Agenda packet — Palo Alto City Council, December 9, 2024 (part 6 of 7)

Churchill, Meadow-Charleston Grade Separation Projects
Cooperative Agreement
Rev. 11.25.24

EXHIBIT C
Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Funding Agreement between Federal Railroad Administration & the City of Palo Alto
FRA_Agmt_CityofPal
oAlto_PE_EnvPhase-GradeSepProjects2024.pdf
Item 12
Attachment A -
Cooperative Agreement
between VTA, Caltrain
and City of Palo Alto for
Preliminary Engineering &
Environmental Review
Phase for Grade
Separation Projects at
Churchill Avenue,
Meadow Drive, and
Charleston Road

Item 12: Staff Report
Pg.
34 Packet Pg. 658 of 948

Page 30 of 37 ends

Churchill, Meadow-Charleston Grade Separation Projects
Cooperative Agreement
Rev. 11.25.24

EXHIBIT D
2016 Measure B Complete Streets Elements
(Adopted by the VTA Board of Directors on June 1, 2017) In order to be eligible for Measure B funding, all Member Agencies must adopt a resolution which contains the nine (9) Complete Streets elements described below. This list is drawn from Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s (MTC) model Complete Streets resolution, which was in turn based on the work of SMART Growth America’s National Complete Streets Coalition. More information can be found on MTC’s website: http://mtc.ca.gov/tools-and-resources/digital-library/obag-2-complete-streets- resolution-guidance.

The general language below gives Member Agencies flexibility to develop their own policy; Member Agencies are encouraged to develop the best policy that fits within the context of their local area, in consultation with affected departments and stakeholders, and to go beyond the required nine elements if desired.

Complete Street Principles

1. Serve all Users – All transportation improvements will be planned, designed, constructed, operated and maintained to support safe and convenient access for all users, and increase mobility for walking, bicycling and transit use.

2. Context Sensitivity – The planning and implementation of transportation projects will reflect conditions within and surrounding the project area, whether the area is a residential or business district or urban, suburban, or rural. Project planning, design and construction of complete streets projects should include working with residents and merchants to ensure that a strong sense of place is maintained.

3. Complete Streets in all Departments – All departments whose work affects the roadway must incorporate a complete streets approach into the review and implementation of their projects and activities. Potential Complete Streets opportunities include transportation projects, road rehabilitation, new development, and utility work, among others.

4. All Projects/Phases – The policy will apply to all roadway projects including those involving reconstruction, new construction retrofits, repaving, rehabilitation, or changes in the allocation of pavement space on an existing roadway, as well as those that involve new privately built roads, and easements intended for public use.

Implementation

5. Plan Consultation – Any proposed improvements should be evaluated for consistency with all local bicycle, pedestrian and/or transit plans and any other plans that affect the right of way.

6. Street Network/Connectivity – The transportation system should provide a connected network of facilities accommodating all modes of travel. This includes looking for opportunities for repurposing rights-of-ways to enhance connectivity for cyclists, pedestrians, and transit users. The network should include non-motorized connectivity to schools, parks, commercial areas, civic destinations and Item 12
Attachment A -
Cooperative Agreement
between VTA, Caltrain
and City of Palo Alto for
Preliminary Engineering &
Environmental Review
Phase for Grade
Separation Projects at
Churchill Avenue,
Meadow Drive, and
Charleston Road

Item 12: Staff Report
Pg.
35 Packet Pg. 659 of 948

Page 31 of 37 ends

Churchill, Meadow-Charleston Grade Separation Projects
Cooperative Agreement
Rev. 11.25.24
regional non-motorized networks from publicly owned roads/land and private developments (or redevelopment areas).

7. BPAC Consultation – Input shall be solicited from the local bicycle and pedestrian advisory committee (BPAC) or similar advisory group in an early project development phase to verify bicycling and pedestrian needs for projects.

8. Evaluation – Agencies will establish a means to collect data for the purpose of evaluating implementation of complete streets policies. Examples include tracking the mileage of bike lanes and sidewalks, the number of street crossings, or the amount of signage, etc.

Exceptions

9. Process – Plans or projects that seek exemptions from the Complete Streets approach must provide written finding of how exceptional circumstances dictated that accommodations for all modes were not to be included in the project. The memorandum should be signed by the Public Works Director or equivalently senior staff person or his/her designee. Plans or projects that are granted exceptions must be made publicly available for review.

Item 12
Attachment A -
Cooperative Agreement
between VTA, Caltrain
and City of Palo Alto for
Preliminary Engineering &
Environmental Review
Phase for Grade
Separation Projects at
Churchill Avenue,
Meadow Drive, and
Charleston Road

Item 12: Staff Report
Pg.
36 Packet Pg. 660 of 948

Page 32 of 37 ends

Churchill, Meadow-Charleston Grade Separation Projects
Cooperative Agreement
Rev. 11.25.24

EXHIBIT E

INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS
CITY AND PCJPB’S ATTENTION IS DIRECTED TO THE INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS BELOW. IT IS

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT CITY AND PCJPB CONFER WITH THEIR INSURANCE CARRIERS OR

BROKERS TO DETERMINE THE AVAILABILITY OF INSURANCE CERTIFICATES AND ENDORSEMENTS REQUIRED BY THIS AGREEMENT.

INSURANCE
Without limiting City’s and PCJPB’s indemnification and defense of claims obligations to VTA, City and PCJPB must procure and maintain for the duration of the Agreement insurance against claims for injuries to persons or damages to property which may arise under or in connection with any work, authority, or jurisdiction associated with the Agreement. The cost of such insurance must be borne by City and PCJPB. City and PCJPB must furnish complete copies of all insurance policies within three (3) business days of any request for such by VTA.

A. MINIMUM SCOPE OF INSURANCE
Coverage must be at least as broad as:

1. Insurance Services Office General Liability coverage (“occurrence” form CG 0001).

General Liability insurance written on a “claims made” basis is not acceptable.

2. Business Auto Coverage, Insurance Services Office form number CA 0001, covering Automobile Liability, code 1 “any auto.” Auto Liability written on a “claims-made” basis is not acceptable.

3. Workers’ Compensation insurance as required by the Labor Code of the State of California and or Federal Employer’s Liability insurance, as applicable.

4. Professional Liability, including limited contractual liability coverage, covering liability arising out of any negligent act, error, mistake or omission in the performance of Contractor’s services under this Contract. This coverage must be continuously maintained for a minimum of two (2) years following completion of this Contract. This coverage may be written on a “claims made” basis, if so, please see special provisions in Section B.

Item 12: Staff Report
Pg.
37 Packet Pg. 661 of 948

Page 33 of 37 ends

Churchill, Meadow-Charleston Grade Separation Projects
Cooperative Agreement
Rev. 11.25.24

5. Contractor’s Pollution Liability: covering liability arising out of the treatment, handling, storage, transportation, or accidental release of any hazardous material.

B. MINIMUM LIMITS OF INSURANCE

1. City and PCJPB must maintain limits no less than:
a. General Liability: Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000) limit per occurrence for bodily injury, personal injury, and property damage. If General Liability Insurance or other form with a general aggregate limit is used, either the general aggregate limit must apply separately to this project/location or the general aggregate limit must be twice the required occurrence limit.
b. Automobile Liability (including umbrella/excess liability): Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000) limit per accident for bodily injury and property damage. This requirement may be satisfied by a combination of General Liability with Excess or Umbrella. Umbrella/Excess policies must feature inception and expiration dates concurrent with the underlying Automobile Liability policy, “Follow Form” coverage, and a “Drop Down” provision. As described below, PCJPB may self- insure for this requirement.
c. Workers’ Compensation and Federal Employer’s Liability Act: Workers’ compensation limits as required by the Labor Code of the State of California and Employer’s Liability limits of One Million Dollars ($1,000,000) per accident. d. Professional Liability: Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000) each occurrence/aggregate minimum limit per claim. Upon providing the assurances described in Section C below, PCJPB may self-insure for this amount.
e. Contractor’s Pollution Liability: Three Million Dollars ($3,000,000) per occurrence.

This requirement may be satisfied by a combination of Pollution Liability with Excess or Umbrella. Umbrella/Excess policies must feature inception and expiration dates concurrent with the underlying Pollution Liability policy, “Follow Form” coverage, and a “Drop Down” provision. As described below, PCJPB may self-insure for this requirement.

2. Notwithstanding any language in this Lease to the contrary, if City and PCJPB carry insurance limits exceeding the minima stated in Section B(a)(1)-(3) immediately above, such greater limits will apply to this Agreement.

Item 12: Staff Report
Pg.
38 Packet Pg. 662 of 948

Page 34 of 37 ends

Churchill, Meadow-Charleston Grade Separation Projects
Cooperative Agreement
Rev. 11.25.24
C. SELF-INSURED RETENTION
The certificate of insurance must disclose the actual amount of any deductible or self- insured retention, or lack thereof, for all coverages required herein. Any self-insured retention or deductible in excess of Two-Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000) must be declared to and approved by VTA. If City and PCJPB are a governmental authority such as a state, municipality or special district, self-insurance is permitted. To apply for approval for a level of retention or deductible in excess of Two-Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000), City and PCJPB must provide a current financial report including balance sheets and income statements for the past three years, so that VTA can assess City and PCJPB’s ability to pay claims falling within the self-insured retention or deductible. Upon review of the financial report, if deemed necessary by VTA in its sole discretion, VTA may elect one of the following options: to accept the existing self-insured retention or deductible; require the insurer to reduce or eliminate the self-insured retention or deductible as respects VTA, its directors, officers, officials, employees and volunteers; or to require City and PCJPB to procure a bond guaranteeing payment of losses and related investigations, claim administration and defense expenses. Applicable costs resulting therefrom will be borne solely by City and PCJPB. City and PCJPB may request execution of a nondisclosure agreement prior to submission of financial reports.

D. CLAIMS MADE PROVISIONS (NOT APPLICABLE TO GENERAL LIABILITY OR AUTO

LIABILITY)
Claims-made coverage is never acceptable for General Liability or Auto Liability. Claims- made may be considered for Professional, Environmental/Pollution, or Cyber Liability. If coverage is written on a claims-made basis, the Certificate of Insurance must clearly state so. In addition to all other coverage requirements, such policy must comply with the following:

1. The policy retroactive date must be no later than the date of this Agreement.

2. If any policy is not renewed or the retroactive date of such policy is to be changed, City and PCJPB must obtain or cause to be obtained the broadest extended reporting period coverage available in the commercial insurance market. This extended reporting provision must cover at least two (2) years.

3. No prior acts exclusion may be added to the policy during the Agreement period.

4. The policy must allow for reporting of circumstances or incidents that might give rise to future claims.

Item 12: Staff Report
Pg.
39 Packet Pg. 663 of 948

Page 35 of 37 ends

Churchill, Meadow-Charleston Grade Separation Projects
Cooperative Agreement
Rev. 11.25.24
E. OTHER INSURANCE PROVISIONS
The policies must contain, or be endorsed to contain, the following provisions:

1. General Liability and Automobile Liability
a. VTA, its directors, officers, officials, employees, and volunteers must be named as additional insureds as respects: liability arising out of City and PCJPB’s performance under this Agreement. The coverage must contain no special limitations on the scope of protection afforded to VTA, its directors, officers, officials, employees, or volunteers. Additional Insured endorsements must provide coverage at least as broad as afforded by the combination of ISO CG 20 10 10 01 and CG 20 37 10 01.
b. Any failure to comply with reporting provisions of the policies may not affect coverage provided to VTA, its directors, officers, officials, employees, or volunteers.
c. Coverage must state that Lessee’s insurance applies separately to each insured against whom claim is made or suit is brought, except with respect to the limits of the insurer’s liability.
d. The General Liability General Aggregate limit must apply per project, not per policy.
e. The General Liability policy must be endorsed to remove the exclusion for railroad liabilities, with coverage at least as broad as afforded by ISO CG 24 17.

2. All Coverages
a. City and PCJPB must agree to waive all rights of subrogation against VTA, its directors, officers, officials, employees, and volunteers for losses arising under or in connection with any work, authority, or jurisdiction associated with the Agreement.
b. City and PCJPB’s insurance coverage must be primary insurance as respects VTA, its directors, officers, officials, employees, and volunteers. Self-insurance or insurance that may be maintained by VTA, its directors, officers, officials, employees, or volunteers may apply only as excess to City and PCJPB’s insurance.

Item 12: Staff Report
Pg.
40 Packet Pg. 664 of 948

Page 36 of 37 ends

Churchill, Meadow-Charleston Grade Separation Projects
Cooperative Agreement
Rev. 11.25.24
City and PCJPB’s insurance must not seek contribution from VTA’s insurance program.

3. Other Insurance Provisions
a. The Certificate must disclose the actual amount of the Deductible or Self-Insured Retention.
b. If any coverage forms or endorsements required by this Agreement are updated by their publishers, whether they be the insurance carrier(s), the Insurance Services office, or the American Association of Insurance Services, during the duration of this Agreement, VTA reserves the rights to require City and PCJPB to procure said coverage forms or endorsements using the updated versions upon the next renewal cycle.

F. ACCEPTABILITY OF INSURERS
Insurance must be placed with insurers with an A.M. Best’s rating of no less than A VII (financial strength rating of no less than A and financial size category of no less than VII), unless specific prior written approval has been granted by VTA.

G. CERTIFICATES OF INSURANCE
City and PCJPB must furnish VTA with a Certificate of Insurance. The certificates for each insurance policy must be signed by an authorized representative of that insurer. The certificates must be issued on a standard ACORD Form. City and PCJPB must instruct their insurance broker/agent to submit all insurance certificates and required notices electronically in PDF format to [email protected]. All endorsements must be attached to the ACORD certificate in a single PDF document.

The certificates must (1) identify the insurers, the types of insurance, the insurance limits, the deductibles, and the policy term, (2) include copies of all the actual policy endorsements required herein, and (3) in the “Certificate Holder” box include:

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (“VTA”)
3331 North First Street
San Jose, CA 95134-1906
In the Description of Operations/Locations/Vehicles/Special Items Box, the VTA property leased must appear, the list of policies scheduled as underlying on the Umbrella/Excess Item 12
Attachment A -
Cooperative Agreement
between VTA, Caltrain
and City of Palo Alto for
Preliminary Engineering &
Environmental Review
Phase for Grade
Separation Projects at
Churchill Avenue,
Meadow Drive, and
Charleston Road

Item 12: Staff Report
Pg.
41 Packet Pg. 665 of 948

Page 37 of 37 ends

Churchill, Meadow-Charleston Grade Separation Projects
Cooperative Agreement
Rev. 11.25.24
policy must be listed, Certificate Holder must be named as additional insured, and Waiver of Subrogation must be indicated as endorsed to all policies as stated in the Agreement documents.

It is a condition precedent to granting of this Agreement that all insurance certificates and endorsements be received and approved by VTA before Agreement execution. No occupancy may be taken until insurance is in full compliance. VTA reserves the rights to require complete, certified copies of all required insurance policies, at any time.

If City and PCJPB receive notice that any of the insurance policies required by this Attachment may be cancelled or coverage reduced for any reason whatsoever, City and PCJPB must immediately provide written notice to VTA that such insurance policy required by this Attachment is canceled or coverage is reduced.

H. MAINTENANCE OF INSURANCE
If City and PCJPB fail to maintain insurance as required herein, VTA, at its option, may suspend the Agreement until a new policy of insurance is in effect.

Item 12: Staff Report
Pg.
42 Packet Pg. 666 of 948

City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: CONSENT CALENDAR
Lead Department: Transportation
Meeting Date: December 9, 2024
Report #:2411-3779
TITLE
Improvement Projects Providing Enhancing the Churchill Avenue Railroad At-Grade Crossing

RECOMMENDATION
This report is intended to provide information and updates on several ongoing improvement projects near and at the Churchill Avenue rail-grade crossing along the Caltrain corridor. Staff recommends the City Council accept this report.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Planned improvements significantly enhance the Churchill Avenue crossing, providing notable benefits to safety, security, traffic flow, and the overall livability of the community. With grade separation at the Meadow and Charleston Road crossings being prioritized and the rising cost of the infrastructure projects, the timing for grade separation at Churchill Avenue is likely to be impacted. In the interim, the enhanced crossing improvements will serve as practical and effective measures. This staff report outlines improvements to the at-grade crossing currently under way and being considered to enhance the crossing in a cost-effective manner in near future and may be in place for several years.

The City is currently working on several improvements such as pre-signal and striping improvements as part of a Section 130 Churchill/Alma Safety Improvements Project, Churchill Avenue enhanced bikeways connecting Embarcadero bike path along railroad tracks to Stanford Trail. Caltrain is advancing its electrification project, deploying a positive train control system, improving markings, collaborating with navigation systems for better mapping, and enhancing fencing along the corridor. Quiet Zones are also currently being evaluated. As part of its Corridor-Wide Safety Enhancements initiative, Caltrain also plans to introduce further safety measures.

BACKGROUND & ANALYSIS
The City and Caltrain have collaborated on several projects affecting Churchill Avenue. This staff report provides a summary of ongoing initiatives designed to enhance key aspects in the area, including:

Item 13
Item 13 Staff Report

Item 13: Staff Report
Pg.
1 Packet Pg. 667 of 948

1. Enhanced Safety

2. Improved Livability

3. Increased Security

4. Better Traffic Conditions
Below is a brief overview of the key projects:

Churchill Avenue Safety Improvements Project (Section 130) The California Department of Transportation Division of Rail, in cooperation with the Peninsula Corridor Joint Power Board (also known as Caltrain or JPB) and the City of Palo Alto, proposed a railroad crossing improvement project at Churchill Avenue in Palo Alto to enhance the safety at the Churchill Avenue Railroad Crossing. The intersection was identified by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for safety improvements as part of Section 130 federal funding for safety improvements at this railroad crossing.

The project scope includes:
•Installation of a pre-signal for eastbound traffic on Churchill Avenue •New traffic signals at the intersection
•Signal timing modifications
•Pedestrian and cyclist improvements, such as:
oEnlarged pedestrian queuing areas
oA widened pedestrian railroad crossing
oAdvanced stop bars
oImproved bike lane markings
oHigh-visibility crosswalks
The project design was completed by BKF Engineers after seeking community input.

The Conceptual Plan for the project was reviewed and approved by the City Council on May 3, 2021 (SR #120621). The construction contract was awarded by the City Council on June 3, 2023 (SR # 2304-12772) and the project is currently under construction with the project construction managed by the City’s Public Works Staff. The construction is expected to be complete in fall of 2025. The total estimated costs of the improvements which includes work performed by both agencies, i.e. Caltrain and the City of Palo Alto are nearly $5.0 million.
1 City Council, May 3, 2021, Agenda Item #10, SR #12062 https://portal.laserfiche.com/Portal/DocView.aspx?id=107&repo=r-704298fc&searchid=7eb2e936-99c0- 4b84- 9572-156530393e30
2 City Council, June 5, 2023, Agenda Item # 4 , SR# 2304-1277 https://portal.laserfiche.com/Portal/DocView.aspx?id=66090&repo=r-704298fc&searchid=f925150a-6527-4ba7- a9a2-11d704ca5470
Item 13
Item 13 Staff Report

Item 13: Staff Report
Pg.
2 Packet Pg. 668 of 948

Quiet Zone Project – Caltrain Corridor in Palo Alto
Office of Transportation staff is currently working on a Quiet Zone Study at three rail crossings: Churchill Avenue, Meadow Drive, and Charleston Road. The project will reduce the noise at each of these crossings resulting in improving the livability of the residents along the Caltrain corridor. On March 4, 2024 (SR # 2311-22693), the City Council approved an agreement with Kimley Horn and Associates to perform the Quiet Zone Study for the implementation of Quiet Zones at the project crossings in Palo Alto.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) regulations require a quiet zone study to review the Quiet Zone Risk Index (QZRI) qualifying for quiet zone or Supplemental Safety Measures (SSM) at each crossing. The Consultant has completed the initial review of the existing conditions and developed options for improvements at these crossings. The findings of the report were brought to the Rail Committee for staff to seek direction in furthering the next steps for implementing Quiet Zone on August 20, 2024 (Staff Report # 2405-38054).

The staff is currently collaborating with consultants to develop conceptual plans for these improvements. A diagnostic meeting was held with representatives from the FRA, CPUC, Caltrain, and the City to discuss proposed enhancements and concepts for implementing a Quiet Zone at these crossings. Staff intends to conduct outreach and seek feedback from the Rail Committee before presenting the conceptual improvements to the Council for approval.

Churchill Avenue Enhanced Bikeway Project
The Churchill Avenue Enhanced Bikeway is a Council-approved project and was identified as a priority project in the Trails and Shared Use Pathways element of the City's 2012 Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan. This connection provides a comfortable off- street bicycle route linking the Stanford Perimeter trail, Palo Alto Unified School District, and the Castilleja- Park-Wilkie bicycle boulevards to downtown Palo Alto and Caltrain.

