Constructive ideas are emerging in light of California’s severe housing crisis. Local entrepreneurs in the Bay Area have created startups meant to help people rent or buy homes, while other startups concentrate on creating new housing units. Separate startups in the area are looking to create communal housing from vacant buildings.

The San Francisco-based company Landed is helping teachers by pairing them with investors to split the cost of down payments. In return, the investors get equity as well as their money back plus 25 percent increase in the home’s value if sold.

HomeSlice is also making it easier for home purchases, but for groups of people buying one home. Their plan includes a mortgage payment insurance policy, which would protect the investment of each individual co-buyer. According to the San Diego Union Tribune, the housing market forecast includes group home purchases over the next few years.

Then there’s Loftium, which will help homebuyers with their down payments on the condition that they rent out a portion of their home on Airbnb. The homeowner and Loftium then share the rental profits. 

In San Diego, median home prices recently soared past $500,000 and average rent hit a record high of $1,875 in September. Any of these innovative options would be a welcome addition to the market if they can actually follow through on their promises to help make things easier.