Next Monday evening, August 22nd, Palo Alto City Council will discuss renter protections as part of the Housing Element as well as the latest Safe Parking Program site and the council needs to hear from us, renters.
Here’s the agenda link and link to join the meeting
Will you stand up to protect Palo Alto Renters?
What you can do:
Public Comment- The public is welcome to speak briefly (usually 2 minutes) on agenda items. The agenda items we need Palo Alto renters to engage on are Agenda Items 4 and 5. This can be done in person at City Hall, 250 Hamilton Ave, in the council chambers or via Zoom in the link provided with in the agenda.
Send a Letter- Sending a quick note to the city council ahead of their vote can also be an effective way to show your support of renter protections. Below is a sample and please personalize this to fit your voice and what is important to you. You can email your note to City.Council@cityofpaloalto.org.
Sample Language from Palo Alto Renters’ Association
Dear Councilmembers,
My name is _________ and I am a renter in the _______ neighborhood. I have lived in Palo Alto for _______ months/years. I rent in Palo Alto because ________________ (*Choose Your Own Answer: Why do you rent here? What do you love about Palo Alto?*)
I am writing today to strongly encourage you to support anti-displacement programs like the latest Safe Parking Program site at First Congregational Church and the renter protections included in the Housing Element’s Programs. ___________________ (*Choose Your Own Answer: Is there one protection you care about more? Talk about why it matters to you*)
Anti-displacement efforts like these help renters like me stay. When rents across the Bay Area keep rising and the median home price in Palo Alto is over $3,000,000, staying for most families is beyond difficult. Almost half of your constituents are renters at risk of displacement. That’s a big problem.
Please support us by approving the inclusion of renter protection in the Housing Element and the Safe Parking site at First Congregational.
Sincerely,
__________
Recruit someone else to also comment or write a message– With 46% of Palo Alto residents, we all know someone who also cares about protecting the Palo Alto renting community. Together we can help protect one another and help our city’s leadership understand that a stable renting community helps our community thrive.