The Silicon Valley city is seeking a state designation that offers access to state housing funds.
Palo Alto is applying for a California state "pro-housing" designation that would unlock millions in state grants for housing projects, reports Riley Cooke in Palo Alto Online. "In a sign of the times, the City Council agreed at its priority-setting retreat this year to pursue the state’s pro-housing designation."
According to Cooke, "The application requires cities to explain how they are exceeding state standards for encouraging housing production through local policies, which are divided into four broad categories: favorable zoning and land use, streamlined permitting, cost reduction, and financial subsidies for affordable housing."
The city, which is working to shift its historically resistant attitude to new housing, cited a number of recent pro-density policies including the planned creation of a new residential community in a historically commercial area. Acknowledging the city's reputation for NIMBYism, "Commissioner Todd James made a point that earning the designation has not just practical benefits, but reputational ones as well."
Read the full story: Once known for resisting growth, Palo Alto now seeks ‘pro-housing’ designation
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