Boomtown

San Jose, the self-described “Heart of Silicon Valley,” has been dragging behind the rest of the region in terms of city budgets and services. You could say San Jose didn’t have the dumb luck to be home to one of the tech firms that blew up in this latest boom, like Google or Facebook. But increasingly, San Jose is getting a piece of the action. Reporter: Rachael Myrow.

The tech boom is pumping unprecedented riches into the region. But San Jose is barely in the black after years of deep deficits and painful cutbacks. How can that be? And what will it take to turn things around? Reporter: Rachael Myrow

Tens of thousands of San Franciscans live in converted garages, attics and basements: commonly known as "in-law units". Until recently, most of these were technically illegal. But the housing crunch prompted supervisors to not only bring them out of the shadows, but also find ways to create new in-law units. These creations are also inspiring creativity in people looking for ways to make in-laws better places to live. Reporter: Stephanie Martin-Taylor

The longtime owner of the Buena Vista trailer park is trying to close it down and capitalize on the land. About 400 mostly low-income residents have been fighting to stay put. Silicon Valley real estate is soaring in value these days. And now, a nonprofit is offering to run the park if the owner will sell. Reporter: Peter Jon Shuler

Poet, painter and publisher Lawerence Ferlinghetti provides a historical perspective on San Francisco's boom, as someone who has seen booms and busts over the decades. Joanne Jennings spoke with him in the city's North Beach neighborhood.

We hear a lot about how tech workers are earning high salaries, gentrifying neighborhoods and driving up rents. But hearing from these workers directly, on-the-record, is rare, and there is a reason for that. Reporter: Sam Harnett

Many mom and pop businesses have been priced out of San Francisco's Mission District, but one Mexican bakery has thrived by adapting to the times. Reporter: Joanne Elgart Jennings.

Some families near the growing headquarters of Facebook are getting crushed by some of the most expensive rents in the country. To survive, they are doubling or tripling up in cramped homes, or worse: raising their children in garages. Reporter: Jhabvala Romero

Oakland youth join the booming Bay Area economy with local threads, health awareness and a music blog. Reporter: Tylyn Hardamon

The influx of tech workers in the city is coinciding with some higher costs for mental health care. But does that mean some people, mostly non-tech workers, are getting priced out of psychotherapy?

Middle Eastern startups are beginning to attract more Silicon Valley investors and some are planning to open offices in the Bay area. It's largely due to the founder partner of Mountain View's tech incubator called 500 Startups. Dave McClure scours the globe to find countries like Egypt where startup culture is just getting off the ground, and fresh talent with a global hook can be found.

Yesterday in San Francisco, a Board of Supervisors committee passed a measure that would allow home owners to build in-law units on their existing properties if they are seismically retrofitting their building.

A recent study found that in San Francisco and San Jose, our time stuck in gridlock rose 10 percent in just one year. The tech boom may be partly to blame, but technology could also relieve some of that freeway congestion. A new project called the "SMART Corridor" comes online this summer. The idea is to give you more information on the road, to prevent bad tie-ups from getting worse. Reporter: Daniel Potter

We continue our series "Boomtown", about the Bay Area's thriving economy, in conversation with local leaders. Today let's meet Richard Carranza, the superintendent of the San Francisco Unified School District.

Buses are a big part of traffic, but there are ways to turn buses into "rapid transit." Transportation officials in the South Bay want to build a rapid bus system through one of Silicon Valley's busiest traffic corridors. Tonight Sunnyvale plans to weigh in. Reporter: Bryan Goebel

We found a group of renters who saved their homes by buying their building from their landlord. They did it through acquisition rehab. If the property is under 25 units, it’s considered a small site. Acquisition rehab can be used to preserve rent-controlled buildings in rapidly gentrifying areas. Reporter: Adizah Eghan

San Francisco's housing crisis is forcing pet owners to give up their dogs and cats to animal shelters/ According to the SF SPCA, since March of last year more than 200 animals were left with them; most of those because San Francisco residents couldn't find pet friendly homes.

N'Jeri Eaton of Oakland wants to know if this boom, is really a bubble, and if so, when will it burst? It may sound pessimistic, but for some in the Bay Area an economic downturn may be the only way they could afford to stay here.

KQED listener Dave Taylor is not impressed by the new buildings gong up in San Francisco. He asks, "Why are they so ugly?" Reporters: Lisa Morehouse and Casey Miner

Many Silicon Valley startups fail because of bad blood between their co-founders: people who often spend more time together than with their significant others. These days more startups are taking a page from steady relationships, and heading off problems through a kind of couples' counseling.