They did no such thing, unless "decent" means living like an animal. Next thing, you'll be telling me that living in stacked chicken wire cages, the some people do in Hong Kong, counts as innovation.
"Living like an animal" sounds like an exaggeration. Yes, it's probably most appropriate for a single, hipster 20-35-something, but it's an interesting lifehack.
Compared to what you'd get for the same price in SF (e.g. a tiny bedroom in a shared 6 BR house - student-style), it looks like an interesting alternative.