City Council 2024 Priorities Community Update Series:

Housing for Social & Social Economic Balance

At the start of each year, the City Council selects priorities to focus on, and as of 2023, also approves objectives that advance their priorities. The 2024 City Council Priorities are:

• Climate Change and Natural Environment: Protection & Adaptation
• Community Health, Safety, Wellness, and Belonging
• Economic Development & Transition
• Housing for Social and Economic Balance

In March, the Council approved 78 objectives, related Council committee workplans, and community and stakeholder engagement necessary to advance the objectives. The community can expect to track progress through quarterly progress reports that will be released sharing updates on each objective.

Find the full list of 2024 objectives here.

In honor of Affordable Housing Month in May, which invites Bay Area cities to invest in and create safe housing for everyone, in this week’s update we will focus on the City Council priority of Housing for Social & Social Economic Balance. This includes 21 approved objectives that are timebound, measurable, and specific to support the priority.

Palo Alto has long been a leader in the production of affordable housing and currently has the second highest inventory of affordable housing for incorporated jurisdictions within Santa Clara County (as a percentage of total housing stock). Some additional housing accomplishments to note include:

• $52 million contributed or pledged towards affordable housing since 2017.
• Approximately 2,300 units or ~9% of total housing stock dedicated to affordable housing (deed restricted)
• Over 1,000 housing units permitted in the last eight years.

Highlights of 2024 Council Housing Priorities

Looking ahead to the rest of this year, below are highlights of the 21 housing priorities, which range from advancing housing plans (5) and implementing housing production policies (9) to supporting unhoused service initiatives (3) and advancing renter protection policies (3):

Submit a compliant Housing Element to the state department of Housing and Community Development

At a joint hearing of the Planning and Transportation Commission (PTC) and City Council on April 15, 2024, the City Council adopted its revised 2023–2031 Housing Element. It includes a major focus on affordable housing and helps guide future housing production and housing-related programs and policies. The Adopted Housing Element is undergoing final revisions in response to public comments submitted. Revisions will be integrated into the Adopted Housing Element for formal submittal to Housing and Community Development (HCD), which will start a 60-day review period.

Adopt an ordinance implementing various Housing Element Programs

The City is in the process of preparing an ordinance that amends zoning codes to address and facilitate various programs within the Housing Element that will expand housing options for all. By this year’s fourth quarter, the City aims to prepare these changes for Planning and Transportation Commission review and advance potential recommendations to the City Council for their consideration.

Advance Housing Plans

Several area plans are advancing to support housing development. Three plans we are featuring here include the approval of the final North Ventura Coordinated area plan and initiating the Downtown Housing Plan.

North Ventura Coordinated Area Plan (NVCAP): By the end of June 2024, staff anticipates advancing the final draft of the North Ventura Coordinated Area Plan to facilitate development of a walkable, mixed-use neighborhood with multifamily housing, commercial services, and well-defined connections to transit, bicycle, and pedestrian facilities.

The Planning and Transportation Commission will hold a public hearing to recommend to the City Council to adopt the North Ventura Coordinated Area Plan (NVCAP) and to certify Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) on Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at 6 p.m. Community members can participate in the meeting in person or virtual to provide comments on the NVCAP. Find the meeting agenda and staff report for the meeting here:Meeting Agenda and Staff Report. For more information on the North Ventura Coordinated Area Plan, go to www.cityofpaloalto.org/nvcap

Downtown Housing Plan: Also planned this year, staff is initiating the Downtown Housing Plan, an area plan focused on housing production in Palo Alto’s downtown and implementing the policies and programs of the City’s Comprehensive Plan and the 2023–2031 Housing Element. The area covers approximately 76 acres, generally including properties on either side of Lytton Avenue, University Avenue, and Hamilton Avenue from Alma Street to Cowper Street. For more about this project, go here.

San Antonio Road Areas Plan: Staff is preparing a request for proposal for consultant services to initiate an Area Plan for San Antonio Road Corridor.

Advancing Renter Protections

Over 40% of the City’s residents are renters. The City Council continues to support programs and resources for tenants and landlords in our community. Council recently directed staff to implement a rental registry program, which will be launched later this fall and will help inform potential future City renter policies.

More details on the rental registry effort can be found here.

Present summary findings to the City Council related to an Anti-Rent Gouging Policy and a Fair Chance Renter Policy

These objectives, which support and expand City renter protections implemented last year, includes researching the policy implications of an anti-rent gouging policy, as well as a fair chance renter policy, from a legal, policy, and anticipated resource demand perspective. Staff plans to bring policy options to the Housing Ad Hoc Committee for consideration and review before presenting recommendations for Council for formal direction.

For a brief summary on the City’s existing renter protections, go here.

Advance Palo Alto Homekey project to provide transitional housing and services for unhoused residents

On Oct. 31, 2023, the City broke ground on project Palo Alto Homekey, which will support up to 200 unhoused residents each year. The City is working with LifeMoves, and Santa Clara County to continue facilitating construction throughout this year with the goal of completing it by February 2025, including milestones such as final inspections and temporary certificate of occupancy.

For the Palo Alto Homekey project page, go here.

Other housing related objectives include:

• Consider funding affordable housing related projects based on responses to a Notice of Funding Availability
• Initiate research to understand Palo Alto unhoused population and explore feasibility of expanding safe parking options on Geng Road.
• Finalize development plan to maintain affordability and improve conditions at Buena Vista Mobile Park

Find the full list of 2024 objectives here.

For other housing programs and policies, go to www.cityofpaloalto.org/housing

MORE ONLINE RESOURCES

• Affordable Housing Month Events in Santa Clara County (and online)
• City Council Priorities
• Q4 2023 City Council Priorities Update
• City’s Housing and Affordable Housing Programs & Resources
• Tenant and Landlord Resources
• Services for the Unhoused
• Housing Policies and Projects
• City Council and Committee meetings