Valley Politics

71% of Bay Area residents say the quality of life is worse now than it was five years ago and 56% say they’re likely to leave the region in the next few years. That’s according to the 2021 Silicon Valley Poll sponsored by Joint Venture/Silicon Valley and the Mercury News. In our December Valley Politics, Russell Hancock of JV/SV and Lou Hansen of the Mercury News dissect these and other findings of the poll, including worries about housing costs, homelessness, income equity and more with questions from Derecka Mehrens of Working Partnership USA, Kelly Snider of San Jose State University and San Jose City Councilmember Sergio Jimenez. The trend to work from home is another hot topic, with 95% of respondents currently working from home saying they want to continue working remotely at least some of the time. Overall, according to the poll, we’re in a pretty gloomy mood in the Bay Area, but Hancock and Hansen do point to a few brighter views. Tags: Silicon Valley Poll, Russell Hancock, Joint Venture/Silicon Valley, Lou Hansen, quality of life, leaving the Bay Area, working from home, retiring in the Bay Area