Citizens of Palo Alto
(and nearby communities)
Hear us out. This could happen to you!
HCD (the State’s Department of Housing and Community Development):
- is a governmental agency of non-elected bureaucrats,
- promulgated Plan Bay Area in 2019, establishing housing quotas via local Housing Elements
- that have to be approved by HCD.
- mandated more than 6000 new housing units for Palo Alto (a 25% increase over existing housing).
- forbids that quota to be reduced during the current eight-year cycle for 2023-2031 and
- forbids public discussion of the quota, even though there has been a dramatic increase of working remotely, multiple layoffs and people moving out of the mid-peninsula. Talk about the loss of local democracy!
- is requiring Palo Alto to rezone properties currently used for commercial purposes for tall, high-density housing.
Hundreds of jobs and many retail businesses will be lost to make way for more housing. But for whom? Highly compensated tech-sector employees who can afford the high market-rate rents.
We support the need for more housing in our community, but housing which is affordable to teachers, city employees, and other lower-income service workers.
Palo Alto’s Planning and Transportation Commission will be holding a hearing at City Hall this Wednesday, September 13th, at 6pm to discuss the rezoning of certain commercial properties. This could impact your neighborhoods. Attend the meeting in person or on Zoom
(https://cityofpaloalto.zoom.us/j/91641559499).
Make your thoughts known before your neighborhoods are adversely impacted.
Write to the P&TC or speak at the meeting