These connections are of local and regional significance. Completing a missing link in a shared-use path will invite new bicycle travel, with associated reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and traffic congestion. This project also includes safety improvements at the intersection of El Camino Real and Churchill Avenue.

The project is currently in the procurement process and is anticipated to be awarded 3 City Council, March 4, 2024, Agenda Item # , SR 2311-2269 https://portal.laserfiche.com/Portal/DocView.aspx?id=70841&repo=r-704298fc&searchid=96f92732-e96e-4a9a- afc1-c1d22809be3f
4 Rail Committee, August 20, 2024, Agenda Item # 1, SR # 2405-3085) https://portal.laserfiche.com/Portal/DocView.aspx?id=87322&repo=r- 704298fc
Item 13
Item 13 Staff Report

Item 13: Staff Report
Pg.
3 Packet Pg. 669 of 948

shortly, with construction anticipated in 2025. PAUSD has approved the required easements and construction within the school frontage. In addition, staff plans to conduct public outreach prior to any construction activity in the area. Also, note that the Project striping at the intersection of El Camino Real and Churchill Avenue will also include bike lane marking along El Camino Real which is more recently proposed as part of the Caltrain repaving project during construction.

The project scope includes:
•Extending the existing bicycle path on Churchill Ave from Castilleja to the Stanford Perimeter Trail
•Add high-visibility crosswalks at Castilleja
•New lighting and curb improvements at Castilleja
•Restriping and repaving on Churchill
•Landscaping/tree planting along school frontage
•Remove pork chop island - Add a right turn-only storage lane on westbound Churchill to northbound El Camino Real
•Enhanced bicycle and pedestrian crosswalks at all 3 crossings of the intersection of El Camino Real
Caltrain Project - Security Enhancements
The City of Palo Alto and Caltrain have been concerned about rail corridor security near the Churchill Avenue crossing. City and Caltrain staff met with Congresswoman Anna Eshoo and former Congresswoman Jackie Speier to raise concerns about the mental health challenges and security fencing in the Vicinity of Churchill Avenue Crossing. The Congress, considering the sensitivity to this area, earmarked funding in the amount of $800,000 to enhance fencing.

Caltrain staff is currently working on the design of the necessary improvements that involve replacing the existing fencing with 9.5 feet of fencing that includes winglets on approx. 3,150 linear feet along the corridor between Churchill Avenue and Caltrain’s Palo Alto Station. The project is currently in the procurement process and is expected to start construction in early 2025.

Caltrain Electrification Project and Rail Signal Improvements The Caltrain Modernization Program (CalMod), sometimes referred to as the Caltrain Electrification Project electrified 51 miles (82 km) of tracks between 4th and King station and Tamien station that includes the Churchill Avenue crossing and installed a Positive Train Control (PTC) Management system along the tracks. PTC is designed to fulfill federal safety mandates for passenger rail and is part of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) waiver to use EMUs on tracks shared with freight traffic. Funding for the project came from various federal, state, and local sources.

Item 13
Item 13 Staff Report

Item 13: Staff Report
Pg.
4 Packet Pg. 670 of 948

The CalMod project improves Caltrain system performance and curtails long-term environmental impacts by reducing noise, improving regional air quality, and lowering greenhouse gas emissions. The System is expected to help accommodate increased system ridership through improved system operations. During the implementation of this system, Caltrain found a glitch in the new system. The proximity of the crossings to stations was causing additional gate activations when a northbound train stopped at the station.

Caltrain is working on fixing this issue and will be installing a subsequent system called the Crossing Optimization Project, which will implement wireless, real-time communication between trains and the gates. This system will remove the additional gate activations and improve communications and gate time activations currently experienced at the crossings. Caltrain is currently working to install and test this subsequent system by the end of 2024 and is working to expedite.

Caltrain Corridor Wide Crossing Safety Improvements
Caltrain is developing a Corridor Wide Grade Crossing Safety Improvement Strategy that includes several safety improvement considerations to address both vehicle and pedestrian safety. These safety improvement considerations include •Pavement markings
•Roadway delineators and barriers
•Signage & Lighting
•Intrusion Detection technologies
•Working with GPS and Mapping Companies
The Churchill Avenue grade crossing has been identified as a top priority for these improvements. These improvements would potentially be made in addition to the planned traffic signal and pedestrian /cyclist enhancements in the Churchill Avenue Safety Improvement (Section 130) project.

An informational report providing updates on ongoing projects within the vicinity of Churchill Avenue was provided to the Rail Committee at its September 17, 2024 meeting (SR 3409- 34515). These projects along the corridor affecting Churchill Avenue will not only enhance safety, and security but also positively impact traffic and livability of the residents along the corridor.

FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
Funding for the projects managed by the City are programmed in the 2025-2029 Capital 5 Rail Committee, September 17, 2024, Informational Item # 1, SR # 2409-3451 & 3453) https://portal.laserfiche.com/Portal/Browse.aspx?id=71765&repo=r-704298fc Item 13
Item 13 Staff Report

Item 13: Staff Report
Pg.
5 Packet Pg. 671 of 948

Improvement Plan through various Capital Improvement Projects. Caltrain Electrification is a fully funded project managed by the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board. (PCJPB)

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
The Rail Committee and the City Council meetings are open to the public, offering community members opportunities to provide comments and feedback. The Rail Committee meetings are regularly conducted, and their information is posted on the City Calendar. Residents who have subscribed to City Meetings notifications receive notifications about the Rail Committee meetings. Additionally, notifications about the Rail Committee and the City Council meetings are disseminated through the City’s YouTube Channel.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This report is an informational item. A future decision to approve the construction of a potential project would be subject to CEQA.

APPROVED BY:

Philip Kamhi, Chief Transportation Official
Item 13
Item 13 Staff Report

Item 13: Staff Report
Pg.
6 Packet Pg. 672 of 948

City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: CONSENT CALENDAR
Lead Department: Community Services
Meeting Date: December 9, 2024
Report #:2411-3742
TITLE
Approval of Budget Amendments in the Child Care Trust Fund and General Fund in Support of Expenditures to Support Early Education Providers; CEQA status - Not a Project.

RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council approve an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Appropriation (requires 2/3 approval), for:

1. The Child Care Trust Fund by:
a. Increasing the expense appropriation for transfers to the General Fund by $30,000; and b. Decreasing the ending fund balance by $30,000;

2. The General Fund by:
a. Increasing the revenue estimate for transfers from the Child Care Trust Fund by $30,000; and
b. Increasing the Community Services Department expenditure appropriation by $30,000 to address the needs of Early Education Providers.

BACKGROUND
A Child Care Trust Fund (CCTF) was created in 1987 to house money raised by the Child Care Task Force for the purpose of implementing the goals of the Child Care Master Plan (Master Plan) released in 1989. A $150,000 contribution was made to the trust fund in 1991 by a local developer as part of a density bonus agreement for a proposed downtown development project. Expenses to the CCTF were incurred to implement some of the goals of the Master Plan but the funds were not fully expended. The fund has increased over the years via interest income and the current unaudited fund balance is estimated at approximately $263,000.

Recent allocations from the CCTF have been utilized to support workplan items of the Palo Alto Advisory Committee on Early Care and Education (PAACECE), the City’s current iteration of the Item 14
Item 14 Staff Report

Item 14: Staff Report
Pg.
1 Packet Pg. 673 of 948

Child Care Task Force which serves under the direction of the Office of Human Services in the Community Services Department. The last funding request from the CCTF was made on October 4, 20211, 2, as part of PAACECE’s presentation on the results of the Assessment on the Needs of Local Families and Child Care Providers, and the follow up work that they identified and was in the amount of $30,000. That funding was used to support professional development mini-grants for staff at 20 local Early Care and Education (ECE) sites as well as the costs associated with a specialized training program called “Community of Practice” in which a cohort of ECE providers met bi-weekly over a period of three months to enrich their teaching skills.

ANALYSIS
In response to input from ECE providers and PAACECE members, PAACECE’s current 2023-24 workplan3 includes efforts to address impacts to local ECE sites as a result of diminishing enrollment associated with post-Covid changes in the ways in which parents and caregivers utilize child care and the impact of free Transitional Kindergarten, as well as the resulting financial challenges that this has on a ECE site’s ability to survive.

To address the needs of the ECE community, staff recommends an allocation from the CCTF to support the following:
•Professional Development Mini Grants - Given the budget limitations that many ECE sites are facing, funding to support individual educators to attend outside professional training and continuing education is being reduced or eliminated. While PAACECE has planned some general interest workshops, this would allow educators to apply for a small grant to attend education classes of their own choosing including those provided by professional Child Care associations and local colleges. •Professional Services Mini Grants - Budget limitations have also reduced the capacity of ECE administrators to seek out needed onsite assistance from professionals who provide classroom observations, as well as behavioral and mental health support. This funding would allow an ECE site to apply for a mini grant to secure professional consultations. •Business Support Workshops – There are local ECE providers who are struggling to stay afloat due to a continuing decrease in enrollment due to the different post-Covid ways in which parents and caregivers seek care for children in non-congregate sites and the 1 City Council, October 4, 2021; Agenda Item 7; Action Minutes, https://portal.laserfiche.com/Portal/DocView.aspx?id=2566&repo=r-704298fc 2 City Council, October 4, 2021; Agenda Item 7; SR #13553, https://portal.laserfiche.com/Portal/DocView.aspx?id=75&repo=r-704298fc 3 PAACECE Workplan 2023-24, https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/community- services/human-services/child-care/paacece-workplan-23-24.pdf Item 14
Item 14 Staff Report

Item 14: Staff Report
Pg.
2 Packet Pg. 674 of 948

availability of free Transitional Kindergarten in public schools. Some providers have been able to pivot to a changed operational model, but others, often smaller sites without a large administrative infrastructure for planning, cannot afford and would benefit from the advice of a professional in areas such as strategic planning, human resources, budgeting, etc. This funding would allow PAACECE to provide workshops/individual consultations on the topics listed above to ECE administrators.

An appropriation of $30,000 from the unappropriated fund balance of the Child Care Trust Fund (CCTF) is recommended to support the efforts listed in this staff report. Staff recommends flexibility of use of the total amount requested among the three uses described above based on need.

FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
The recommendation in this work is cost neutral. A transfer of $30,000 from the Child Care Trust Fund to the General Fund is requested to execute the recommendations in this report.

The CCTF fund balance of $263,000 is sufficient to support this transfer and appropriation request.

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
Input from ECE providers was collected via emails sent to staff, feedback provided at a workshop titled “Surviving TK” and the input of members of PAACECE who are ECE providers in the community.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The proposed budget transfer and workplan described in this report are not a “project” under CEQA.

APPROVED BY:

Kristen O'Kane, Community Services Director
Item 14
Item 14 Staff Report

Item 14: Staff Report
Pg.
3 Packet Pg. 675 of 948

City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: CONSENT CALENDAR
Lead Department: Community Services
Meeting Date: December 9, 2024
Report #:2410-3626
TITLE
FIRST READING: Adoption of an Ordinance Approving a Plan for Park Improvements at the City’s Baylands for Santa Clara Valley Water District's Palo Alto Flood Basin Tide Gate Structure Phase 1: Seismic: Retrofit and Rehabilitation Project; Approval of Addendum to the Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Project Prepared by Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCH # 2020090237).

RECOMMENDATION
Staff and the Parks and Recreation Commission recommend that the City Council:

1. As a responsible agency under CEQA, consider and approve the addendum to the Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) prepared and approved by lead agency Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water); and

2. Adopt a Park Improvement Ordinance (Attachment A) authorizing Santa Clara Valley Water District Palo Alto Flood Basin Tide Gate Structure Phase 1: Seismic Retrofit and Rehabilitation Project (Project), which will seismically retrofit and rehabilitate the existing tide gate structure (Structure) in the Baylands.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Palo Alto Flood Basin's tide gate structure, built in 1957, is crucial for flood protection, environmental conservation, and recreation. Over time, structural issues were identified, prompting Valley Water to initiate a replacement project. After emergency repairs in 2012, a shift in 2018 led to the decision to fully replace the aging structure. However, in 2023, due to funding limitations and delays with the US Army Corps of Engineers' Shoreline II Project, the replacement was put on hold. Instead, a phased approach was adopted. Phase 1 focuses on seismic retrofitting and rehabilitation to extend the structure’s service life, while Phase 2 will address a long-term replacement.

The project will include installing a deep foundation, repairing cracks, applying a concrete deck overlay, replacing fencing, improving access, and mitigating environmental impacts through Item 15
Item 15 Staff Report

Item 15: Staff Report
Pg.
1 Packet Pg. 676 of 948

new plantings. Public outreach, stakeholder tours, and community meetings took place throughout this year.

Construction is planned for September 2025 to January 2026, requiring temporary closures of the Adobe Creek Loop Trail. The City will not bear construction costs, and post-construction maintenance will remain consistent with current operations.

BACKGROUND
The levees forming the Palo Alto Flood Basin (Flood Basin) were built by the City of Palo Alto (City) in the 1940s and the associated tide gate structure (Structure) was constructed in 1957 by the former Santa Clara County Flood Control and Water Conservation District (now Santa Clara Valley Water District, also known as Valley Water), Santa Clara County and the City. The Structure is located along the Bay shoreline, east of the Palo Alto Municipal Airport and Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve. The floodwater stored in the Flood Basin is released to the Bay through eight cells with 16 tide gates (15 passive gates and one sluice gate) that comprise the overall tide gate structure. The purpose of the passive tide gates is to regulate water elevation in the Flood Basin such that when the water elevation in the basin is higher than the tidal elevation of the Bay, the passive tide gates are pushed open by water pressure and discharge water from the Flood Basin to the Bay. When the water surface elevation in the Flood Basin is lower than the Bay, the passive tide gates are held shut by water pressure from the Bay, to prevent full tidal inundation.

The Tide Gate Structure has been regularly inspected and maintained by Valley Water. In 2011, Valley Water discovered that water was flowing beneath the Structure, undermining the function of the tide gates and potentially its structural stability. In 2012, Valley Water completed emergency repairs to stop seepage flow beneath the Structure. As part of that effort, staff prepared a post-construction report (as required by the United States Army Corps of Engineers Emergency Permit) which detailed the emergency work and recommended the replacement of the Structure.

In 2014, Valley Water retained the services of Mark Thomas & Company (MT) to perform structural inspections and prepare an assessment report for the Structure. The report concluded that the Structure was generally in fair condition and recommended minor structural repairs.

In 2017, Valley Water retained a construction contractor to perform minor repairs. The work was complicated due to the inability to dewater for the repair work, which resulted in the contract being terminated without completing the work. Subsequently, a visual structural assessment was performed by MT in October 2017 which concluded that the structure would be functional for a couple more years and recommended the Structure be replaced.

In 2018, after project objectives were changed to replace, rather than repair, the Structure, a new team was assigned to the Project to commence planning and design of the new Structure.

Item 15
Item 15 Staff Report

Item 15: Staff Report
Pg.
2 Packet Pg. 677 of 948

The new Project team also prepared an Emergency Action Plan in coordination with the City of Palo Alto in 2019 to provide guidance for potential flooding emergencies in the interim. MT was engaged to perform additional structural assessments annually starting in January 2020. All Structure assessments performed to date concluded that the Structure should still be able to function for several more years.

On June 24, 2020, Valley Water held a Planning Phase Public Outreach Virtual Meeting for the Structure Replacement Project. Valley Water also presented a Project update at the City of Palo Alto Sea Level Rise Public Virtual Meeting on September 9, 2020. Recordings of these two virtual meetings are available.1 During these two public meetings, Valley Water stated that the Project would need to be coordinated with the South San Francisco Bay Shoreline Phase II Project (Shoreline II Project), which relied on federal participation of the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) as the lead agency. The location and elevation of the new tide gate structure in the Project would need to match the chosen levee alignment and elevation of the USACE Shoreline II Project.

In late 2022, the USACE expressed no federal interest within the foreseeable future to pursue the Shoreline II Project and placed the said project on hold indefinitely. During this time, Valley Water’s project team had secured final regulatory permits for the Project from various agencies and was working to complete the 100% Design Phase. A significant construction cost increase was estimated at this phase that exceeded Valley Water’s available funds for the Project.

Following the USACE’s decision pertaining to the Shoreline II Project, and the Project’s need for additional funding, the Project was put on hold indefinitely by Valley Water’s Board of Directors at the January 10, 2023 Board meeting. Subsequently, Valley Water evaluated the potential to pursue and implement a lesser scope project in the short-term to address seismic vulnerabilities and rehabilitate the aging tide gate structure while the long-term project plan is being developed. The evaluation resulted in the Project being divided into two phases. Phase 1 work consists of designing and constructing a seismic retrofit and rehabilitation of the Structure to extend its service life. Phase 2 work involves working with the USACE on a long-term structure replacement project to ensure alignment and elevation compatibility with the Shoreline II Project. Valley Water is currently focusing efforts on Phase 1.

ANALYSIS
The 1957-built tide gate Structure provides critical flood protection, environmental conservation, and recreational benefits to the City, Valley Water, and the public. The Structure is located along the northern tip of the Adobe Creek Loop Trail (Trail), approximately 0.5 miles northeast of the Byxbee Park parking lot. City and Valley Water staff have been working 1 Valley Water Community Meetings, June 24, 2020 and September 9, 2020, https://www.valleywater.org/pafbtidegates
Item 15
Item 15 Staff Report

Item 15: Staff Report
Pg.
3 Packet Pg. 678 of 948

together on this Project since 2018 when the objective was to replace the aging Structure. After being rescoped in 2023, the new Project objectives included Phase 1 work by retrofitting and rehabilitating the Structure to reduce seismic vulnerabilities and extend its service life. Exhibit A is an in-progress design.

Phase 1 work for the Project consists of the installation of a deep foundation system on each end of the existing structure, large crack repairs and application of Polyester Polymer Concrete (PPC) deck overlay, replacement of existing fences with taller and slightly longer fences, and creation of improved maintenance access to the Flood Basin side of the Structure. To mitigate the Project’s environmental impacts, new planting will be installed followed by a multi-year plant establishment period, and maintenance will commence post-construction in the ±0.35 acres area adjacent to the west end of the Structure.

Once construction is complete, the existing tide gate structure will continue to provide coastal flood protection as well as wildlife and habitat protection. Furthermore, trail users will continue to enjoy the Adobe Creek Loop Trail with an improved concrete deck surface and enhanced safety features of the Structure. Lastly, the new maintenance access would reduce trail closures when Valley Water staff needs to access the area below the Structure deck.

Once final regulatory permits are secured, onsite construction is expected to take place between September 2025 and January 2026 (5 months).

The Project will require temporary closures of approximately 0.8 miles of the Adobe Creek Loop Trail to accommodate construction work. An exhibit illustrating the anticipated trail closures is included in Exhibit B. There will be no parking impacts to the Byxbee Park parking lot during construction. Construction workers will park their vehicles at the designated staging areas for the Project within the closed ±0.8 miles trail portions.

Most heavy equipment and trucks carrying construction materials will access the Project site through the gate located next to the Byxbee Park parking lot. Flaggers will be present during mobilization and demobilization of heavy equipment to ensure trail users’ safety.

The contractor will be required to perform in-kind repairs to the trail surface, if necessary, during construction. To prevent levee damage, the contract documents will specify a maximum vehicle weight. Furthermore, the contractor’s use of the trail following significant rain events will be limited to prevent damage to the levee and trail surface. At the completion of the Project, the contractor will be required to provide a final trail surface that meets or exceeds the pre-construction conditions to the satisfaction of the City and Valley Water.

Maintenance post construction will be similar to current operations, the City would continue to monitor, operate, and maintain the sluice gate and water elevation sensors. Valley Water staff will continue to support debris removal from the trash racks and/or tide gates as needed. Valley Water will also monitor and conduct annual condition assessments of the existing structure.

Item 15
Item 15 Staff Report

Item 15: Staff Report
Pg.
4 Packet Pg. 679 of 948

This project was reintroduced to the Parks and Recreation Commission (Commission) as a discussion item during their June 25, 2024, meeting.2 This item returned to the Commission as an action item on August 27, 2024. During that meeting, there was a formal discussion about incorporating art and possibly creating nesting areas for birds on or near the structure.

However, it was determined that creating nesting areas for birds could disrupt operations and restrict access during the nesting season. Valley Water also clarified at the meeting that they understand that the Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan by the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) is currently in draft form and when completed it will be a region-wide plan for the entire Bay shoreline. Currently, the plan is not at the implementation phase and so there is no guidance for actions at the project level yet. Therefore, at this time, the plan will not influence the on-going work for the Palo Alto Tide Gate Rehabilitation and Seismic Retrofit. At that meeting, the Commission passed a motion (4-0) recommending the Park Improvement Ordinance to the City Council, while approving the project with additional considerations regarding the heights and colors used, as well as the potential inclusion of public art.3
The project does not trigger the public art requirements under Municipal Code Chapter 16.61, and the design is currently 90% complete and therefore too late in the commissioning process for this project. However, staff is exploring how public art may be introduced at a later stage.

