Palo Alto Grand Jury Petition
January 2022
Dear Mayor Burt, Palo Alto City Council Members, and Community:
We are concerned about the future affordability and vibrancy of Palo Alto. The recently released Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury report on Affordable Housing production in Palo Alto and Mountain View (link here) provided numerous recommendations to encourage the production of affordable housing in both cities. The recommendations for Palo Alto will make planning easier, reduce development time and cost, and provide funding to create affordable housing. We urge our leaders to:
-Plan: Identify specific locations for development of significant affordable housing, including area-specific land use and zoning plans
-Fund: Expand and diversify funding sources for affordable housing
-Educate: Invest in more community education and communication around affordable housing
-Streamline: Expedite the review process for all new housing projects that include Below Market Rate (BMR) units
The Grand Jury report is a call to action for the City Council. Palo Alto should advance these critical reforms through its Housing Element plan, which must be certified by the State of California in early 2023. Many of the identified challenges have been obstacles to developing affordable housing in our community for many years. We must examine our policies, practices, and outcomes with a renewed sense of urgency.
Housing options near transit and jobs can both increase housing affordability and help meet our climate action goals. Palo Alto has the resources, expertise, and authority to be a leader in housing affordability in the Bay Area. We encourage our leaders to take bold and speedy action.