, and small businesses.
- Sustaining return-to-office efforts. A sense of safety and cleanliness can help reinforce efforts to draw employees back downtown.
- Restoring civic trust. Visible progress strengthens public belief that local leadership can deliver results.
Our Perspective
At The Curbstone Companies, we believe optimism and opportunity go hand in hand. Real estate is more than property; it is a foundation for community and long-term impact. Progress does not always start with sweeping policy shifts. Sometimes it begins with something simpler: people beginning to believe again that this place, against all odds, is still worth the effort.
As local governments focus on safety, livability, and housing, private-sector leadership can complement those efforts through thoughtful development, management, and reinvestment in existing properties.