Based on the recommendations from the Parks and Recreation Commission, staff worked with Valley Water to reduce the fence height from the originally proposed 54 inches to 48 inches.

Valley Water has also agreed keep the fence a natural color. Valley Water also held a community meeting at Mitchell Park Community Center on Wednesday, November 20 from 6- 7:00 pm to solicit feedback there were 14 in-person attendees and 18 online.

FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
There are no resource impacts anticipated from the recommendations in this report. The City will not incur costs for the construction of this Project. Post-construction operations and maintenance costs are expected to be the same as those projected for existing conditions.

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
On April 2, 2024, Valley Water hosted a Baylands Tide Gate tour onsite with stakeholders, city staff, and members of the public to discuss the project and collect feedback. On November 20, 2024, Valley Water hosted an in-person and virtual meeting at Mitchell Park Community Center to discuss the project and collect more feedback.
2 Parks and Recreation Commission, June 25, 2025 Approved Minutes, prc-approved-minutes-06.25.24.pdf (cityofpaloalto.org)
3 Parks and Recreation Commission, August 27, 2024 Approved Minutes, prc-approved-minutes-08.27.24.pdf Item 15
Item 15 Staff Report

Item 15: Staff Report
Pg.
5 Packet Pg. 680 of 948

The project was also discussed at the Parks and Recreation Commission meetings on June 25, 2024, and August 27, 2024.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Valley Water is the Lead Agency under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the City of Palo Alto is a Responsible Agency. The CEQA Final Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) is available at the Valley Water Project website (SCH # 2020090237).4 The Addendum to the Final MND was approved by the Valley Water Board on October 22, 2024. The First Addendum describes changes to the PATG Replacement Project, evaluates the potential impacts, and concludes that the PATG Replacement Project modifications, which focus on the seismic retrofit and rehabilitation work, would not result in any new significant environmental impacts, or substantially increase the severity of significant impacts beyond those identified in the adopted MND for PATG Replacement Project, approved by the Valley Water Board on April 27, 2021.

ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Ordinance Approving a Plan for Park's Improvements at City's Baylands APPROVED BY:

Kristen O'Kane, Community Services Director
4 Valley Water Project Website: https://www.valleywater.org/pafbtidegates.

Item 15
Item 15 Staff Report

Item 15: Staff Report
Pg.
6 Packet Pg. 681 of 948

Attachment A
*NOT YET APPROVED*
1 122_20241121_ts24

ORDINANCE NO. _____
Ordinance of The Council of The City of Palo Alto Approving a Plan for Park Improvements at the City’s Baylands: Authorizing the Santa Clara Valley Water District’s Palo Alto Flood Basin Tide Gate Structure Phase 1: Seismic Retrofit and Rehabilitation Project

The Council of the City of Palo Alto does ORDAIN as follows:

SECTION 1. Findings and Improvements. The City Council finds and declares that:

(a) Article VIII of the Charter of the City of Palo Alto and Section 22.08.005 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code (PAMC) require that, before any substantial building, construction, reconstruction or development is commenced or approved, upon or with respect to any land held by the City for park purposes, the Council shall first cause to be prepared and by ordinance approve and adopt a plan therefor.

(b) The Palo Alto Flood Basin Tide Gate Structure (Structure) is part of the Adobe Creek Loop Trail (Trail). The Structure is located in the City’s Baylands, which is dedicated parkland (See PAMC § 22.08.020 et seq.)

(c) The City of Palo Alto intends to authorize Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) to perform a seismic retrofit and rehabilitation of the 1957-built Structure. The retrofit intends to reduce seismic vulnerabilities and the rehabilitation aims to extend the existing Structure’s service life. Based on the Conditional Structural Assessment of the existing Structure and reduced functionality, the Structure is planned to be seismically retrofitted and rehabilitated.

(d) The plan of improvements (Plan) shall comprise, as follows:

(1) The Project will install a deep foundation system on each end of the existing Structure consisting of two reinforced concrete pile s topped with a rectangular- shaped reinforced concrete pile cap. The pile cap contains steel dowels to positively connect the deep foundation system to the side of the existing Structure. Select plan sheets showing the in -progress design are attached as Exhibit “A”.
(2) The Project will repair large cracks and spalls in the concrete surface of the existing structure and then apply a Polyester Polymer Concrete (PPC) overlay for added protection. Select plan sheets showing the in-progress design are attached as Exhibit “A”.
(3) The Project will replace the existing 42” tall fence with a new 48” tall fence.

Select plan sheets showing the in-progress design are attached as Exhibit “A”.

Item 15
Attachment A - Ordinance
Approving a Plan for
Park's Improvements at
City's Baylands

Item 15: Staff Report
Pg.
7 Packet Pg. 682 of 948

Attachment A
*NOT YET APPROVED*
2 122_20241121_ts24
(4) The Project will create improved maintenance access from the deck to the flood basin with ladders and an opening in the tra sh rack. Select plan sheets showing the in-progress design are attached as Exhibit “A”. (5) The Project will require temporary closures to portions of the Trail to accommodate construction of the seismic retrofit and rehabilitation work. A diagram illustrating anticipated Trail closures is attached as Exhibit “ B”. If the seismic retrofit and rehabilitation work to the Structure is not constructed, future degradation of the existing Structure will occur and would eventually require closure of the Trail for an unknown duration of time.
(e) The Project described above and as otherwise depicted in the attached exhibits is consistent with “park, playground, recreation or conservation purposes” as required under PAMC section 22.08.020 et seq.

(f) The City Council desires to approve the Plan for the Project described above and as depicted in Exhibit "A" and Exhibit “B”.

SECTION 2. The City Council hereby approves the Plan for construction of the Palo Alto Flood Basin Tide Gate Structure Phase 1: Seismic Retrofit and Rehabilitation Project as described in this Ordinance.

SECTION 3. V alley Water is the Lead Agency for the Project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Valley Water performed an Initial Study and determined that a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) is the appropriate level of review for the previous Project scope of a Structure replacement. A resolution adopting the Final MND (Resolution) was signed by Valley Water’s Board on April 27, 2021. Since the work for the Seismic Retrofit and Rehabilitation Project is smaller in scope and has less impacts, an addendum to the Final MND has been completed stating that the modifications to the original Structure replacement project will not result in new significant impacts or increase the severity of the already disclosed impacts. On October 22, 2024, Valley Water’s Board considered the addendum to the Final MND and approved the Modified Palo Alto Tide Gate Replacement Project. The CEQA documents are available online from the project website:
https://www.valleywater.org/pafbtidegates.

The City Council finds that the City of Palo Alto is a responsible agency under CEQA for the Project and certifies that it has reviewed and considered the information contained in Valley Water’s MND as updated by the addendum.

Valley Water will apply for new regulatory permits or amend the existing regulatory permits from six resource agencies and will be working with the resource agencies for updated mitigation requirements and permit conditions.

Item 15
Attachment A - Ordinance
Approving a Plan for
Park's Improvements at
City's Baylands

Item 15: Staff Report
Pg.
8 Packet Pg. 683 of 948

Attachment A
*NOT YET APPROVED*
3 122_20241121_ts24
SECTION 4. This ordinance shall be effective on the thirty -first day after the date of its adoption.

INTRODUCED:

PASSED:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

ABSTENTIONS:

ATTEST:

____________________________ ____________________________ City Clerk Mayor

APPROVED AS TO FORM: APPROVED:

____________________________ ____________________________ Assistant City Attorney City Manager

____________________________
Director of Community Services

Item 15
Attachment A - Ordinance
Approving a Plan for
Park's Improvements at
City's Baylands

Item 15: Staff Report
Pg.
9 Packet Pg. 684 of 948

EXHIBIT A
PAGE 1 OF 4

EXHIBIT A
Item 15
Attachment A - Ordinance Approving
a Plan for Park's Improvements at
City's Baylands

Item 15: Staff Report
Pg.
10 Packet Pg. 685 of 948

EXHIBIT A
PAGE 2 OF 4

EXHIBIT A
Item 15
Attachment A - Ordinance Approving
a Plan for Park's Improvements at
City's Baylands

Item 15: Staff Report
Pg.
11 Packet Pg. 686 of 948

EXHIBIT A
PAGE 3 OF 4

EXHIBIT A
Item 15
Attachment A - Ordinance Approving
a Plan for Park's Improvements at
City's Baylands

Item 15: Staff Report
Pg.
12 Packet Pg. 687 of 948

EXHIBIT A
PAGE 4 OF 4

EXHIBIT A
Item 15
Attachment A - Ordinance Approving
a Plan for Park's Improvements at
City's Baylands

Item 15: Staff Report
Pg.
13 Packet Pg. 688 of 948

EXHIBIT B PAGE 1 OF 2
5000 ft
N ➤ ➤
N
Image © 2024 Airbus
Image © 2024 Airbus
Byxbee Park
Parking Lot

PROJECT LOCATION
Palo Alto Airport
Palo Alto
Flood Basin
HWY 101
San Antonio Rd
±0.8 MILES TRAIL

SEGMENTS CLOSED
FOR 5 MONTHS
(SEPTEMBER 2025
TO JANUARY 2026)

OTHER TRAIL

ROUTES & DETOUR

OPEN ALL THE TIME
Existing Tide
Gate Structure

FLAGGERS WILL BE PRESENT

DURING HEAVY EQUIPMENT

MOBILIZATION/DEMOBILIZATION
⚑
⚑
⚑

FLAGGERS WILL BE PRESENT

DURING HEAVY EQUIPMENT

MOBILIZATION/DEMOBILIZATION
⚑
⚑
Coast Casey
Pump Station
⚑
Embarcadero Rd
E Bayshore Rd
Faber Pl
Adobe Creek
Loop Trail
Bay Trail

TRAIL CLOSURE
Item 15
Attachment A - Ordinance
Approving a Plan for
Park's Improvements at
City's Baylands

Item 15: Staff Report
Pg.
14 Packet Pg. 689 of 948

SIGN SIZE
4’ x 4’
48” x 48”
5’ x 3”
Construction Sign for Palo Alto Flood Basin Project
EXHIBIT B PAGE 2 OF 2
Item 15
Attachment A - Ordinance
Approving a Plan for
Park's Improvements at
City's Baylands

Item 15: Staff Report
Pg.
15 Packet Pg. 690 of 948

City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: ACTION ITEMS
Lead Department: Public Works
Meeting Date: December 9, 2024
Report #:2408-3338
TITLE
Receive an Update and Confirm the Preferred Concept Plan for the University Avenue Streetscape Improvements Project (PE-21004) and Direct Staff to Return with a Contract Amendment for Future Phases; CEQA Status – Not a Project

RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that Council confirm the preferred concept plan for the University Avenue Streetscape Project (PE-21004) and direct staff to return with a design-related services amendment for Council approval, in order to advance the project.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Through this report staff is seeking Council direction on the proposed project scope, which is informed by prior Council discussions and recent stakeholder and community feedback. This discussion with City Council is intended to enable staff to move forward with the next phase of the project, which will include preliminary design, environmental analysis, and an assessment district feasibility analysis.

University Avenue is a regional and local public destination for shopping, dining, and entertainment. To facilitate people-centric activities and to create a more vibrant and inclusive space that will support residents and local businesses, Council directed staff in 2021 to study transforming the University Avenue streetscape. Since 2021, staff has conducted extensive community outreach and engaged on this topic with Council and the Retail Committee on numerous occasions.

Staff and the consultant team have incorporated the most recent Council and stakeholder feedback and developed a preferred concept plan. This concept plan establishes a broad vision for University Avenue and sets basic criteria for sidewalk width, lane configuration, and public right-of-way use. The proposed project replaces and widens sidewalks to 17.5 feet on University Avenue between High and Cowper Streets while retaining existing sidewalk widths between Cowper and Webster Streets. Sidewalk re-paving, lighting, landscaping, seating, and signage improvements are included in the project scope for each of the nine blocks of University Avenue between High and Webster Streets. The concept plan balances the desire for Item 16
Item 16 Staff Report

Item 16: Staff Report
Pg.
1 Packet Pg. 691 of 948

both on-street parking and outdoor dining and allows for short term parking for delivery, rideshare, and loading.

Additionally, specific street intersections (University and High, University and Ramona, University and Centennial Alley) and Lytton Plaza have been identified as important focal areas and will be designed to serve as gathering spaces.

The project’s implementation cost is estimated at approximately $40 million, assuming construction begins in 2027. Based on prior discussions with Council and stakeholders, the project will likely be funded through an assessment district or similar mechanism, paid by the property owners fronting the improvements area.

If the proposed concept plan is approved by the Council, the project team will initiate the design phase, the environmental analysis, and an assessment district feasibility analysis.

Through the next phase staff will continue engaging the downtown stakeholder working group and the community at large and will provide updates to the City Council and relevant committees, boards, and commissions.

The long-term improvements are expected to be completed by 2030. Council has expressed a strong interest in interim improvements, which will play an important role in the long-term economic vibrancy of downtown. Thus, a brief update on near-term downtown improvements is also included in this report.

BACKGROUND
University Avenue is a two-travel lane street that provides access from Highway 101 through the downtown area and continues to Stanford University. COVID-19 had significant economic implications on downtown environments throughout the country, including University Avenue.

To support local businesses and community, the City closed portions of University Avenue to vehicular traffic in spring 2020 through the “Uplift Local” program, enabling outdoor dining and enhancing retail experiences. The street was re-opened to vehicular traffic in fall 2021. On March 1, 2021, Council approved the University Avenue Streetscape Update project (PE-21004)1 as part of the workplan for Community and Economic Recovery2, initially allocating $150,000 for this purpose. On September 13, 2021, Council directed staff to proceed with the University Avenue Streetscape Design Request for Proposals (RFP)3 and on February 28, 2022, Council approved a contract4 with CSWST2 for design and construction administration services for the University Avenue Streetscape project.
1 City Council, March 1, 2021; Agenda Item # 8; SR #11872 https://portal.laserfiche.com/Portal/DocView.aspx?id=68403&repo=r-704298fc 2 City Council, January 19, 2021; Agenda Item # 4; SR #11877 https://portal.laserfiche.com/Portal/DocView.aspx?id=68402&repo=r-704298fc 3 City Council, September 13, 2021; Agenda Item # 8; SR #13540 https://portal.laserfiche.com/Portal/DocView.aspx?id=68396&repo=r-704298fc 4 City Council, February 28, 2022; Agenda Item # 10; SR #13609 https://portal.laserfiche.com/Portal/DocView.aspx?id=68395&repo=r-704298fc Item 16
Item 16 Staff Report

Item 16: Staff Report
Pg.
2 Packet Pg. 692 of 948

On December 18, 2023, Staff presented a streetscape feasibility report with streetscape options to Council based upon community and stakeholder input encapsulating outreach to that point and concept plans for the University Avenue Streetscape5 6.

Staff presented an update to Council on June 3, 2024 regarding the project vision, design elements, and stakeholder engagement strategy 7. At this meeting, Council approved the balancing of goals and next steps as presented by staff and directed staff to pursue the near- term projects and goals on an expedited basis, and return to Council with a preferred concept by fall 2024 incorporating the following direction:

1. Balance desire for outdoor dining and gathering spaces with on-street parking for retail customers:
a. Retain at least one-third (1/3) of on-street parking to support retail, capping number of parklets, and use wider sidewalks for outdoor dining, retail, and gathering spaces.

2. Reduce congestion and enhance pedestrian and bicycle experience while maintaining vehicular access:
a. Maintain existing width of travel lanes on University Avenue, expand sidewalks, and encourage the use of Hamilton and Lytton Avenue as bike routes.

3. Balance desire for special events while minimizing negative financial impacts on businesses from temporary road closures:
a. Seek additional stakeholder feedback to determine number and duration of events.

4. Balance desire for wider sidewalks, gathering spaces, and enhanced streetscape with direction to explore lower cost alternatives:
a. Do not reduce scope significantly as that does not support the vision. If phasing is desired, implement in no more than two phases to minimize total costs and negative impacts to businesses.

ANALYSIS
Based on Council direction in June and input from the stakeholder working group, the project goals were modified to emphasize the importance of a thriving retail environment (see Attachment B for the project vision and goals). Additionally, the project scope was modified to include widened sidewalks on eight blocks of University Avenue, between High and Cowper streets, with streetscape enhancements on nine blocks of University Avenue, between High and Webster streets. The current proposed concept plan (Attachment A) establishes a broad vision for University Avenue and sets basic criteria for sidewalk width, lane configuration, and public 5 City Council, December 18, 2023; Agenda Item # 21; SR #2310-2189 https://portal.laserfiche.com/Portal/DocView.aspx?id=72053&repo=r-704 298fc 6 University Avenue Streetscape Feasibility Report, December 2023. https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/public-works/engineering-services/cip-contracts/2023-12- 6-palo-alto_university-avenue-streetscape-feasibility-report-final.pdf 7 City Council, June 3, 2024; Agenda Item # 16; SR # 2404-2904 https://portal.laserfiche.com/Portal/DocView.aspx?id=72174&repo=r-704298fc Item 16
Item 16 Staff Report

Item 16: Staff Report
Pg.
3 Packet Pg. 693 of 948

right-of-way use. Key concept plan elements, approach to on-street parking, bicycle access, and infrastructure for special events are described in more detail below. As stated in this staff report, staff is only seeking approval of the overall concept plan at this time and will bring details on the assessment district, special events, and parking, to the appropriate Committees, Boards, Commissions, and Council at key milestones.

Preferred Concept Plan Elements
Vibrant and Functional Space:
•To support all retail businesses, the project proposes widening sidewalks along University Avenue between High and Cowper Streets from approximately 12 feet to 17.5 feet. This expanded space will allow uses like outdoor dining, retail displays, landscaping, and other street furnishings, alongside a generous pedestrian walkway. •The proposed project converts on-street angled parking spaces into parallel parking spaces, enabling the wider sidewalks.
•Parklets for outdoor dining and retail are accommodated, and with the City’s ongoing program and pre-approved designs, parklet implementation is relatively streamlined. •At intersections, the proposed concept plan features extended sidewalk corners, or bulb-outs, to shorten pedestrian crossing distances across University Avenue and intersecting streets. These bulb-outs provide functional areas that also serve as gathering spaces, with seating, landscaping, and other elements in line with the project’s goals.
•The proposed concept plan preserves the existing street trees along University Avenue that were found to be healthy and vibrant during the existing conditions analysis.
•The proposed project includes gateway elements at University Avenue’s entrances at High and Cowper Streets. These elements could be traditional gateway signs that span University Avenue or more modern elements placed within the extended curb areas.

Additional community outreach will be conducted to inform the design of these important gateway elements.
•Based on input from downtown stakeholders and community members, the project will incorporate public gathering spaces within the public right of way at Lytton Plaza, the High Street Gateway area, and at the entrance to Centennial Alley. Additional community outreach will be conducted to inform the design of these spaces during the next phase of the project.
•The proposed project will include new streetlights, benches, waste/ recycling receptacles, landscaping, bicycle racks, public art as well as unique paving treatments within the sidewalk areas. These materials and features will be refined during the design process.
•To reflect Palo Alto’s identity as the birthplace of Silicon Valley, the proposed project will explore integrating the streetscape elements into a cohesive theme, incorporating elements such as:
oInterpretive history and technology exhibits.
oA historic walk highlighting downtown landmarks.

Item 16
Item 16 Staff Report

Item 16: Staff Report
Pg.
4 Packet Pg. 694 of 948

oGateway elements that use architecture and art to reflect Palo Alto’s contribution to Silicon Valley.

On-Street Parking:

Creating wider sidewalks for an enhanced pedestrian experience requires conversion of on- street angled parking to parallel parking spaces along University Avenue between High and Cowper Streets. Currently, there are 177 on-street parking spaces between High and Webster Streets, the total extent of the project area. The conversion to parallel parking and street re- design will result in a loss of approximately 22 parking spaces.

Additionally, some on-street parking spaces could be converted into parklets for outdoor dining or retail use. The number of parklets will likely vary over time, but for reference, currently there are seven parklets along University Avenue, using a total of 18 on-street parking spaces.

Overall, this meets Council direction in June 2024 that, at a minimum, at least one-third of on- street parking spaces need to be retained in the future.

Ongoing parking management will be required to ensure there is adequate parking to attract residents, businesses, and visitors to downtown and foster economic vibrancy. This strategy would include the following key components:

1. Regular parking studies to track demand and supply and adjust on-street and off-street parking regulations.

2. Automated parking and wayfinding system to efficiently direct visitors to available parking, currently underway.

3. A new downtown garage, located at existing surface parking lot D (Hamilton/Waverley), pending approval of a design contract by Council on December 2nd.

