紐時賞析／舊金山AI熱潮：公寓難覓租金瘋狂漲

Cluely執行長李忠仁於舊金山辦公室的家中。其新創公司已爲員工租下公寓。紐約時報

Renting a San Francisco Apartment in the A.I. Boom? Good Luck.

舊金山AI熱潮：公寓難覓租金瘋狂漲

After Roy Lee’s artificial intelligence startup, Cluely, landed $5.3 million in venture capital funding this spring, he orchestrated a San Francisco real estate coup.

今年春天，李忠仁（譯註：韓裔美籍）創辦的人工智慧新創公司Cluely獲得530萬美元風險投資後，他在舊金山房地產市場掀起一波熱潮。

In May, Cluely leased eight apartments for its employees at a new luxury complex — where rents start at $3,000 a month and reach $12,000 a month for penthouse units — just a one-minute walk from its office in the city’s South of Market neighborhood. The apartments were a mix of one-bedroom and two-bedroom units in the 16-story building, which offers a fitness center, a rooftop bar, and concierge and housecleaning services.

5月，Cluely爲員工租下8間位於新落成豪華大樓的公寓，租金從每月3000美元起，頂樓豪華單位高達12000美元，距離公司位於舊金山南市場區的辦公室僅步行1分鐘。這些公寓包含了一房和兩房單位，且位於16層大樓內，設施包括健身房、屋頂酒吧、禮賓服務以及清潔服務。

Driven by a boom in AI companies like Cluely, San Francisco’s residential rents have soared the most in the nation over the past year. Apartment prices in the city rose an average of 6% in that time, more than double the 2.5% increase in New York City, according to real estate tracker CoStar. That now puts the average rent for a San Francisco apartment at $3,315 a month, right behind New York City’s $3,360, which is the nation’s highest.

在Cluely等AI公司熱潮推動下，舊金山住宅租金過去一年漲幅全美最高。根據房地產追蹤機構CoStar，該市公寓租金平均上漲6%，遠超紐約市的2.5%漲幅。目前舊金山公寓平均月租3315美元，僅次於全美最高的紐約市3360美元。

The AI frenzy’s effect on rents has put pressure on San Francisco’s already strained housing supply, leading to heated competition among techies and nontechies to pounce on listings. Applicants are showing up to apartment tours with envelopes of cash in hand and waiting in long lines to see properties. And the rejections for would-be renters are coming fast.

AI熱潮推高租金，加劇舊金山原本就嚴重的住房短缺，導致科技業與非科技業人士爭相搶租公寓。看房者帶着現金信封參加看房團，排長隊等候參觀，但租屋申請被拒的情況頻傳。

That has raised questions about the affordability of San Francisco, which has long been one of the most expensive U.S. cities. Daniel Lurie, the mayor, has made addressing affordable housing a cornerstone of his policies, while also embracing the growth of local AI companies like OpenAI and Anthropic.

舊金山長期是美國最昂貴的城市之一，這波租金上漲讓住房負擔能力備受質疑。市長羅偉將平價住房列爲施政核心，同時支持OpenAI和Anthropic等本地AI企業的發展。

Ted Egan, the chief economist for the City and County of San Francisco, said the city’s market rents today are still below prepandemic levels when adjusted for inflation. But many service workers who left rent-controlled apartments during the pandemic would now find it difficult to return, he acknowledged.

舊金山首席經濟學家伊根表示，若考慮通貨膨脹因素，目前市場租金仍低於疫情前水準。但他坦承，許多服務業工作者在疫情期間離開租金管制公寓（譯註：受法律保護、租金遠低於市場價的舊公寓），如今因市場租金飆升而難以迴歸。

“Tech is setting the bar for housing prices,” Egan said.

伊根說：「科技業正在拉高房租標準」。

文／Natallie Rocha，譯／國際中心

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