Apples and oranges? Thread is about SF. Having known someone who lived there ~50 years ago, not to mention the parent poster, they described better living conditions for less money.
OK... If this had been an option 50 years ago, and proportionally cheaper, would people have taken this cheaper route? I think probably. It's not any different than a hostel except that it's monthly instead of nightly, and cheaper. The issue here then is the cost of living in SF, not the particulars of this arrangement.