4. Short-term parking on-street to support delivery, rideshare, and loading needs.

Bicycle Access:

The existing right-of-way width does not lend itself to having wider sidewalks, on-street parking, and separate bicycle lanes. Thus, staff proposes that University Avenue continue to serve as a Class III facility, where bicyclists share the road with vehicles. Bicycle safety will be enhanced with angled parking converted to parallel parking, lowering the chance of vehicles backing into oncoming bicyclists. Additionally, the proposed design concept includes a 3-foot shoulder buffer on each side of the travel lane which will minimize door swing conflicts with bicyclists. Bicycle racks will be installed along the corridor.

The City’s 2012 Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan (BPTP) is currently being updated, with public engagement anticipated to continue through early 2025. This provides an opportunity for the University Avenue Project team to closely coordinate bicycle access and signage with the BPTP and ensure an integrated approach that addresses community needs and desires and incorporates recent trends in bicycle technology and bicycle and pedestrian planning and design.

Item 16
Item 16 Staff Report

Item 16: Staff Report
Pg.
5 Packet Pg. 695 of 948

Special Events:

The three blocks on University Avenue between Ramona and Waverley Streets were identified by 75% (9 of 12) of the stakeholders as the preferred location for holding special events with temporary closure of these blocks to vehicular traffic. A majority of the stakeholders indicated a preference for these special events to occur two to five times per year.

However, some stakeholders stated a preference for no street closures and suggested using existing plazas such as King Plaza and Lytton Plaza for special events instead. Staff will continue to engage the community and Council on the location and frequency of special events in the next phase of the project. In case of temporary street closures, staff will partner with the Chamber and any impacted businesses to develop solutions that benefit these businesses.

Project Funding
Based on Council direction in June 2024, subsequent stakeholder input, and additional staff work, the proposed project scope has been refined. The proposed project now includes widened sidewalks for eight blocks instead of nine, while streetscape enhancements are still included for all nine blocks between High and Webster streets. The project cost is still estimated to range between $40 million to $45 million; this cost reflects additional due diligence work completed on utility relocations. About 80% of the estimated costs are attributed to utility and curb re-locations needed for the wider sidewalks. The estimate of construction costs is based on the following assumptions:
•Estimate includes design, construction management, permit fees, formation of an assessment district, and construction, with a 25% contingency built in for design and construction, and a 4% cost escalation factor.
•Project will begin construction in 2027 and will be implemented in a single phase. This has advantages both in cost savings from a single mobilization as well as minimizing the adverse impacts of construction on businesses within the University Avenue Downtown commercial core.

The City has not yet established a funding source for streetscape improvements. As discussed in the December 2023 Council meeting, the project will likely be funded by an assessment district, with development impact fees and grants also potential sources.

Near Term Improvements
Over the last several months, staff has been working to improve cleanliness along University Avenue including additional trash pick-up and cleaning, power washing of sidewalks and garages and addressing broken and unused news racks. An update on progress since June is included below.
•Using overtime to continue enhanced cleaning and trash pickup in the downtown area. •Power washing of garages:
oGarage Q (High/Alma Streets) and Civic Center garages - completed Item 16
Item 16 Staff Report

Item 16: Staff Report
Pg.
6 Packet Pg. 696 of 948

oGarage S/L (Bryant/Lytton), Lot J (Cowper/Webster) and Garage R (Alma/High) scheduled between November 2024 and February 2025.
•News racks
oIn September 2024, 62 broken or unused news racks along University Avenue were removed and staff is coordinating with publishers/vendors on the remaining 119 racks with anticipated completion in spring 2025. oStaff will also be working on consolidation of these news racks. For the longer- term streetscape project, staff will work with stakeholders on optimal news rack locations.

Next Steps
Upon Council confirmation of a preferred streetscape concept plan, the design will be advanced through further outreach to the stakeholder working group and the community, City’s Committees, Boards and Commissions, and the City Council. Additionally, the existing contract will need to be amended to proceed with future phases. Future phases and tentative timeline include:
•Phase 2: Preliminary Design and Environmental Assessment (winter 2025 to spring 2026). Concurrently with Phase 2 services, the City would need to retain a municipal bond counsel for the assessment district planning and election. •Phase 3: Final Design, Construction Documents, and Bid Support (summer 2026 through summer 2027).
•Phase 4: Construction Administration Services (fall 2027 through fall 2029) for an estimated 2-year construction duration)

FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
No funding request is being made for the purpose of this report. Funding is available in the University Avenue Streetscape Update project (PE-21004) in the Fiscal Year 2025 Capital Budget, for future phases of the project. Upon Council approval of the preferred concept, staff will return to Council for a contract amendment with CSWST2 for authorization of future phases of the scope of services.

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
University Avenue and the downtown district are of interest not only to the downtown community but to the Palo Alto community at large. Given the importance of the near-term and long-term improvements, staff will continue its outreach strategy including a stakeholder working group, ongoing communications with the downtown and Palo Alto community at large, engaging relevant Commissions at specific milestones, and presenting to the Retail Committee and the City Council at key milestones. In addition to the working group meetings, staff will provide updates on this important topic to the business community through the monthly Business Connect newsletter, monthly meetings with downtown stakeholders, and regular check-ins with local storefronts.

Item 16
Item 16 Staff Report

Item 16: Staff Report
Pg.
7 Packet Pg. 697 of 948

Stakeholder Working Group and Community Survey
Per Council direction and to further refine the design concepts, staff conducted several outreach activities and meetings since December 2023. Key outreach activities are listed below. • March 20, 2024 8: Retail Committee meeting #1: Project goals and vision, design direction and themes, stakeholder engagement strategy, and potential near-term improvements.
• April 17, 2024 9: Retail Committee meeting #2: Additional details on near-term improvements.
• June 3, 2024: City Council: Long-term vision, goals, design themes, and stakeholder engagement strategy.
• August 21, 2024 10: Retail Committee meeting #3: Downtown district planned short-term and long-term improvements, and stakeholder engagement strategy update. • June-August 2024: Conducted extensive outreach, reviewed applications, and established a downtown stakeholder working group. The group is comprised of 17 members, representing various interest areas, including property owners, businesses, community partners, and downtown residents.
• September 10, 2024: Stakeholder Working Group meeting #1: Project goals and vision, design concepts and elements, project scope.
• November 13, 2024: Stakeholder Working Group meeting #2: Stakeholder polling and community survey results, concept design elements, and downtown short-term improvements updates.
• October-November 2024: On-line community survey between October 11 and November 24: The survey focuses on project goals and vision, design elements, and project improvements limits.

Summary of Stakeholder Working Group Polling:

On September 10, 2024, staff held the first Stakeholder Working Group focus meeting, during which input was solicited through an online poll. Polling results from the meeting are summarized below.
•70% (7 of 10) agreed with the Council approved Goals, 50% (6 of 12) agreed with the Council approved Vision.
•60% (6 of 10) preferred option B (Q9) “Full Scope between High and Cowper Streets and 8 Retail Committee, March, 20, 2024
https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?meetingTemplateId=14916 9 Retail Committee, April 17, 2024
https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?meetingTemplateId=14922 10 Retail Committee, August 21, 2024
https://portal.laserfiche.com/Portal/DocView.aspx?id=92473&repo=r-704298fc&searchid=0d46ce33-ed44-4b24- 9806-851b955e0b0e
Item 16
Item 16 Staff Report

Item 16: Staff Report
Pg.
8 Packet Pg. 698 of 948

Reduced Scope between Cowper and Webster Streets with a budget of about $43 +/- million.
•Seating and Public Gathering Spaces, Landscaping, and Bike Parking selected as top 3 sidewalk corner elements.
•Lytton Plaza, High Street Gateway, and Centennial Alley selected as top 3 focal gathering spaces.
•Interpretive history and technology exhibits, History walk, and Gateway elements identified as top 3 ways to highlight Palo Alto as “Birthplace of Silicon Valley.” •75% (9 of 12) said special events should be held between Ramona and Waverley Streets. •42% (5 of 12) selected frequency of special events as between two and five times a year, 25% (3 of 12) selected between six and ten times a year.

Although stakeholders are supportive of the overall streetscape concept, there are divergent opinions related to closure of streets for special events and about the balance of on-street parking and parklets. As stated earlier in the report, these are areas that will be discussed in more detail during the design phase, with continued engagement of the stakeholder working group.

Summary of Community On-Line Survey:

A Community on-line survey was published via Open Townhall from October 11, 2024 through November 24, 2024. The survey focuses on project goals and vision, design elements, and project improvements limits. The summary below captures the survey results as of November 7, 2024, from 156 survey respondents. The final survey results will be shared in the staff presentation to Council and will also be included on the project webpage (University Avenue Streetscape Project).
•Improving the pedestrian experience and creating outdoor opportunities for dining and retail identified as the top two priorities for this project. •Landscaping, Bike Parking, and Seating and Public Gathering Spaces identified as top three elements for extended sidewalk corners.
•Lytton Plaza, Historic Ramona Street, and Centennial Alley identified as top three locations for focal gathering spaces
•Murals, Special Events, and History Walk identified as top three elements to best highlight Palo Alto as the Birthplace of Silicon Valley

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
CSWST2 completed a preliminary environmental assessment including a traffic study and arborist reports under the Phase 1 scope of services. Upon Council identification and confirmation of the preferred concept plan, CSWST2 will begin an environmental assessment for evaluation under CEQA as part of the future phase of the project and will complete the analysis before project approval.

Item 16
Item 16 Staff Report

Item 16: Staff Report
Pg.
9 Packet Pg. 699 of 948

The action being considered does not constitute a project pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines section 15378(a) in that the feedback does not specifically approve any action which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. Council’s feedback will inform a proposed project to be decided upon at a later date, which will be formally evaluated in accordance with CEQA.

ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Concept Plan Line
Attachment B: Project Vision and Goals
APPROVED BY:

Brad Eggleston, Director Public Works/City Engineer
Item 16
Item 16 Staff Report

Item 16: Staff Report
Pg.
10 Packet Pg. 700 of 948

Attachment B- Concept Plan

LIMIT OF STREETSCAPE CONCEPT
`

PROJECT PARTIAL SCOPEPROJECT FULL SCOPE
Item 16
Attachment A - Concept Plan Line

Item 16: Staff Report
Pg.
11 Packet Pg. 701 of 948

CONCEPT PLAN: Typical Section

PARKING/ PARKING/

PARKLETS PARKLETS
Item 16
Attachment A - Concept Plan Line

Item 16: Staff Report
Pg.
12 Packet Pg. 702 of 948

Item 16
Attachment A - Concept Plan Line

Item 16: Staff Report
Pg.
13 Packet Pg. 703 of 948

Attachment A
Project Vision and Goals

Project Vision:

The vision for the streetscape is: Celebrate the unique character of the “Birthplace of Silicon Valley” by creating a vibrant, visually attractive streetscape with spaces and elements that enhance the visitor experience, provide safe access for pedestrians and bicyclists, and encourage shopping, dining, and gathering.

Project Goals:

The goals for the streetscape include the following elements:

• Showcase the unique character of University Avenue and Palo Alto as the ‘Birthplace of Silicon Valley’
• Accentuate and enhance the retail experience
• Enhance pedestrian experience
• Maintain parking opportunities
• Include performance space between Alma and Middlefield Road • Create gathering spaces
• Explore cost-effective interim measures to show progress • Maintain vital 2-way vehicular access
• Maintain bicycle use
• Maintain delivery and loading zones, rideshare spaces • Explore opportunities to present public art and provide technology exhibits • Maximize opportunities for outdoor dining/retail

Item 16
Attachment B - Project
Vision and Goals

Item 16: Staff Report
Pg.
14 Packet Pg. 704 of 948

5 9
4 5
City Council
Staff Report
From: Council Appointed Officers Committee
Report Type: ACTION ITEMS
Lead Department: Human Resources
Meeting Date: December 9, 2024
Report #:2411-3794
TITLE
Approval of Amendments to the Employment Agreements between the City of Palo Alto and Council Appointed Officers, specifically the City Manager, City Attorney, and City Clerk. CEQA Status - Not a Project

RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council approve and authorize the Mayor to execute the following contract amendments for Council Appointed Officers:

1. Amendment No. 12 to Employment Agreement between the City of Palo Alto and Molly S. Stump (Attachment A);

2. Amendment No. 6 to Employment Agreement between the City of Palo Alto and Ed Shikada (Attachment B); and

3. Amendment No. 1 to Employment Agreement between the City of Palo Alto and Mahealani Ah Yun (Attachment C).

BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
The City Council has completed annual merit reviews for Council Appointed Officers (CAOs):

City Attorney Molly S. Stump, City Manager Ed Shikada, City Clerk Mahealani Ah Yun for the prior fiscal year’s performance (FY 2024).

Staff has been directed by City Council to bring forward amendments to employment agreements to implement merit- based increases to the CAO’s annual salaries, effective July 1, 2024, as follows:
•City Attorney Molly S. Stump, merit increase of 6% of which 1% will be added to annual compensation and 5% towards a 401(a) defined contribution retirement plan. Stump’s new annual salary will be $365,266 and new annual contribution to 401(a) $33,082. (Attachment A)
Item 17
Item 17 Staff Report

Item 17: Staff Report
Pg.
1 Packet Pg. 705 of 948

5 9
4 5
•City Manager Ed Shikada, merit increase of 6% of which 3% will be added to annual compensation and 3% towards a 401(a) defined contribution retirement plan. Shikada’s new annual salary will be $422,803 and new annual contribution to 401(a) $30,815. (Attachment B)
•City Clerk Mahealani Ah Yun, merit and market-based adjustment to median of the market at $192,500 (Attachment C).

As appointed officers of the Council, the City Attorney, City Manager, and City Clerk are employed under employment agreements specifying that performance and salary are evaluated annually. CAO’s do not receive regular cost of living adjustments which are applied to other employee groups (Mgmt, SEIU, IAFF, PAPOA, etc..), all compensation is outlined by Council and approved during annual evaluations. The following paragraph is the specific provision in the City Manager’s employment agreement that addresses salary adjustments; the City Attorney and City Clerk’s employment agreements contain similar provisions.

Salary Adjustments. Not less than once each year, the City Council shall meet for the express purpose of evaluating the performance of Shikada and determining whether to grant him an increase in annual base salary based on performance. The City Council will act in good faith in determining whether to provide an increase based on performance, but the ultimate decision in this regard is within the sole discretion of the City Council.

The Council may also adjust Shikada’s annual base salary due to labor market and/or internal equity conditions.

For the FY 2024 performance evaluation period, City Council completed evaluations for the City Attorney, City Manager, and City Clerk. Council completed the evaluations with the assistance of an outside consultant. The consultant, a professional with the firm MRG, facilitates CAO evaluations with many agencies throughout California. The process includes surveys, 1-1 interviews, and facilitated closed session discussions as appropriate under the Brown Act. At the conclusion of the CAO evaluation process, Council directed staff to prepare amendments reflecting the increases outlined above, amendments are attached to this staff report as exhibits.

FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
The additional cost for CAO salary increases of approximately $73,800 for the CAO positions is expected to be funded in the respective departmental FY 2025 Adopted Budgets. These adjustments are slightly higher than unrepresented management professional citywide average wage increase assumptions; however, staff anticipates the respective departments to absorb these costs. Staff will monitor these departments in FY 2025 and bring forward budget adjustments if necessary, and these changes will be incorporated as ongoing changes in the development of the FY 2026 annual budget.

Item 17
Item 17 Staff Report

Item 17: Staff Report
Pg.
2 Packet Pg. 706 of 948

5 9
4 5

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
Employment agreements of local public agency executives are required to be voted on in open session when changes in salary or benefits are proposed to provide transparency for stakeholders.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Council action on this item is not a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in that the amendments to the employment agreements are personnel-related actions. CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(2).

ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Amendment No. 12 to the Employment Agreement between the City of Palo Alto and Molly Stump
Attachment B: Amendment No. 6 to the Employment Agreement between the City of Palo Alto and Edward Shikada
Attachment C: Amendment No. 1 to the Employment Agreement between the City of Palo Alto and Mahealani Ah Yun
APPROVED BY:

Sandra Blanch, Human Resources Director
Item 17
Item 17 Staff Report

Item 17: Staff Report
Pg.
3 Packet Pg. 707 of 948

1 AMENDMENT NO. TWELVE TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

BETWEEN THE CITY OF PALO ALTO AND
MOLLY S. STUMP

This AMENDMENT NO. TWELVE to the EMPLOYMENT
AGREEMENT(“Agreement”) is entered into on December 2, 2024 by and between the CITY OF PALO ALTO, a California chartered municipal corporation (“City”), and MOLLY S. STUMP (“Stump”), an individual, located at 250 Hamilton Avenue 8th Floor, Palo Alto, CA.

R E C I T A L S:

WHEREAS, the original EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT between the City of Palo Alto and Molly S. Stump, attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit “A” was entered into between the parties for the services of City Attorney on or about April 18, 2011; and

WHEREAS, AMENDMENT NO. ONE to the Agreement, attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit “B” was entered into between the parties on or about March 24, 2014; and

WHEREAS, AMENDMENT NO. TWO to the Agreement, attached hereto and incorporated herein a s Exhibit “C” was entered into between the parties on or about December 8, 2014; and

WHEREAS, AMENDMENT NO. THREE to the Agreement, attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit “D” was entered into between the parties on or about February 1, 2016; and

WHEREAS, AMENDMENT NO. FOUR to the Agreement, attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit “E” was entered into between the parties on or about December 12, 2016; and

WHEREAS, AMENDMENT NO. FIVE to the Agreement, attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit “F” was entered into between the parties on or about November 6, 2017; and

WHEREAS, AMENDMENT NO. SIX to the Agreement, attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit “G” was entered into between the parties on or about December 17, 2018; and

WHEREAS, AMENDMENT NO. SEVEN to the Agreement, attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit “H” was entered into between the parties on or about December 17, 2019; and

WHEREAS, AMENDMENT NO. EIGHT to the Agreement, attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit “I” was entered into between the parties on or about June Item 17
Attachment A - City
Attorney Amendment to
Molly Stump Agreement
No Twelve

Item 17: Staff Report
Pg.
4 Packet Pg. 708 of 948

2 22, 2020; and

WHEREAS, AMENDMENT NO. NINE to the Agreement, attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit “J” was entered into between the parties on or about December 13, 2021; and

WHEREAS, AMENDMENT NO. TEN to the Agreement, attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit “K” was entered into between the parties on or about November 28, 2022; and

WHEREAS, AMENDMENT NO. ELEVEN to the Agreement, attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit “L” was entered into between the parties on or about December 11, 2023; and

WHEREAS, the parties wish to amend the Agreement;

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the covenants, terms, conditions, and provisions of this Amendment, the parties agree:

SECTION 1.

Section 3.1 of the Agreement, Compensation, is hereby amended to read as follows:

At the recommendation of the Palo Alto City Council Appointed Officers Committee (CAO) and consistent with annual merit practices, effective the first full pay period following July 1, 2024, Stump will receive a base annual salary of Three Hundred Sixty-Five Thousand Two Hundred and Sixty-Six dollars ($365,266), paid on City’s normal paydays. Stump shall be an exempt employee under applicable wage and hour law and her base salary shall be compensation for all hours worked. City agrees that the amount of Stump's base annual salary shall not decrease, except as part of a permanent decrease that is consistent with the Fair Labor Standards Act and that is applicable to either all Council Appointed Officers or all City Executive Staff (which includes all Council Appointed Officers).

Section 5.2 of the Agreement, 401(a) Defined Contribution Retirement Plan, is hereby amended to read as follows:

The City shall contribute Thirty-Three Thousand and Eighty-Two dollars ($33,082) annually, prorated and contributed on the City’s normal paydays, to a 401(a)- retirement plan account established for Stump.

SECTION 2. Except as herein modified, all other provisions of the Contract, including any exhibits and subsequent amendments thereto, shall remain in full force and effect.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have by their duly authorized Item 17
Attachment A - City
Attorney Amendment to
Molly Stump Agreement
No Twelve

Item 17: Staff Report
Pg.
5 Packet Pg. 709 of 948

3 representatives executed this Amendment on the date first above written.

Attest: City of Palo Alto

Approved as to form: Molly S. Stump

Attachments:

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PALO ALTO AND MOLLY S. STUMP AMENDMENTS NO. ONE THROUGH NO. ELEVEN.

Item 17
Attachment A - City
Attorney Amendment to
Molly Stump Agreement
No Twelve

Item 17: Staff Report
Pg.
6 Packet Pg. 710 of 948

1 AMENDMENT NO. SIX TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

BETWEEN

THE CITY OF PALO ALTO
AND

EDWARD SHIKADA

This AMENDMENT NO. Six to the EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (“Agreement”) is entered into on, December 2, 2024 by and between the CITY OF PALO ALTO, a California chartered municipal corporation (“City”), and Edward Shikada (“Shikada”), an individual, located at 250 Hamilton Avenue 7th Floor, Palo Alto, CA.

