With the average rent in San Francisco hitting $4,000 a month, some residents have found a unique way to cut costs: sleeping pods.
For just $700 a month, residents can rent a pod at Brownstone Share Housing, which includes a twin bed, two fans, a mirror and a curtain for privacy. These compact living spaces allow tech entrepreneurs to live affordably in one of the priciest cities in the U.S., where the cost of living is 70% higher than the national average.
San Francisco — dubbed the AI capital of the world — is a dream destination for ambitious tech founders looking to create the next big start-up. But living in this tech hub is exceedingly expensive; the median home price stands at $1.4 million, while the median rent for a one-bedroom apartment is over $4,200 per month.
Those costs are out of reach for entrepreneurs like Ben, who moved into a pod to save money and focus on open-source projects without the burden of high rent.
“I was living in the Presidio before and was kind of looking for cheaper options just so I could keep working on the stuff I wanted to and working on open-source projects,” Ben told ABC reporters.
The residents of the pods aren’t simply budget-conscious renters; they’re primarily tech entrepreneurs looking to make it in Silicon Valley. With a limited income and big dreams, they’re opting for the $700 pods as a temporary solution. Pod resident Ruidi, a University of Illinois graduate, moved to San Francisco with dreams of changing the world.
“Almost everybody is a founder. They want to achieve something greater and build something that creates more impact for society.” Ruidi told reporters.
Brownstone Share Housing has faced significant regulatory hurdles in its development. After the pods went viral in 2023, San Francisco’s planning department deemed them illegal due to zoning issues. Following a year-long battle and necessary adjustments, including changes to the front entry lock, Brownstone finally secured approval on September 5, 2024.
“There was never anything illegal about the pods,” James Stallworth, spokesperson for Brownstone, said to reporters. “It’s just that we didn’t have a change of use because this building used to be [a] bank. So, we went through that process for about a year.”