R E C I T A L S:

WHEREAS, the original EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT between the City and Shikada, attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit “A” was entered between the parties for the services of City Manager on or about September 18, 2018; and

WHEREAS, AMENDMENT NO. ONE to the Agreement, attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit “B” was entered between the parties on or about December 16, 2019; and

WHEREAS, AMENDMENT NO. TWO to the Agreement, attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit “C” was entered between the parties on or about June 22, 2020; and

WHEREAS, AMENDMENT NO. THREE to the Agreement, attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit “ D” was entered between the parties on or about December 13, 2021; and

WHEREAS, AMENDMENT NO. Four to the Agreement, attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit “ E” was entered between the parties on or about November 28, 2022; and

WHEREAS, AMENDMENT NO. Five to the Agreement, attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit “F” was entered between the parties on or about December 11, 2023; and

WHEREAS, the parties wish to amend the Agreement;

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the cov enants, terms, conditions, and provisions of this Amendment, the parties agree:

SECTION 1.

Item 17
Attachment B - City
Manager Amendment to
Ed Shikada Employment
Agreement No Six

Item 17: Staff Report
Pg.
7 Packet Pg. 711 of 948

2 Section 4.1 of the Agreement, Initial Compensation, is hereby amended to read as follows:

4.1. Compensation. At the recommendation of the Palo Alto City Council Appointed Officers Committee (CAO) and consistent with annual merit practices, e ffective the first full pay period following July 1, 2024, Shikada will receive a base annual salary of Four Hundred Twenty-Two Thousand Eight Hundred and Three dollars ($422,803).

This amount is subject to authorized or required deductions and withholding, prorated, and paid on City’s regular paydays. Shikada is an exempt employee under applicable wage and hour law and his base salary shall be compensation for all hours worked. The City agrees that the amount of Shikada’s base annual salary will not decrease, except as part of the permanent decrease that is consistent with the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Section 6.1 of the agreement, 401(a) Defined Contribution Retirement Plan, is hereby amended to read as follows:

6.1 401(a) Defined Contribution Retirement Plan. City will contribute Thirty Thousand Eight Hundred and Fifteen dollars ($30,815) annually, prorated and contributed on the City’s normal paydays, to a 401(a) retirement plan account established for Shikada.

SECTION 2. Except as herein modified, all other provisions of the Contract, including any exhibits and subsequent amendments thereto, shall remain in full force and effect.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have by their duly authorized representatives executed this Amendment on the date first above written.

ATTEST: CITY OF PALO ALTO

City Clerk Mayor

APPROVED AS TO FORM: EDWARD SHIKADA

City Attorney

Attachments:

Item 17
Attachment B - City
Manager Amendment to
Ed Shikada Employment
Agreement No Six

Item 17: Staff Report
Pg.
8 Packet Pg. 712 of 948

3 EXHIBIT A: EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PALO

ALTO AND EDWARD SHIKADA
EXHIBIT B: AMENDMENTS NO. ONE THROUGH NO. FIVE TO SHIKADA Item 17
Attachment B - City
Manager Amendment to
Ed Shikada Employment
Agreement No Six

Item 17: Staff Report
Pg.
9 Packet Pg. 713 of 948

1 AMENDMENT NO. FIVE TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

BETWEEN

THE CITY OF PALO ALTO
AND
Mahealani Ah Yun

This AMENDMENT NO. One to the EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (“Agreement”) is entered into on, December 2, 2024 by and between the CITY OF PALO ALTO, a California chartered municipal corporation (“City”), and Mahealani Ah Yun (“Ah Yun ”), an individual, located at 250 Hamilton Avenue 7th Floor, Palo Alto, CA.

R E C I T A L S:

WHEREAS, the original EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT between the City and Ah Yun , attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit “A” was entered between the parties for the services of City Clerk on or about January 22, 2024; and

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the covenants, terms, conditions, and provisions of this Amendment, the parties agree:

SECTION 1.

Section 3 of the Agreement, Salary, is hereby amended to read as follows:

At the recommendation of the Palo Alto City Council Appointed Officers Committee (CAO) and consistent with annual merit practices, effective the first full pay period following July 1, 2024, Ah Yun will receive a base annual salary of One Hundred Ninety two Thousand Five Hundred dollars ($192,500). This amount is subject to authorized or required deductions and withholding, prorated, and paid on the City's regular paydays. Ah Yun is an exempt employee under applicable wage and hour law and her base salary shall be compensation for all hours worked. The City agrees that the amount of Ah Yun's base annual salary will not decrease, except as part of a permanent decrease that is consistent with the Fair Labor Standards Act.

SECTION 2. Except as herein modified, all other provisions of the Contract, including any exhibits and subsequent amendments thereto, shall remain in full force and effect.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have by their duly authorized representatives executed this Amendment on the date first above written.

ATTEST: CITY OF PALO ALTO

Item 17
Attachment C - City Clerk
Amendment to
Mahealani Ah Yun
Employment Agreement
No One

Item 17: Staff Report
Pg.
10 Packet Pg. 714 of 948

2 Mayor

APPROVED AS TO FORM: Mahealani Ah Yun

City Attorney

Attachments:

EXHIBIT A: EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PALO ALTO AND Mahealani Ah Yun

Item 17
Attachment C - City Clerk
Amendment to
Mahealani Ah Yun
Employment Agreement
No One

Item 17: Staff Report
Pg.
11 Packet Pg. 715 of 948

City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: INFORMATION REPORT
Lead Department: City Manager
Meeting Date: December 9, 2024
Report #:2409-3465
TITLE
Housing and Unhoused Services Gap Analysis Report

RECOMMENDATION
This is an informational report, no City Council action is needed on this Housing and Unhoused Services Gap Analysis report. This report is in response to City Council Priority Objective #52 (“Conduct a gap analysis of housing and services for the unhoused in Palo Alto, considering Council direction, City activities and work, and County activities and work”).

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City Council directed staff through the City Council Priority Objectives to (1) conduct a gap analysis of housing and unhoused services in Palo Alto, considering City Council direction, City activities and work, and County activities and work, and (2) explore clearer data on the population and condition of unhoused people in Palo Alto. This staff report provides a high- level summary of the gap analysis report and incorporates relevant contextual information from data on unhoused Palo Altans. This information provides a foundation for City Council discussion staff will bring forward in 2025.

BACKGROUND
When speaking of housing in tandem with services for the unhoused, the key efforts are focused on housing stability to help people stay housed through renter protections and homeowner assistance programs in addition to achieving consistent housing for those that are unhoused. Efforts towards housing stability for homeowners would include homeowner assistance services such as temporary financial support, legal services, and case management for those at risk of losing their homes. For unhoused individuals, housing stability is distinct Item 18
Item 18 Staff Report

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
1 Packet Pg. 716 of 948

from less stable housing such as couch surfing or staying in overcrowded conditions with friends or family. Housing stability also requires adequate available affordable housing.

The City of Palo Alto increased its focus on housing stability and services for the unhoused in recent years. In April 2021 staff provided a report1 to the City Council that included the City’s efforts on unhoused services using the strategies found in the Santa Clara County Community Plan to End Homelessness 2020-2025.2 This discussion was a foundation for the City Council to review the Santa Clara County Community Plan and later to pursue a Homekey grant. The City Council unanimously voted on August 9, 2021 to adopt a resolution endorsing the Santa Clara County Community Plan to End Homelessness with the Plan’s goals to achieve countywide:
•A 30% reduction in the annual inflow of people becoming homeless, •Housing 20,000 people through the supportive housing system, •Expanding the homelessness prevention system and other early interventions to serve 2,500 people annually,
•Doubling temporary housing and shelter capacity to reduce the number of people sleeping outside, and
•Addressing the racial inequities present among unhoused people and families and track progress toward reducing disparities.

This plan consists of three high level strategies, which are shown below in bold, together with related City efforts in the past several years on housing and unhoused services in support of the Plan’s strategies:

1. Address the root causes of homelessness
•Renter Protections – In 2023, the City Council expanded a variety of renter protections. This included a lower security deposit limit for unfurnished rental units as well as an extension of just cause eviction protections and decreasing the amount of time a renter must be in a property to qualify for renter protections. After City Council approval, a new renter registry program launched October 1, 2024 to assist with supporting data-informed policies and future programs and resources.

2. Improve the quality of life for the unsheltered individuals and create healthy neighborhoods for all
•Safe Parking – The City piloted an interim safe parking ordinance and a three-year lease with Santa Clara County for RV safe parking. The City Council approved the permanent ordinance in 2023 and the RV safe parking expansion in 2024. 1 City Council Staff Report, April 5, 2021 Attachment D-Stories from Providers (cityofpaloalto.org) 2 City Council Action Minutes, August 9, 2021
https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/Public/CompiledDocument?meetingTemplateId=3354&compileOutputType= 1 Item 18
Item 18 Staff Report

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
2 Packet Pg. 717 of 948

•Shelter – The City applied for and was awarded State Homekey funds in late 2022.

Milestones included: a cost reduction redesign and additional funding secured in 2023, permit approval and construction in 2024 and opening scheduled for 2025. •Resources – A new position (Assistant to the City Manager) was added in 2022 3 to provide support on housing projects and programs and coordinate multi- departmental efforts related to unhoused services. The City’s work in this area has advanced, including contributing to the release of a comprehensive status report4 and leveraging State Permanent Local Housing Allocation funds to pilot an outreach worker program in 2023. Improved communication and coordination relating to vehicle dwellers and the Caltrans El Camino Real Bikeway project. Staff also managed a federal earmark/grant to augment North County TRUST program (Trusted Response Urgent Support Team), an alternative response program, by providing case management, outreach and Mental Health First Aid training.

3. Expand homelessness prevention and housing programs
•Housing – The City contributed $20.5 million to the 59 affordable housing unit Wilton Court Apartments (opened in 2022), held the first affordable housing resource fair, and established a temporary Housing Ad Hoc Committee in 2023. In 2024, the City received Housing Element certification and worked to advance the development plan to maintain affordability and improve conditions at the Buena Vista Mobile Home Park as affordable housing.

Recently, at the December 2023 City Council meeting, during City Council discussion5 of safe parking, Councilmembers indicated a desire to better understand the Palo Alto unhoused population. City Council directed staff to “explore clearer data on the population and condition of unhoused in Palo Alto.” This direction was elevated into a City Council Priority Objective that also included exploring safe parking expansion, “Initiate research to understand Palo Alto unhoused population and explore feasibility of expanding safe parking options Geng Road.” The research piece of that objective became what is Attachment B to this staff report, “Understanding the Unhoused Community in Palo Alto (Understanding the Unhoused).” During the January 2024 City Council retreat and the spring budget hearings, Councilmembers indicated an interest in having a direction and plan for housing and services for the unhoused.

The resulting City Council Priority Objective, as approved March 25, was to, “conduct a gap analysis of housing and services for the unhoused in Palo Alto, considering City Council direction, City activities and work, and County activities and work.” The resulting report is included with this staff report as Attachment A, “Housing and Unhoused Services Gap Analysis in Palo Alto (Gap Analysis).”
3 City Council Staff Report, October 25, 2021 20211025pccsm-linked-w-times.pdf (cityofpaloalto.org) 4 City Council Staff Report March 20, 2023
https://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/OePKCXYG6Dhj5kMF7Spb6?domain=cityofpaloalto.primegov.com 5 City Council Meeting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-2CuhXvs84 Item 18
Item 18 Staff Report

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
3 Packet Pg. 718 of 948

ANALYSIS
Undertaken concurrently, the Gap Analysis examines the City and County work being done to address needs relating to housing, housing stability, and homelessness, while the “Understanding the Unhoused” report provides data on people currently experiencing homelessness in the community. This data provides context for the Gap Analysis. For example, the “Understanding the Unhoused” report notes that “More people in Palo Alto experiencing homelessness are unsheltered (91%) than countywide (75%) and are more likely to be sheltering in a vehicle in Palo Alto (88%) than countywide (32%).” Complimentary to this data, the Gap Analysis discusses the role of shelter options such as hotel vouchers, and how more affordable housing improves shelter and safe parking throughput.

The below infographic from the “Understanding the Unhoused” report provides insight into people experiencing homelessness in Palo Alto in 20246. This illuminating data, together with the Gap Analysis, are foundational to future effectiveness on this topic. Together, these two reports document the baseline conditions, providing an understanding of:
•Who is currently experiencing homelessness,
•What services are available to both prevent and address homelessness, and •Whether there is enough affordable housing in the pipeline for people to achieve housing stability.

This understanding of baseline conditions can be used to inform a strategy for addressing homelessness in Palo Alto, which staff anticipate advancing for City Council discussion in 2025.

The City of Palo Alto offers a variety of services and programs to people experiencing homelessness, as well as those in danger of becoming homeless. As described in the attachments, the City of Palo Alto has both opportunities and challenges relating to housing and unhoused services.

The Gap Analysis organized Palo Alto‘s current programs and services in the same categories as described in the County‘s Community Plan to End Homelessness. These categories, as shown above are: 1) addressing the root causes of homelessness through system and policy change; 2) improve quality of life for unsheltered individuals and create healthy neighborhoods for all; and 3) expand homelessness prevention and housing programs to meet the need. The Gap Analysis notes where there are gaps and/or opportunities for additional or alternative approaches. The Gap Analysis key considerations and ideas are summarized below:

1.Addressing the root causes of homelessness through system and policy change •While there are a variety of renter protections and anti-displacement provisions, they all require households to be informed as to their rights and require pursuing 6 Infrographic from “Understanding the Unhoused Community in Palo Alto”, see attachment. Data from Palo Alto affiliated individuals taking an assessment to receive services between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024. Veteran data was gathered from September 1, 2022 to August 31, 2024.

Item 18
Item 18 Staff Report

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
4 Packet Pg. 719 of 948

mediation or a court process. There is not a proactive monitoring system related to the protections or provisions.
•The City is employing several strategies to increase the supply of affordable housing, including a dozen Housing Element programs. There are also additional strategies the City could consider.
•The City has staff working on housing, housing stability, and homelessness, located in three different departments. This reflects the range of city functions that intersect with homelessness issues. Development of a primary organizational unit in the City responsible for housing stability and homelessness could develop specific goals tailored to the City’s needs, lead to a focus on getting affordable units built, and apply for funding opportunities and develop funding strategies, among other things.

2. Improve quality of life for unsheltered individuals and create healthy neighborhoods for all
•There are a variety of services available in Palo Alto, yet many seeking shelter find it outside of Palo Alto or remain unsheltered (i.e., in a vehicle, on a couch, or outdoors). The barriers potentially leading to this include shelter capacity / availability and concerns about privacy, rules, and safety while within congregate shelter.
•Transportation can be difficult when services and programs are not nearby. For example, some services are only available in San Jose, an hour’s commute via public transit.
•Timely communication is necessary to leverage services and gain housing, but access to wi-fi, computers and phones may be inconsistent.

3.Expand homelessness prevention and housing programs to meet needs •The City has 2,336 affordable units; however, many are already full and there are long (and, in some cases, closed) waitlists.
•The pipeline for affordable housing is encouraging but still lower than and not matching to the existing need. For example, for 120 people waiting for permanent supportive housing, there are currently no such units in the pipeline. •There are a variety of funding options from the City, County, and State, however, the competition for this money is high and demand outnumbers available funds.

In addition to reviewing existing programs and services in Palo Alto, the Gap Analysis also considered the literature and work being done in other communities. From this, the Gap Analysis made some key findings, noting the limits of congregate shelter, the high demand for and low availability of affordable housing, the high costs associated with building new affordable housing, and the limits of enforcement. In terms of roles, while the County holds the ultimate responsibility for the “Continuum of Care,” overseeing the services and programs that help people experiencing homelessness to attain housing, the City stills plays several important and distinct roles. Besides supporting the County’s work by funding a variety of services and Item 18
Item 18 Staff Report

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
5 Packet Pg. 720 of 948

programs relating to housing, housing stability, and homelessness, the City is also responsible for maintaining order and public safety in the community and enforcing the rule of law where violations exist.

Enforcement:

In other agencies, encampment clearing and cleaning is an unavoidable dimension of addressing homelessness. Palo Alto's approach to encampment clearing and cleaning involves a combination of compassionate outreach and regulatory measures aimed at addressing the complexities of homelessness in the city. Overall, Palo Alto's approach aims to be both humane and practical, recognizing the need to enforce state and local health and safety laws while prioritizing the well-being of individuals experiencing homelessness, recognizing that the state of being homeless is not a crime or violation of the law.

Site Cleanups: The City enforces state and local laws to maintain public safety and cleanliness.

This can include laws addressing public nuisances and regulations about camping in public spaces, with the goal of balancing the needs of homeless individuals and the wider community.

When there is a need to clear an accumulation of items (e.g., from parking garages), the City provides advance notice before clearing a site, ensuring that individuals are offered the opportunity to gather and relocate their belongings.

Law Enforcement: While the primary focus is on supportive services, law enforcement may be involved when there are issues related to individual behavior which impacts overall public safety. Police officers take enforcement action where necessary, using a variety of state and local code provisions and respecting the rights and dignity of persons experiencing homelessness. The Police Department includes a special detail unit / team that regularly interacts with unhoused community members to offer assistance and works with local businesses and residents to address impact issues.

Most enforcement involves misdemeanor offenses, which are typically resolved by the issuance of a citation with a court date. Prosecution relies on the District Attorney, Public Defender and Superior Court.

Lastly, California voters in the 2024 Election approved Proposition 36 which could have unknown impacts on Palo Alto’s unhoused population. The Proposition creates a new process for some drug possession crimes, and also allows for felony prosecution of certain drug possession and petty theft offenses which are otherwise misdemeanors. These changes could impact some unhoused individuals in Palo Alto and more broadly.

Item 18
Item 18 Staff Report

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
6 Packet Pg. 721 of 948

Considerations:

In terms of methods for addressing the above summarized gaps and opportunities for alternative approaches, the Gap Analysis highlighted that Palo Alto could consider some or all of the following:
•Understanding the limits of congregate shelter: addressing the need for shelter in Palo Alto by increasing non-congregate shelter using hotel voucher programs or converting hotels into shelters.
•Contributing funds to the County’s Homelessness Prevention System 7 as well as increasing awareness of its resources to stem the inflow of new people into homelessness.
•Increasing the throughput from shelters and safe parking to permanent housing and increasing affordable options for cost-burdened renters as a form of homelessness prevention. Pursuing additional new funding sources for affordable housing and considering additional programs to require and/or incentivize affordable housing. •Increasing alignment and efficiencies, adding staff to increase ability to advance priorities, identify and utilize new funding opportunities, and pursue goals tailored to community needs by establishing a housing stability team.

Pursuing any of these methods would require further examination of feasibility and resource considerations. As previously mentioned, these observations from the Gap Analysis, together with the data from the “Understanding the Unhoused Community in Palo Alto” report, staff plan to use to inform a strategy for addressing homelessness in Palo Alto, which staff anticipate bringing to City Council in 2025.

FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
This report is for information sharing only as the foundation for future discussions. No additional funding is requested with this item. The Gap Analysis work was funded with $50,000 from the fiscal year 2024 City Manager Contingency Fund.

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
Staff consulted with colleagues and professionals with experience locally and regionally.

Additionally, as noted in the attachments, the Gap Analysis and the “Understanding the 7 The Homelessness Prevention program provides financial assistance, legal support, and case management to people at risk of losing their homes. It is funded by both private sector and public agencies, including the State, Santa Clara County, and the Cities of Morgan Hill, San Jose, and Santa Clara. https://preventhomelessness.org/ Item 18
Item 18 Staff Report

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
7 Packet Pg. 722 of 948

Unhoused” report both relied on meeting with community partners, service providers, City staff, and other subject matter experts.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Receipt of this report is not a project for the purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act.

ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Housing and Unhoused Services Gap Analysis Attachment B: Understanding the Unhoused Community in Palo Alto APPROVED BY:

Ed Shikada, City Manager
Item 18
Item 18 Staff Report

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
8 Packet Pg. 723 of 948

Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
9 Packet Pg. 724 of 948

Table
of
Contents

1. Executive
Summary
………………………...…………………………………….…..…Pg.
2 2.

Section
1:

Needs
………………………………………………………………….…..….Pg.
4 3.

Section
2:

Existing
Programs
and
Services…………………………………….…..…Pg.
9 4.

Section
3:

Literature
Review
and
Relevant
Programs
and
Services
from
Other
Municipalities………………………………………………………………………….….Pg.
22 5.

Section
4:

Summary
of
Gaps…………………..…………………….…………..…….Pg.
32 6.

Appendix
A:

Income
Categories
and
Definitions………………………..………..Pg.
33 7.

Appendix
B:

Definitions
of
Terms………………………………………………………Pg.
34 8.

Appendix
C:

Programs
and
Services
in
Other
Municipalities
(not
inclusive
of
existing
Palo
Alto
Programs).................................................................................Pg. 36 1
Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
10 Packet Pg. 725 of 948

Executive
Summary
As
part
of
the
City
Council’s
2024
Council
Priorities
and
annual
objectives
process,
the
Council
directed
staff
to
conduct
a
gap
analysis
relating
to
the
City’s
needs
on
Housing
and
Unhoused
Services.

The
following
report
aims
to
explore
the
City’s
current
needs
relating
to
housing
and
unhoused
services,
as
well
as
its
services
and
programs,
to
outline
gaps,
and
to
provide
information
on
potential
actions
to
address
the
gaps.

Following
interviews
with
dozens
of
stakeholders
(
including
City
staff,
developers,
partner
agencies,
and
non-profit
providers),
reviews
of
relevant
social
science
research,
and
research
on
the
programs
and
services
of
other
municipalities,
the
analysis
made
the
following
conclusions
relevant
to
Palo
Alto’s
needs:
1)
Congregate
shelter
is
not
accessible
and/or
appropriate
for
many
unhoused
community
members.
2)
Income-restricted
affordable
housing
is
the
best
fit
for
many
seeking
housing,
but
there
is
not
readily
available
affordable
housing
for
many
who
are
seeking
it.
3)
Building
affordable
units
is
expensive,
but
cities
can
use
planning
programs
to
incentivize
more
affordable
units
(alongside
or
instead
of
funding
programs).
4)
Enforcement
is
unlikely
to
be
a
long-term
solution.
5)
An
overarching
strategy
and
team
is
often
needed
to
address
the
need.

Ultimately,
Palo
Alto
has
a
large
number
of
services
to
help
residents
facing
housing
crises
get
assistance,
but
also
faces
a
number
of
gaps
-
most
notably,
in
the
availability
of
temporary
shelter
and
affordable
units,
across
all
income
levels,
but
particularly
with
regards
to
affordable
units
for
unhoused
households.

For
example,
Palo
Alto
has
120
unhoused
community
members
who
have
been
assessed
to
need
“Permanent
Supportive
Housing,”
which
is
a
type
of
affordable
housing
meant
to
provide
support
to
unhoused
households
with
disabling
conditions.

But,
there
are
no
such
units
entitled
in
Palo
Alto’s
housing
pipeline.

Relatedly,
154
Palo
Altans
became
homeless
last
year,
but
there
are
only
286
affordable
housing
units
entitled
to
be
built
in
the
next
couple
of
years
-
which
means
homelessness
will
continue
to
increase,
unless
more
Palo
Altans
are
prevented
from
becoming
homeless
or
more
affordable
units
are
built.
2 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
11 Packet Pg. 726 of 948

Palo
Alto
has
a
number
of
opportunities
to
build
on
its
existing
programs
and
services
to
further
address
the
needs
of
those
facing
housing
crises
in
the
City.

While
the
need
for
housing-related
programs
and
services
is
high,
it
is
feasible
to
put
together
a
number
of
strategies
to
make
meaningful
change,
prevent
homelessness
and
get
Palo
Altans
into
stable,
affordable
housing.

About
Good
City
Good
City
has
a
long
track
record
of
serving
public
and
private
sector
clients.

Our
Northern
California
based
history
uniquely
positions
the
company
to
provide
technical
services
tailored
to
the
local
area.

Our
key
services
include
local
government
staffing,
current
planning,
policy
planning,
economic
development,
and
city
manager’s
office
services.

About
Micaela
Hellman-Tincher,
Good
City
Housing
Specialist
Micaela
has
extensive
experience
in
local
government
-
and
in
particular
North
Santa
Clara
County
-
largely
focused
on
housing
and
social
services.

Additionally,
she
grew
up
in
Palo
Alto,
and
currently
lives
in
Palo
Alto
with
her
husband,
daughter,
and
mother.
3 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
12 Packet Pg. 727 of 948

1 .

Needs
Palo
Altans
face
a
diverse
array
of
needs
relating
to
housing.

Palo
Altans
facing
housing
crises
include
homeowners,
renters,
people
living
in
cars
and
RVs,
people
living
outside,
people
living
in
shelters,
people
“couch
surfing,”
seniors,
people
with
disabilities,
families,
individual
adults,
and
transitional-aged
youth.

The
following
section
aims
to
illustrate
the
particular
characteristics,
and
the
particular
magnitude,
of
those
facing
housing
needs
in
Palo
Alto,
in
order
to
better
determine
gaps
in
the
existing
continuum
of
interventions
and
services.

On
an
issue
as
large
as
housing,
there
are
many
ways
to
consider
need.

Should
the
City
only
consider
solutions
for
those
who
have
already
lost
their
housing,
or
look
more
broadly
to
those
who
are
struggling
to
cover
their
current
housing
costs?
Is
it
wise
to
focus
on
the
City’s
current
population,
or
to
look
to
the
future,
and
estimate
needs
based
on
those
who
might
seek
to
work
or
live
in
the
City
in
the
future
as
well?
The
report
below
aims,
when
feasible,
to
give
a
range
of
data
points
to
consider.

When
considering
ways
to
address
needs,
municipalities
sometimes
come
up
with
a
definable
goal
-
for
example,
no
unsheltered
families,
shelter
for
anyone
who
desires
it,
or
a
certain
number
of
housing
units
built
in
a
five-year
period.

This
report
aims
to
give
the
City
an
understanding
of
existing
needs
and
service
gaps
with
which
to
consider
these
types
of
goals.

Unhoused
Palo
Altans
The
most
critical
need
relates
to
those
Palo
Altans
who
are
already
unhoused.

The
unhoused
population
in
Palo
Alto
is
also
diverse
in
its
needs.

For
example,
of
the
269
Palo
Alto-affiliated
households
assessed
via
the
County’s
“VI-SPDAT”
(see
footnote)
assessment
between
July
1,
2023
–
June
30,
2024,
nearly
half,
120,
need
Permanent
Supportive
Housing
(PSH).
1 Permanent
Supportive
Housing
is
housing
that
provides
subsidies,
as
well
as
case
management
and
supportive
services.

Permanent
Supportive
1 A
note
on
data:

The
two
main
ways
to
measure
the
unhoused
population
are
via
the
“Point-In-Time”
Count,
and
via
the
data
in
the
County’s
Homelessness
Information
Management
System
(HMIS).

This
report
relies
on
HMIS
data,
mainly
because
it
includes
data
on
responses
to
the

VI-SPDAT
(Vulnerability
Index
–
Service
Prioritization
Decision
Assistance
Tool),
which
assesses
the
types
of
housing
services
best
suited
for
each
unhoused
person
based
on
their
vulnerability
and
personal
history.

Both
are
useful
ways
of
understanding
the
unhoused
population.
4 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
13 Packet Pg. 728 of 948

Housing
is
for
households
who
face
a
disabling
condition
which
affects
their
ability
to
get
and
maintain
housing.

Forty-two
unhoused
community
members
were
members
of
a
family
with
children.

Another
significant
subset
of
the
unhoused
population
in
Palo
Alto
are
those
over
age
65,
of
which
there
are

35. Table

1.1 -
Palo
Alto
Unhoused
Population
2 Unhoused
Population
Unhoused
Population
Needing
PSH
Housing
Unhoused
Households
with
a
Population
with
Children
Unhoused
Population
Over
Age
65 269
120
42 35
Of
note,
unhoused
residents
in
Palo
Alto
were
more
likely
to
sleep
in
a
car,
or
to
couch
surf,
than
other
unhoused
people
countywide.

Over
70 Palo
Alto
unhoused
individuals
sleep
outdoors,
but
a
lower
proportion
of
unhoused
Palo
Altans
sleep
outside
compared
with
the
unhoused
population
county-wide.

In
interviews
with
service
providers,
City
staff
found
that
many
unhoused
Palo
Altans
originally
come
from
Palo
Alto,
or
fell
on
hard
times
after
moving
to
Palo
Alto
for
work.

Still
others
have
children
in
the
local
school
district.

This
aligns
with
Countywide
data
that
85%
of
unhoused
individuals
in
Santa
Clara
County
were
residents
of
Santa
Clara
County
when
they
became
homeless,
and
54%
had
been
residents
for
over
10 years.
3 As
in
other
parts
of
the
County,
unhoused
community
members
are
disproportionately
Black/African
American
or
Latinx/Hispanic.

In
August
of
2024,
32%
of
the
City’s
unhoused
population
was
Latinx,
while
7%
of
Palo
Altans
are
Latinx/Hispanic,
and
26%
of
the
City’s
unhoused
population
was
Black/African
American,
while
2%
of
Palo
Altans
are
Black.
4 Destination:

Home
reports,
“national
research
has
shown
that
people
of
color
are
dramatically
more
likely
than
their
white
counterparts
to
become
homeless
in
4 2020
Census
Data
and
August
Community
Housing
Queue
Data,
Santa
Clara
County.
3 “
Santa
Clara
County
Point
In
Time
Report,
2023.”
https://osh.sccgov.org/continuum-care/reports-and-publications/santa-clara-county-homel ess-census-and-survey-reports-point
2 Santa
Clara
County

VI-SPDAT
responses
among
“Palo
Alto
affiliated”
households,
July
1,
2023
-
June
30,
2024..
5 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
14 Packet Pg. 729 of 948

America,
and
that
the
legacy
of
historical
and
contemporary
structural
racism
is
at
the
root
of
who
becomes
homeless.”
5 Historical
discrimination,
including
housing
discrimination
based
on
race
6 ,,
and
current
barriers,
such
as
difficulty
obtaining
employment
and
paperwork
(for
immigrant
households),
remain
relevant
in
Palo
Alto’s
housing
crisis.

Those
At
Risk
of
Homelessness
When
trying
to
assess
the
need,
the
next
most
critical
group
is
those
who
are
at
risk
of
becoming
homeless.

There
are
a
number
of
ways
to
estimate
the
size
of
this
group.

One
way
to
understand
who
is
at
risk
of
becoming
homeless
is
by
looking
at
the
“newly
unhoused”
in
Palo
Alto
each
year.

From
July
1,
2023
to
June
30,
2024,
154
unhoused
Palo
Altans
were
entered
into
the
County
Homeless
Management
Information
System.
7 While
an
imperfect
number,
as
it
doesn’t
include
those
who
were
perhaps
unhoused
earlier,
but
not
known
to
outreach
teams,
it
helps
to
illustrate
the
number
of
Palo
Altans
who
go
from
housing
to
homelessness
in
a
given
year,
and
who
would
benefit
from
help
remaining
housed.

Table

1.2 describes
the
number
of
Palo
Altans
who
applied
for
homelessness
prevention
funds
through
the
County’s
Homelessness
Prevention
System
last
fiscal
year,
and
in
July
and
August,
2024.

Per
the
County,
“The
Homelessness
Prevention
System
provides
assistance
to
low-income
families
or
individuals
who
are
at
risk
of
losing
their
housing,
including:
temporary
financial
assistance,
legal
support,
case
management
and
other
services.”
This
demonstrates
another
way
of
understanding
the
housing
needs
of
Palo
Altans
who
are
currently
housed,
but
are
at
a
risk
of
becoming
homeless.

The
County’s
Homelessness
Prevention
System
prioritizes
funds
based
on
a
needs
assessment,
so
the
numbers
below
do
not
necessarily
represent
every
Palo
Alto
household
who
may
have
needed
these
funds
—
rather,
it
represents
those
that
qualified
given
the
available
funds.
7 Santa
Clara
County

VI-SPDAT
responses
among
“Palo
Alto
affiliated”
households,
July
1,
2023
-
June
30,
2024.
6 Palo
Alto’s
2023
Assessment
of
Fair
Housing
details
some
of
the
City’s
experience
with
historical
discrimination
regarding
housing.
5 “
Race
and
Homelessness
in
Santa
Clara
County.”
Destination:

Home.
https://destinationhomesv.org/race-homelessness-in-santa-clara-county/ 6 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
15 Packet Pg. 730 of 948

Table

1.2 -
Palo
Alto
Households
Enrolled
in
Santa
Clara
County
Homelessness
Prevention
System
In
Recent
Years
Time
Period
Number
of
Unduplicated
Households
Enrolled
Total
Financial
Assistance
Provided
July
2023
-
June
2024
111
$488,658
July
and
August
2024
46 $92,967
The
broadest
way
of
understanding
Palo
Altans
at
risk
of
becoming
homeless
is
by
looking
at
renters
who
spend
more
than
30%
of
their
income
on
housing
costs
—
a
level
that
is
defined
as
“cost
burdened,”
by
the
U.S.

Department
of
Housing
and
Urban
Development.
8 Households
with
a
housing
burden
greater
than
30%
struggle
to
afford
to
live
in
Palo
Alto,
and
may
be
sacrificing
other
basic
needs,
such
as
food
and
medical
attention,
in
order
to
cover
their
housing
costs.

A
single
financial
crisis
could
send
the
family
into
homelessness.

Of
11,470
renters
in
Palo
Alto,
4,425
spend
more
than
30%
of
their
income
on
housing
costs.

As
shown
in
Table

1.3,
households
facing
a
housing
cost
burden
span
income
levels.

Of
note,
of
the
4,425
cost-burdened
renters
in
Palo
Alto,
over
2,000
earn
“very
low”
or
“extremely
low”
incomes.

Spending
over
30%
of
a
very
low
or
extremely
low
income
on
housing
costs
does
not
leave
significant
additional
funds
to
cover
basic
needs.

In
real
terms,
this
would
mean
a
family
of
four
would
be
spending
over
30%
of
their
$55,300
annual
household
income
on
housing,
leaving
only
$3,225
monthly
to
cover
medical
expenses,
food,
child
care,
and
other
basic
needs.

Appendix
A
defines
the
income
levels
associated
with
Extremely
Low
Income
(ELI),
Very
Low
Income
(VLI),
Low
Income
(LI),
and
Median
Income
(MI),
per
State
and
Federal
income
limits.
8 Department
of
Housing
and
Urban
Development
Comprehensive
Housing
Affordability
Strategy
Data,
2017-2021
American
Community
Survey
data.
7 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
16 Packet Pg. 731 of 948

Table

1.3 -
Cost
Burdened
Renters
by
Income
Level
9 ELI
Renters
with
Housing
Cost
Burden
Greater
Than
30%
VLI
Renters
with
Housing
Cost
Burden
Greater
Than
30%
LI
Renters
with
Housing
Cost
Burden
Greater
Than
30%
MI
Renters
with
Housing
Cost
Burden
Greater
Than
30%
Total
Renters
with
Housing
Cost
Burden
Greater
Than
30%
(includes
households
earning
above
MI)
1,460
865
915
550
4,425
9 Department
of
Housing
and
Urban
Development
Comprehensive
Housing
Affordability
Strategy
Data,
2017-2021
American
Community
Survey
data.
8 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
17 Packet Pg. 732 of 948

2. Existing
Programs
and
Services
While
the
need
is
great,
several
existing
programs
and
services
striving
to
support
Palo
Altans
facing
housing
challenges.

There
are
a
number
of
entities
involved
in
addressing
the
housing
needs
of
Palo
Altans.

Besides
the
City
of
Palo
Alto,
involved
entities
include:
-
Santa
Clara
County.

Santa
Clara
County
coordinates
the
area’s
Continuum
of
Care,
or
CoC.

As
the
CoC,
the
County
receives
U.S.

Department
of
Housing
and
Urban
Development
(HUD)
funds,
which
it
subsequently
distributes
to
service
providers
or
uses
to
implement
programs
county-wide.

These
funds
generally
amount
to
$39
million
annually.

The
County
provides
an
approximately
$10
million
local
match.

The
County
also
applies
for
other
funding
programs
to
implement
services,
which
include
a
continuum
from
homelessness
prevention
to
shelter
to
permanent
housing.

Many
Palo
Altans
receive
services
via
this
continuum.

Sometimes
they
receive
these
services
in
Palo
Alto
-
for
example,
Palo
Altans
can
access
homelessness
prevention
funds
via
LifeMoves
at
the
Opportunity
Services
Center.

Sometimes
they
receive
these
services
outside
of
Palo
Alto,
for
example
when
they
move
into
permanent
supportive
housing
units
in
other
cities
in
the
County.

A
condition
of
HUD’s
CoC
funding
is
that
the
County
must
implement
a
“coordinated
entry”
system,
a
homeless
management
information
system
(HMIS),
no-wrong-door
services,
and
a
prioritization
system
based
on
the
vulnerability
of
various
groups.

This
means
that
when
an
unhoused
Palo
Altan
seeks
services
via
the
CoC,
they
are
entered
into
a
county-wide
system.

When
they
are
seeking
shelter,
they
are
routed
based
on
a
first-come
first-served
basis,
but
also
based
on
their
needs
(for
example,
North
County
residents
are
given
preferred
access
to
North
County
shelters).

When
they
are
seeking
housing,
they
are
given
an
assessment,
known
as
the

VI-SPDAT
(Vulnerability
Index
–
Service
Prioritization
Decision
Assistance
Tool),
to
determine
which
housing
they
might
qualify
for,
and
to
place
them
on
a
prioritization
queue
based
on
their
vulnerability.

It
is
feasible
for
cities
to
carve
out
priority
programs
for
their
residents
by
providing
funding
that
replaces
HUD
funds
for
specific
programs
-
for
example,
providing
City
funds
9 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
18 Packet Pg. 733 of 948

to
cover
case
management
for
specific
permanent
supportive
housing
units
for
Palo
Alto
residents.

Much
of
the
County’s
work
is
based
on
the
2020-2025
Community
Plan
to
End
Homelessness,
which
is
focused
on
three
strategies:
1)
Address
the
root
causes
of
homelessness
through
system
and
policy
change
2)
Improve
quality
of
life
for
unsheltered
individuals
and
create
healthy
neighborhoods
for
all
3)
Expand
homelessness
prevention
and
housing
programs
to
meet
the
need
-
State
of
California.

The
State
plays
a
role
in
enforcing
State
laws
relating
to
housing
development.

Most
specifically,
the
State’s
Housing
Element
process
will
monitor
the
City’s
recently
certified
Housing
Element.

State
laws,
such
as
SB
330
-
the
Housing
Crisis
Act
of
2019
-
place
requirements
on
cities
to
uphold
renter
protections
and
to
comply
with
no
net
loss
requirements
relating
to
housing
redevelopment.

The
State
also
provides
annual
funding
allocations
for
affordable
housing
and
homelessness
services,
via
a
number
of
grant
programs
that
are
both
increasing
in
number
and
in
competitiveness.

The
City
and
housing
projects
in
the
City
have
both
earned
State
funding,
including
the
City’s
upcoming
Homekey
shelter
project.
-
Non-profit
partners.

Much
of
the
“on
the
ground”
service
provision
is
provided
by
non-profits.

These
non-profits
provide
significant
expertise
and
build
community
trust
with
local
residents.

They
also
frequently
depend
on
government
funders,
including
the
City
of
Palo
Alto
and
Santa
Clara
County,
to
provide
services.
-
Funders.

In
addition
to
the
entities
listed
above,
private
entities
-
including
banks,
companies,
and
investors
-
provide
both
grant
funding
and
loans
which
support
unhoused
services
and
affordable
housing.
-
Developers.

Private
developers,
of
both
affordable
and
market-rate
housing,
are
the
ultimate
providers
of
housing.

Most
affordable
housing
developers
depend
on
a
mix
of
private
and
public
funds
to
finance
their
housing,
and
are
therefore
10 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
19 Packet Pg. 734 of 948

often
required
to
implement
specific
housing
programs
as
a
condition
of
the
funding.

Developers
partner
closely
with
various
suppliers,
contractors,
and
skilled
trades
to
do
the
actual
construction
of
the
units
-
and
the
price
and
availability
of
these
partners
intimately
affects
development
costs.

Palo
Alto
Programs
and
Services
And
Known
Gaps
The
existing
programs
and
services
offered
in
Palo
Alto
are
divided
below
into
the
three
strategies
that
align
with
the
Community
Plan
to
End
Homelessness,
as
listed
above.
1)
Address
the
root
causes
of
homelessness
through
system
and
policy
change
This
report
is
mostly
focused
on
programs
and
services,
but
there
are
several
strategies
in
place
in
Palo
Alto
that
do
help
address
systems
causing
homelessness.

These
include
some
of
the
City’s
renter
protections,
such
as:
-
Security
deposit
limit
of

1.5x
rent
for
unfurnished
units
-
Just
cause
eviction
protections,
expanded
to
more
recent
tenants
and
newer
buildings
-
One
year
lease
requirements
-
Project
Sentinel
Palo
Alto
Mediation
Program,
funded
by
the
City
of
Palo
Alto.

It
also
includes
anti-displacement
provisions
required
by
both
the
City
and
the
State,
including:
-
Relocation
assistance
for
no
fault
evictions
-
Housing
Crisis
Act
-
First
right
of
refusal
for
displaced
households
in
new
buildings
All
of
the
above
programs
require
households
to
be
informed
about
their
rights,
and
often
require
the
pursuit
of
a
mediation
or
court
process
to
rectify
any
wrongs.

There
is
not
a
proactive
monitoring
system
in
Palo
Alto
for
the
protections
above.

The
City
also
has
several
strategies
in
place
aimed
at
increasing
the
supply
of
market
rate
and
affordable
housing
via
planning
processes
-
which
in
addition
to
the
funding
programs
discussed
below,
are
key
for
addressing
the
underlying
issue
of
housing
scarcity.

These
include
the
following
Housing
Element
programs
in
process:
-
Downtown
Housing
Plan
-
Housing
on
City-owned
lots
11 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
20 Packet Pg. 735 of 948

-
Evaluation
of
fees
and
fee
amendments
-
Developer
coordination
-
Considering
Below-Market-Rate
Program
modifications
-
Housing
Incentive
Program
-
Housing
Incentive
Program
(HIP)
and
Affordable
Housing
Incentive
Program
(AHIP)
modifications
-
Expansion
of
the
El
Camino
Real
Focus
Area
-
Streamlining
-
Allowing
more
mixed-use
development
at
commercial
sites
-
Seismic
regulations
update
-
Code
amendments
for
alternate
housing
types
In
addition
to
this
multitude
of
programs,
there
are
opportunities
for
further
planning
programs
aimed
at
increasing
housing
and
specifically,
affordable
housing
development,
further
discussed
in
Section

3. Finally,
the
City
has
staff
dedicated
to
addressing
housing
and
homelessness,
including

2.5 FTE
in
Planning,
1 FTE
in
the
City
Manager’s
Office,
and
2 FTE
in
Community
Services
(not
exclusively
working
on
unhoused
services).
2)
Improve
quality
of
life
for
unsheltered
individuals
and
create
healthy
neighborhoods
for
all
There
are
a
number
of
strategies
aimed
at
improving
the
quality
of
life
of
unhoused
Palo
Altans.

In
general,
these
kinds
of
services
draw
from
a
range
of
funding
sources.

Meals
are
largely
provided
by
private
groups.

Medical
care
is
largely
paid
for
by
federal,
state,
and
County
funds.

The
majority
of
shelter
is
funded
by
the
County
and
State,
but
there
are
two
small
shelter
programs
in
Palo
Alto
that
receive
some
funds
from
Palo
Alto,
as
well
as
private
funding.

Below
is
a
list
of
services
available
to
unhoused
Palo
Altans:
-
Medical
Services
-
Peninsula
Healthcare
Connection
and
Ravenswood
Family
Health
Center
offer
medical
services,
including
mental
health
services.

The
North
County
TRUST
Team
and
the
Psychiatric
Emergency
Response
Team
(PERT)
are
meant
to
provide
mental
health
services
on
demand
in
response
to
calls
for
assistance.

PERT
is
still
awaiting
a
clinician.

Peninsula
Healthcare
Connection,
12 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
21 Packet Pg. 736 of 948

Ravenswood
Family
Health
Center,
and
the
North
County
TRUST
fund
rely
on
federal,
state,
and
County
funds.

The
City
contributed
some
grant
funding
to
the
North
County
TRUST
team.

The
PERT
team
is
run
by
the
City.
-
Food
Services
-
There
are
four
food
distribution
sites
in
Palo
Alto,
including
hot
meals
and
groceries.

The
City
and
County
both
provide
support
to
La
Comida,
and
the
food
programs
also
benefit
from
private
donations.

CalFresh
and
WIC
is
also
available
via
the
County,
funded
in
part
by
County,
state,
and
federal
funds.

Palo
Altans
can
sign
up
via
the
County
at
their
North
County
Social
Services
office
in
Mountain
View,
or
via
outreach
services
at
the
Opportunity
Center
(sometimes).
-
Shelter
Services
-
Palo
Altans
can
seek
shelter
in
the
following
locations:
-
Hotel
de
Zink:
a
shelter
with
space
for
approximately
15 adults
at
rotating
locations
(generally
faith-based
institutions)
around
the
City.

LifeMoves
coordinates
the
shelter
program,
and
the
City
contributes
funds.
-
Home
and
Heart
Collaborative:
a
winter
shelter
program
with
space
for
approximately
15 women
at
rotating
locations
(generally
faith-based
institutions)
around
the
City.

The
City
contributes
funds.
-
Overnight
Warming
Location
(O.W.L.):

Last
year,
the
City
opened
the
downtown
library
for
overnight
shelter
during
cold
weather
events.

This
site
can
serve
approximately
10 people
during
a
cold
weather
event
and
was
open
for
15 nights
during
the
cold
weather
season.
-
Shelters
in
Mountain
View
and
Sunnyvale,
including
the
Mountain
View
Homekey
Shelter
(serving
adults
and
families
in
a
non-congregate
setting),
the
Sunnyvale
Shelter
(serving
families
and
adults
in
a
congregate
setting),
and
the
Mountain
View
cold
weather
shelter
hosted
at
a
Mountain
View
church
(serving
women
in
a
congregate
setting
in
the
winter
months).

These
sites
are
largely
funded
by
Santa
Clara
County,
using
a
variety
of
funds,
with
contributions
from
Mountain
View
and
the
state
for
the
start
up
of
the
Homekey
Shelter.
-
Shelters
elsewhere,
including
East
Palo
Alto
and
San
Jose.
-
Safe
Parking
-
Palo
Altans
living
in
vehicles
can
live
in
the
City’s
safe
parking
program,
run
in
partnership
with
Santa
Clara
County
and
MoveMV
at
a
variety
of
13 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
22 Packet Pg. 737 of 948

sites
offered
by
Palo
Alto
congregations.

There
is
also
a
recently
expanded
site
for
RVs
on
city-owned
property
at
Geng
Road
that
offers
a
variety
of
amenities
on-site,
including
showers,
bathrooms,
and
laundry
facilities..

The
congregational
sites
have
rules
limiting
the
hours
of
use
to
overnight
only,
and
to
cars
only.
-
Outreach
-
Outreach
workers
help
inform
unhoused
Palo
Altans
about
services,
and
try
to
connect
them
to
both
short-term
and
long-term
assistance,
tailored
to
their
needs.

Several
local
non-profits
perform
outreach,
including
Peninsula
Healthcare
Connection,
Downtown
Streets
Team,
Karat
School
Project,
and
LifeMoves
provide
local
outreach.

The
City,
together
with
some
funding
from
Stanford
University,
pays
for
a
two-person
outreach
team
from
LifeMoves.

The
County
also
funds
outreach
through
the
Bill
Wilson
Center.

Outreach
workers
often
struggle
to
engage
households
living
in
vehicles,
and
households
who
work
during
the
day
(these
categories
often
overlap).
-
Other
Services
-
Employment
-
Downtown
Streets
Team
has
a
model
that
aims
to
provide
employment
opportunities
for
unhoused
Palo
Altans.
-
Shower
and
Laundry
-
Dignity
on
Wheels,
run
by
WeHope
and
funded
in
part
by
the
City
as
well
as
the
County,
provides
shower
and
laundry
services,
as
does
the
Opportunity
Center
run
by
LifeMoves.

Despite
this
range
of
services,
there
are
major
gaps,
and
sometimes
insurmountable
barriers,
that
prevent
unhoused
community
members
from
using
these
services.

One
service
provider
shared,
“t
o
ask
somebody
to
go
do
these
10 steps
[to
apply
for
a
program]
over
a
six
month
period,
you
might
as
well
ask
them
to
go
get
accepted
to
Harvard
and…graduate
with
a
degree
.”
10 The
following
gaps
relating
are
most
significant
relating
to
quality
of
life
for
unhoused
individuals:
-
Inaccessibility
and
inappropriateness
of
existing
shelters.

Besides
the
City’s
two
rotating
shelters,
which
move
between
congregations,
the
Heart
and
Home
Collaborative
and
Hotel
de
Zink,
and
the
City’s
Overnight
Warming
Location
10 Interviews
with
Service
Providers,
Kathryn
Fortenberry
for
“Understanding
the
Unhoused
Community
in
Palo
Alto:

A
2024
Perspective.”
14 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
23 Packet Pg. 738 of 948

during
cold
weather
events,
most
Palo
Altans
seeking
shelter
need
to
do
so
elsewhere.

Families
with
children
have
nowhere
to
go
for
shelter
in
Palo
Alto
until
the
City’s
Homekey
site
opens.

In
2022,
only
24 Palo
Altans
used
the
Sunnyvale
North
County
Shelter,
and
only
122
Palo
Altans
used
other
“North
County”
shelters.
11 This
represents
less
than
half
of
the
City’s
unhoused
population.

The
rest
of
Palo
Altans
sleep
on
the
street,
in
RVs
and
cars,
couch
surf,
or
go
further
for
shelter.

This
is
likely
due
to
barriers
to
shelter
use,
discussed
further
in
section
three
of
this
report.

In
short,
issues
relating
to
shelter
privacy,
shelter
rules,
and
shelter
safety
can
be
barriers,
as
is
pure
shelter
capacity.
-
Issues
with
transportation.

Despite
the
large
array
of
services
in
Palo
Alto,
some
services
-
such
as
those
related
to
confirming
one’s
identification
-
are
only
available
in
San
Jose,
which
is
over
an
hour
away
when
using
public
transportation.

Even
within
Palo
Alto,
transportation
issues
can
have
a
big
impact
on
those
seeking
services.

One
service
provider
shared
that
in
order
for
a
community
member
to
get
from
a
shelter
(at
a
rotating
location)
to
their
regular
breakfast
program,
they
would
have
to
walk
several
miles
every
morning,
as
bus
services
were
not
available
early
enough
to
get
them
to
the
breakfast
in
time.

It
would
be
more
practical
for
the
client
to
sleep
closer
to
the
breakfast
program,
even
if
that
meant
remaining
unsheltered.
12 While
the
forthcoming
Homekey
Shelter
will
offer
a
number
of
services
on
site,
its
location
far
from
main
throughways
and
the
City
center
may
be
challenging
for
unhoused
Palo
Altans
who
need
to
access
services
and
supports
located
elsewhere.
-
Access
to
communication.

Unstable
access
to
wi-fi,
computers,
and
phones
make
it
particularly
difficult
for
unhoused
community
members
to
seek
services
and
secure
housing.

It
is
difficult
to
find
out
if
you’ve
gotten
off
a
waitlist,
for
example,
if
it
is
hard
to
be
contacted.

When
applying
for
programs,
like
CalFresh
or
MediCal,
or,
as
discussed
further
in
the
next
section,
applying
for
housing,
you
often
need
to
submit
documents
and
fill
out
multiple
applications,
which
is
nearly
impossible
without
regular
computer
access.

While
both
the
library
and
the
Opportunity
Center
offer
computer
access,
and
there
are
programs
offering
cell
12 Same
as
above..
11 Santa
Clara
County
Analysis
of
Palo
Alto-Affiliated

VI-SPDAT
Responses,
2022.
15 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
24 Packet Pg. 739 of 948

phones,
none
of
these
ensure
stable
access
to
the
communication
systems
on
which
most
programs,
and
certainly
our
society,
run.
-
Issues
specific
to
unique
needs.

Service
providers
report
other
obstacles
facing
specific
populations
-
such
as
senior
households
who
cannot
work
and
increase
their
income,
or
undocumented
households
who
may
not
have
the
proper
paperwork
to
obtain
employment
or
needed
services.

Of
course,
the
ultimate
quality
of
life
outcome
for
unhoused
Palo
Altans
is
to
stabilize
in
permanent
housing.

The
current
options
for
permanent
housing
and
homelessness
prevention
are
discussed
further
below,
in
strategy
3,
but
an
anecdote
from
a
service
provider
helps
to
explain
how
the
lack
of
housing
options
impacts
quality
of
life
issues.

According
to
one
service
provider,
outreach
workers
helping
unhoused
community
members
often
encounter
a
lack
of
trust,
and
a
lack
of
desire
to
engage
in
services
in
shelter,
when
waiting
for
housing
becomes
demoralizing.
13 He
shared,
for
example,
that
trying
to
sign
up
seniors
for
housing
programs,
when
the
waitlist
is
likely
several
years
can
lead
to
a
lack
of
desire
to
continue
with
other
outreach
efforts.

Understandably,
the
many
barriers
faced
by
unhoused
community
members
when
seeking
services
can
make
it
very
difficult
for
them
to
stay
engaged
with
services,
especially
when
a
happy
end
result
seems
unlikely.
3)
Expand
homelessness
prevention
and
housing
programs
to
meet
the
need
Ultimately,
housing
is
the
only
permanent
stable
outcome
for
unhoused
Palo
Altans.

As
discussed
further
in
section
3,
below,
affordable
housing,
rather
than
market-rate
housing,
is
often
the
only
viable
option
for
unhoused
Palo
Altans.

The

VI-SPDAT
assesses
the
types
of
housing
needed
by
unhoused
community
members.

In
July
2023
through
June
2024,
115
unhoused
Palo
Altans
were
assessed
to
need
Rapid
Rehousing,
while
120
were
assessed
to
need
Permanent
Supportive
Housing.

Rapid
Rehousing
(RRH)
units
are
meant
to
give
unhoused
households
a
deeper
rental
subsidy
at
first,
eventually
tapering
towards
more
typical
affordable
rents
as
the
household
stabilizes.

As
described
above,
Permanent
Supportive
Housing
(PSH)
units
provide
deep
subsidies,
services,
and
case
management
for
households
who
have
a
13 Interviews
with
Service
Providers,
Kathryn
Fortenberry
for
“Understanding
the
Unhoused
Community
in
Palo
Alto:

A
2024
Perspective.”
16 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
25 Packet Pg. 740 of 948

disabling
condition
that
would
prevent
them
from
increasing
their
income
in
the
future.

Both
of
these
kinds
of
units
have
most
recently
been
funded
by
Santa
Clara
County’s
Measure
A
funds,
which
are
nearly
entirely
expended.

There
are
also
many
unhoused
households
who
might
be
able
to
take
advantage
of
affordable
housing
that
simply
provides
a
subsidy
based
on
income.

These
affordable
units
might
be
part
of
the
City’s
Below-Market-Rate
(BMR)
program,
which
means
they
were
provided
as
part
of
a
market-rate
development.

Or,
they
could
be
subsidized
in
a
development
built
by
an
affordable
housing
development,
which
typically
is
funded
in
part
by
state,
private,
County,
and
City
funding.

Palo
Alto
currently
has
2,336
affordable
units,
including:
-
242
Below-Market-Rate
Ownership
Units
-
345
Below-Market-Rate
Rental
Units,
ranging
from
30%
AMI
to
120%
AMI
-
1,553
subsidized
units
(not
including
the
PSH
units
listed
below),
ranging
from
30%
AMI
units
to
60%
AMI
units
for
families,
seniors,
individuals,
formerly
homeless,
and
people
with
disabilities
-
196
units
that
could
be
described
as
permanent
supportive
housing
(although
they
were
built
before
the
term
was
standardized)
Many
of
these
units
are
already
full,
and
there
are
long
waitlists,
or
even
closed
waitlists.

Looking
forward,
Palo
Alto
has
several
entitled
projects
with
affordable
housing
units
included.

Table

2.1 shows
the
number
of
currently
entitled
affordable
housing
units
at
various
income
levels,
not
including
PSH
and
RRH
units,
and
not
including
forthcoming
BMR
inclusionary
units:
17 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
26 Packet Pg. 741 of 948

Table

2.1:

Currently
Entitled
Affordable
Housing
Units
(not
inclusive
of
Rapid
Rehousing
and
Permanent
Supportive
Housing
Units)
14 Income
Level
ELI
VLI
LI
MI
Above
MI
Forthcoming
Units
46 90
44 36
38 Table

2.2 considers
whether
the
types
of
forthcoming
units
in
Palo
Alto
align
with
those
needed
for
unhoused
residents
currently
'in
the
queue'
for
housing.

It
compares
the
number
of
unhoused
individuals
in
Palo
Alto,
assessed
by
the

VI-SPDAT
as
needing
rapid
rehousing
or
permanent
supportive
housing,
with
the
number
of
newly
approved
affordable
units
in
Palo
Alto
that
will
include
these
services.

Most
notably,
there
are
no
new
permanent
supportive
housing
units
expected
in
Palo
Alto
in
the
next
few
years,
despite
there
being
120
unhoused
people
affiliated
with
Palo
Alto
who
have
been
assessed
to
need
this
kind
of
housing
and
will
have
to
seek
it
outside
of
Palo
Alto.

Table

2.2:

Palo
Alto
Unhoused
Assessed
to
Need
Rapid
Rehousing
or
Permanent
Supportive
Housing
vs.

Forthcoming
Units
15 Service
Needs
Rapid
Rehousing
Permanent
Supportive
Housing
Forthcoming
(entitled)
Units
32 0
Palo
Alto
Unhoused
Residents
Assessed
to
Need
Various
Services
115
120
There
are
a
number
of
funding
programs
aimed
at
increasing
the
supply
of
affordable
housing,
including
rapid
rehousing
and
permanent
supportive
housing,
including:
-
City
funds
15 Same
as
above.
14 The
forthcoming
units
are
drawn
from
the
expected
income
levels
of
units
being
built
at
the
following
entitled
projects:
525
E.

Charleston,
3001
El
Camino
Real,
231
Grant
Ave.

Forthcoming
below-market-rate
inclusionary
units,
and
non-entitled
projects
are
not
included.

The
needs
of
unhoused
residents
is
from
the
County’s
VI-SPDAT..
18 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
27 Packet Pg. 742 of 948

-
City
Affordable
Housing
Fund,
including
funds
from
the
City’s
business
tax,
and
development
fees
-
CDBG
Funds
-
Local
Housing
Trust
Fund
-
Permanent
Local
Housing
Allocation
Funds
-
County
Funds
-
Measure
A
(nearly
expended)
-
Stanford
Affordable
Housing
Fund
-
State
Funds
-
State
SuperNOFA
Funds
-
Homekey
-
Tax
Credits
All
of
these
funds
face
scarcity
compared
to
demand.

The
City
released
a
Notice
of
Funding
Availability
in
September
2024
to
solicit
proposals
for
affordable
housing
developments
that
could
receive
local
affordable
housing
funds.

Additional
funds
are
expected
to
be
needed
to
address
the
planned
pipeline
of
affordable
housing
projects
in
Palo
Alto.

County
Measure
A
funds
are
nearly
all
expended.

And,
increasingly,
many
state
funds
are
more
competitive
and
are
harder
to
obtain
at
the
levels
a
project
needs.

Many
projects
have
had
to
apply
for
funding
in
multiple
rounds,
or
seek
alternative
funding,
due
to
the
increased
competition
for
state
funding.

As
demonstrated,
there
simply
aren’t
enough
forthcoming
affordable
units
of
any
type
to
meet
the
needs
of
unhoused
Palo
Altans.

Exacerbating
the
issue
is
that
each
household
has
their
own
unique
needs
relating
to
affordable
housing.

For
example,
some
households
may
face
unique
challenges,
such
as
major
credit
issues,
that
could
stymie
their
affordable
housing
efforts.

Others
have
unique
households
sizes,
that
make
it
difficult
to
find
a
unit
-
for
example,
there
are
several
unhoused
Palo
Alto
households
with
multiple
children
who
will
need
larger
units.

While
much
of
the
focus
of
this
report
is
on
the
currently
unhoused,
one
of
the
easiest
ways
to
address
homelessness
is
to
prevent
people
from
losing
their
housing
in
the
first
place.

The
following
homelessness
prevention
programs
are
available
in
Palo
Alto:
19 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
28 Packet Pg. 743 of 948

-
Homelessness
Prevention
System.

This
program
is
funded
by
the
County,
and
funds
are
distributed
based
on
need.
111
Palo
Altans
used
this
program
last
year.

Some
cities
contribute
additional
funds
to
the
program.

LifeMoves
is
one
of
several
distributors
of
these
funds.
-
Housing
Problem
Solving.

This
County-funded
program
allows
service
providers
to
provide
counseling
to
try
to
address
housing
issues
creatively
and
quickly.

It
is
associated
with
flexible
funds
available
for
practical
problem
solving
that
prevents
homelessness
(for
example,
furniture
that
might
make
it
feasible
to
stay
with
family).

Several
service
providers
offer
this
service,
and
it
can
also
be
accessed
by
calling
the
shelter
hotline.
-
Rental
subsidies.

When
the
vouchers
are
available,
Palo
Altans
can
access
federally-funded
Section
8 vouchers
to
make
market-rate
units
affordable.

These
vouchers
are
often
associated
with
long
or
closed
waitlists.

All
of
these
homelessness
prevention
programs
are
limited
in
capacity,
compared
to
need.

There
are
not
enough
homelessness
prevention
funds
to
meet
the
need,
nor
affordable
units
to
serve
all
the
households
facing
crisis.

Affordable
housing
itself
can
also
be
a
homelessness
prevention
program,
in
that
households
can
move
from
unaffordable
market-rate
housing
to
subsidized
housing,
rather
than
falling
into
homelessness
when
a
financial
crisis
or
an
increase
in
rent
forces
them
out
of
their
housing.

In
Palo
Alto,
the
number
of
cost-burdened
renters
(those
spending
over
30%
of
their
income
on
housing)
at
various
income
levels
is
compared
to
entitled
and
proposed
affordable
and
market-rate
units
in
table

2.3. While
only
a
small
portion
of
all
cost-burdened
renters
will
become
homeless
in
any
given
year,
by
definition,
all
of
them
would
benefit
from
help
affording
their
housing,
either
via
an
affordable
housing
unit,
rent
subsidies,
income
assistance
or
some
other
program.
20 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
29 Packet Pg. 744 of 948

Table

2.3:

Currently
Entitled
and
Proposed
Housing
Units
(not
inclusive
of
Rapid
Rehousing
and
Permanent
Supportive
Housing
Units)
Compared
to
Cost
Burdened
Renters
Income
Level
ELI
VLI
LI
MI
Above
MI
Entitled
Units
46 96
49 60
331
Proposed
Units
(not
yet
entitled)
3 22
408
51 1,973
Cost-Burdened
Renters
1,625
795
820
460
4,220
21 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
30 Packet Pg. 745 of 948

3. Literature
Review
and
Relevant
Programs
and
Services
from
Other
Municipalities
The
following
section
summarizes
key
findings
in
the
literature
and
highlights
promising
solutions
to
address
the
known
gaps
and
known
needs
in
housing
and
unhoused
services
in
Palo
Alto.

The
key
findings
touch
on
the
limits
of
congregate
shelter,
the
high
demand
for
and
low
availability
of
affordable
housing,
the
high
cost
of
building
new
affordable
units,
and
the
limits
of
enforcement.

Congregate
s
helter
is
not
accessible
and/or
appropriate
for
many
unhoused
community
members.

In
Palo
Alto,
a
majority
of
unhoused
residents
are
unsheltered,
16 living
in
an
RV,
car,
on
the
street,
or
on
a
couch.
17 This
is
reflective
of
a
larger
statewide
trend
that
unsheltered
homelessness
is
increasing
faster
than
sheltered
homelessness.
18 In
addition
to
inherent
safety
issues
related
to
remaining
unsheltered,
unsheltered
households
in
Palo
Alto
are
less
likely
to
access
services,
ranging
from
basic
support
services
like
healthcare
and
food,
to
support
applying
for
housing
or
overcoming
barriers
to
housing.

As
the
City’s
safe
parking
provider
explained,
unhoused
residents
often
have
to
spend
much
of
their
time
ensuring
that
they
have
a
safe
place
to
sleep.

Once
they
are
in
a
program
like
safe
parking,
they
have
the
space
and
stability
to
make
longer-term
plans
relating
to
their
housing
and
livelihoods.

And
despite
the
best
efforts
of
outreach
workers,
it
is
easier
for
households
to
work
with
case
managers
and
service
providers
when
they
can
do
so
at
the
same
place
where
they
are
staying.

There
are
a
range
of
reasons
that
an
unhoused
person
may
be
unsheltered.

The
Department
of
Housing
and
Urban
Development
(HUD)
discusses
the
following
18 “Five
Recent
Trends
in
Homelessness
in
California.”
Terner
Center
for
Housing
Innovation,
UC
Berkeley.
https://ternercenter.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Five-Trends-in-CA-Homeless ness_Oct-2023-5.pdf
17 Santa
Clara
County

VI-SPDAT
responses
among
“Palo
Alto
affiliated”
households,
July
1,
2023
-
June
30,
2024..
16 In
counts
of
unhoused
households,
unsheltered
typically
means
living
outside
of
a
shelter
or
transitional
housing
program
-
including
living
in
an
RV
or
car,
living
on
the
street,
and
couch
surfing.
22 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
31 Packet Pg. 746 of 948

shortcomings
in
the
shelter
system
that
contribute
to
households
living
in
encampments.
19 While
these
shortcomings
examine
the
reason
households
choose
encampments
instead
of
shelter,
they
remain
true
in
Palo
Alto,
where
many
households
instead
choose
the
relative
privacy
of
living
in
a
car
or
RV,
couch
surfing,
or
living
on
one’s
own
on
the
street.

HUD
lists
the
reasons
households
remain
outside
of
shelters
as
follows:
-
Lack
of
available
shelter
space.

This
is
particularly
relevant
in
Palo
Alto,
where
most
sheltered
unhoused
Palo
Altans
need
to
seek
shelter
in
other
towns.

The
distance
to
available
shelters
is
a
barrier
to
seeking
shelter.

In
fact,
most
Palo
Altans
in
emergency
shelter
are
in
shelters
in
San
Jose,
which
can
be
over
one
hour
away
by
public
transit.
-
Concerns
about
shelter
safety
and
privacy.

Many
families
and
single
women
choose
to
remain
outside
of
traditional
shelter
systems
because
the
communal
settings
feel
unsafe
for
themselves
or
their
families.

Many
families
with
children,
especially,
prefer
living
in
vehicles,
where
they
can
have
a
semblance
of
privacy
and
control,
rather
than
a
communal
shelter
setting.

Many
single
women
prefer
women’s
only
shelters.
-
Shelter
rules
that
would
separate
individuals
from
members
of
a
family,
a
partner,
or
a
pet.
-
Rules
relating
to
entry
and
exit
times,
sobriety
or
other
difficult
to
follow
restrictions.

While
there
are
some
specialized
programs
for
those
facing
issues
of
sobriety,
most
shelters
will
not
allow
continued
disruptions
due
to
lack
of
sobriety.

A
local
service
provider
describes
the
issue
as
follows,
“I
f
we're
lucky
[after
calling
the
shelter
hotline]...clients
will
be
accepted
and
taken
into
shelter
right
there
and
then.

But
sometimes,
it's
difficult
because
the
waiting
list
is
so
long…Sometimes
there's
clients…so
used
to
living
out
in
the
outdoors
that
that's
where
their
comfort
zone
is
at
and
being
in.

Being
in
a
shelter
is
abnormal
to
them.
”
20 20
Interviews
with
Service
Providers,
Kathryn
Fortenberry
for
“Understanding
the
Unhoused
Community
in
Palo
Alto:

A
2024
Perspective”
19 The
referenced
report
defines
encampments
as
“groups
of
people
experiencing
unsheltered
homelessness
together.”
From:
“Understanding
Encampments
of
People
Experiencing
Homelessness
and
Community
Responses:

Emerging
Evidence
as
of
Late
2018,”
U.S.

Department
of
Housing
and
Urban
Development.
https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/Understanding-Encampments.pdf 23 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
32 Packet Pg. 747 of 948

Other
municipalities
have
offered
the
following
to
address
this
issue:
1)
Increasing
non-congregate
shelter
21 options.

Per
the
Terner
Center
at
UC
Berkeley,
“Research
suggests
that
non-congregate
shelters
can
provide
more
stability
and
more
effective
services
than
congregate
shelters
can
to
support
residents’
steps
to
move
back
into
housing,
such
as
working
with
case
managers,
applying
for
housing
assistance,
and
searching
for
an
available
housing
unit.”
22 The
City’s
safe
parking
program
is
a
good
first
effort
at
providing
a
sheltering
program
that
is
more
attractive
to
unsheltered
households.

Similarly,
the
City’s
upcoming
Project
Homekey
will
also
offer
non-congregate
sheltering
options.

That
said,
the
City
may
find
that
there
is
more
demand
for
non-congregate
shelter
than
spaces
available.

If
that
is
the
case,
the
following
option
may
be
of
consideration.
2)
Using
Hotels
as
Temporary
or
Permanent
non-congregate
shelters.

The
City
also
has
a
number
of
underutilized
hotels
along
El
Camino
Real,
at
least
one
of
which
was
used
for
non-congregate
sheltering
during
the
COVID-19
pandemic.

These
hotels
may
be
a
particularly
cost-effective
option
for
offering
shelter
to
households
who
are
facing
immediate
homelessness,
and
are
unable
to
access
shelter
due
to
shelter
capacity
issues.

The
County
of
Santa
Clara,
the
City
of
Santa
Clara,
and
the
City
of
San
Jose
have
all
begun
work
on
sheltering
options
in
hotels.

Motel
vouchers
are
also
a
common
option
offered
by
agencies
serving
those
whose
homelessness
is
caused
by
domestic
violence.

This
would
not
necessarily
need
to
be
something
the
City
took
on
by
itself,
but
rather,
through
partnerships
with
funders,
other
municipalities,
and
non-profits,
in
order
to
address
a
desire
to
provide
non-congregate
shelter
to
those
actively
seeking
it.
22 “Five
Recent
Trends
in
Homelessness
in
California.”
Terner
Center
for
Housing
Innovation,
UC
Berkeley.
https://ternercenter.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Five-Trends-in-CA-Homeless ness_Oct-2023-5.pdf
21 HUD
defines
non-congregate
shelters
as
one
or
more
buildings
that
provide
private
units
or
rooms
for
temporary
shelter,
serve
individuals
and
families
that
meet
one
or
more
of
the
qualifying
populations
[generally,
homeless,
at
risk
of
becoming
homeless,
or
fleeing
abuse],
and
do
not
require
occupants
to
sign
a
lease
or
occupancy
agreement.
24 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
33 Packet Pg. 748 of 948

Income-restricted
affordable
housing
is
the
best
fit
for
many
seeking
housing,
but
there
is
not
readily
available
affordable
housing
for
many
who
are
seeking
it.

There
is
often
a
well-intentioned
misunderstanding
that
if
unhoused
households
would
only
accept
help,
they
would
move
to
housing.

This
misunderstanding
is
often
particularly
discussed
when
assuming
throughput
for
shelters
and
transitional
housing
programs.

It
is
not
appropriate
to
assume
that
sheltered
households
willI
exit
the
shelter
into
permanent
housing.

In
fact,
in
Santa
Clara
County
from
May
2022
through
April
2023,
only
38%
of
households
in
shelters
exited
the
shelter
into
permanent
housing,
and
only
28%
of
households
in
transitional
housing
exited
the
transitional
housing
into
permanent
housing.
23 This
lack
of
exit
to
permanent
housing
reflects,
among
other
things,
the
critical
lack
of
affordable
permanent
housing
options
compared
to
the
need,
as
illustrated
above
in
Section

2. It
is
also
worth
noting
that
it
is
extraordinarily
difficult
for
a
household
to
look
to
employment
as
their
only
solution
for
their
housing
crisis.

That
is,
while
employment
may
help
a
household
to
pay
the
rent
in
a
subsidized
affordable
unit,
in
Palo
Alto,
where
market-rate
units
are
particularly
expensive,
it
is
difficult
to
get
enough
employment
to
move
from
being
cost-burdened
or
homeless
into
being
able
to
afford
a
market-rate
unit.

Joint
Venture
Silicon
Valley’s
2024
Silicon
Valley
Index
reports
that
the
median
service
worker
earns
$46,500,
while
a
household
of
four
needs
$30/hour,
or
$62,400
annually,
to
meet
the
index’s
“self-sufficiency”
wage
(defined
as
“a
no-frills,
bare-bones
minimum
for
affording
basic
human
needs
such
as
housing,
childcare,
food,
transportation,
and
healthcare”
in
Silicon
Valley).
24 That
is,
for
the
median
service
worker
to
be
able
to
afford
housing
for
their
family
of
four
in
Palo
Alto
without
being
cost-burdened,
they
need
affordable
housing
with
a
subsidized
below-market
rent.

When
affordable
housing
is
lacking
compared
to
demand
(as
discussed
in
section
2),
there
are
few
solutions
for
these
households,
other
than
leaving
the
area.
24 “2024
Silicon
Valley
Index.”
Joint
Venture
Silicon
Valley.
https://jointventure.org/images/stories/pdf/index2024.pdf 23 ”Supportive
Housing
System
in
Santa
Clara
County.”
Santa
Clara
County
Office
of
Supportive
Housing.

Report
to
County
Housing,
Land
Use,
Environment
and
Transportation
Committee,
June
20,
2023.
https://osh.sccgov.org/sites/g/files/exjcpb671/files/documents/SH%20Dashboard%20and%20 TemporaryHousing_PSH_Report_June_2023_Final.pdf
25 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
34 Packet Pg. 749 of 948

One
potential
opportunity
involves
increasing
homelessness
prevention
programs.

There
are
several
cities
that
contribute
to
the
County’s
Homelessness
Prevention
program,
with
the
aim
of
preventing
households
from
falling
into
homelessness
in
the
first
place.

If
the
City
were
to
consider
this
option,
it
would
need
to
work
with
the
County
to
determine
an
appropriate
funding
amount
that
would
augment
the
County’s
program,
in
hopes
of
better
meeting
the
need.

Building
affordable
units
is
expensive,
but
cities
can
use
planning
programs
to
incentivize
more
affordable
units
(alongside
or
instead
of
funding
programs).

For
the
past
several
years,
affordable
housing
in
Santa
Clara
County
has
benefitted
from
a
mix
of
state
funding,
the
County’s
Measure
A
program,
and
local
funds.

State
funding
has
become
considerably
more
competitive,
and
the
County’s
Measure
A
funds
are
close
to
depleted.

While
a
regional
funding
measure
25 was
recently
on
the
ballot,
it
has
since
been
pulled.

The
City
of
Palo
Alto
already
appropriates
a
portion
of
its
business
tax
towards
affordable
housing
and
unhoused
services.

The
City
also
contributes
specific
development
impact
fees
and
in-lieu
fees
towards
affordable
housing.

Per
the
City’s
Housing
Element,
the
City
expects
$20
million
to
be
set
aside
for
these
uses
over
the
next
eight
years,
which
the
City
estimates
could
provide
gap
funding
for
55 affordable
housing
units.

As
noted
in
section
2,
the
City
is
already
planning
to
undergo
nexus
studies
relating
to
impact
fees.

The
City
also
has
existing
planning
programs,
as
well
as
planning
programs
currently
under
review
(as
noted
in
section
2),
meant
to
incentivize
affordable
housing.

For
example,
the
Affordable
Housing
Incentive
Program
(AHIP)
specifically
provides
for
major
flexibility
for
affordable
housing
developers
to
increase
density,
and
waive
certain
development
regulations.

The
Housing
Impact
Program,
provides
greater
flexibility
for
residential
development
in
commercial
zones
and
allows
for
increased
density,
both
for
market-rate
and
affordable
housing
developers.
25 The
Bay
Area
Housing
Finance
Authority
had
originally
authorized
a
large
funding
measure,
meant
to
provide
affordable
housing
funds
across
the
Bay
Area.

This
measure
has
since
been
removed
from
the
ballot.
26 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
35 Packet Pg. 750 of 948

In
order
to
continue
to
build
affordable
housing
in
Palo
Alto,
the
City
can
build
on
its
work
by
:
-
increasing
available
funding,
-
making
the
development
of
affordable
housing
more
affordable,
and/or,
-
requiring
or
incentivizing
the
creation
of
affordable
housing.

The
following
are
options
for
each
of
these
possibilities:
1)
Increasing
available
funding.

Several
local
municipalities
have
sought
alternative
sources
of
funding
for
affordable
housing
via
ballot
measure.

To
augment
currently
available
funding,
the
City
may
consider
engaging
analysts
to
evaluate
the
potential
of
additional
funding
sources,
such
as
a
transfer
tax
(as
in
the
City
of
San
Jose)
or
a
vacancy
tax
(as
in
the
City
of
Berkeley)
to
provide
the
City
with
funding
exclusively
for
affordable
housing.

In
addition
to
simply
making
affordable
housing
development
more
feasible,
the
City’s
ability
to
offer
affordable
housing
funds
makes
it
possible
for
the
City
to
require
developments
to
meet
the
City’s
housing
needs
—
for
example,
more
ELI
units.
2)
Making
the
Development
of
Affordable
Housing
More
Affordable.

Many
local
cities,
including
Palo
Alto,
have
used
publicly-owned
land
and
institutionally-owned
land
for
affordable
housing,
which
in
turn
reduces
the
affordable
housing
development’s
funding
needs
by
the
price
of
the
land,
which
is
significant.

Recently,
the
City
of
Palo
Alto
requested
refined
proposals
for
a
public-private
partnership
to
develop
affordable
housing
on
a
downtown
city-owned
surface
lot.

The
County
of
Santa
Clara’s
two
affordable
housing
developments
in
Palo
Alto
are
on
County-owned
land.

Palo
Alto
also
has
partnered
with
local
institutions
in
the
past
—
such
as
Stanford
University
—
to
use
land
contributions
to
meet
City
requirements
and
needs.

There
are
possibilities
for
building
on
this
example
to
create
more
opportunities
for
land
donations
for
affordable
housing
—
including
City-owned
parking
lots,
privately-owned
parking
lots
(with
incentives
offered
for
development
on
other
parts
of
the
land),
and
institutional
sites
(such
as
places
of
worship
or
schools)
facing
redevelopment.
27 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
36 Packet Pg. 751 of 948

3)
Requiring
or
Incentivizing
the
Creation
of
Affordable
Housing.

Inclusionary
Rental
Housing.

Requiring
inclusionary
affordable
units
in
rental
housing
may,
depending
on
how
the
inclusionary
requirement
affects
the
costs
of
development,
significantly
increase
the
supply
of
affordable
units
in
Palo
Alto.

Many
cities
in
the
Bay
Area,
including
Menlo
Park,
Mountain
View,
Morgan
Hill,
Los
Gatos,
Campbell,
San
Jose,
San
Francisco,
and
others
have
inclusionary
housing
requirements
for
rental
projects.

Many
cities
fine-tune
their
inclusionary
requirements
to
1)
prevent
the
inclusionary
requirement
from
meaningfully
decreasing
development,
and
2)
incentivize
the
creation
of
units
of
the
specific
size
and
income
levels
that
meet
their
needs
(for
example,
requiring
less
ELI
units
or
more
MI
units
to
meet
the
same
requirement).

Any
such
requirement
will
likely
also
require
the
fine-tuning
of
the
City’s
rental
housing
in-lieu
fees
to
make
the
fee
requirement
(which
would
become
an
alternative
to
creating
inclusionary
units)
more
comparable
to
the
cost
of
creating
inclusionary
units.

An
inclusionary
requirement
would
also
need
to
be
carefully
considered
with
respect
to
the
City’s
Housing
Incentive
Program
and
Housing
Focus
Areas
to
ensure
all
three
programs
could
coexist
to
increase
the
development
of
affordable
housing.

Going
Beyond
Density
Bonus
for
Affordable
Housing.

The
City
already
offers
incentives
and
concessions
to
builders
who
develop
affordable
housing,
per
state
Density
Bonus
Law
and
the
City’s
Affordable
Housing
Incentive
Program.

There
are
other
options
that
have
been
offered
in
other
municipalities
and
in
the
state
in
order
to
incentivize
the
creation
of
affordable
housing,
in
particular:
-
The
City
of
San
Diego
created
a
Bonus
ADU
program,
which
allowed
for
the
creation
of
additional
ADUs
(beyond
SB
9 requirements)
if
some
of
the
additional
ADUs
were
deed-restricted
to
be
affordable
units
for
a
limited
period
of
time.
-
The
State’s
“Builder’s
Remedy,”
while
controversial,
allowed
for
significant
density
increases
in
exchange
for
the
creation
of
affordable
units.

Time
will
tell
the
actual
success
of
this
program
in
developing
affordable
units.

The
City
could
consider
additional
incentives
and
concessions
for
those
proposing
affordable
housing
that
particularly
meets
the
city’s
needs.

This
might
go
beyond
the
City’s
existing
Affordable
Housing
Incentive
Program
in
that
it
28 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
37 Packet Pg. 752 of 948

would
include
market-rate
developers
with
included
affordable
units,
or
would
provide
additional
development
concessions
that
affordable
housing
developers
propose.

Any
exploration
of
this
option
would
require
the
engagement
of
housing
developers
as
well
as
an
economic
policy
analysis
firm
to
analyze
the
appropriate
incentives
to
create
more
affordable
units
in
Palo
Alto.

Replacing
Commercial
Development
Impact
Fees
with
Options
for
Building
Housing.

Depending
on
Palo
Alto’s
anticipation
of
commercial
development,
the
City
could
adopt
incentives
(such
as
waiving
development
impact
fees),
to
encourage
commercial
developers
to
build
affordable
units.

The
City
embarked
on
an
effort
like
this
at
the
Fry’s
site.

This
is
generally
effective
in
places
where
there
will
be
vast
commercial
development,
which
is
less
common
in
Palo
Alto,
but
could
be
adapted,
for
example,
in
smaller
tracts,
such
as
shopping
centers
undergoing
redevelopment
or
existing
commercial
zones
undergoing
redevelopment.

These
requirements
would
likely
match
well
with
the
City’s
existing
efforts
to
allow
for
mixed-use
development
on
formerly
commercial-zoned
sites.

In
Redwood
City,
the
city
encourages
“simultaneous
development”
of
residential
and
commercial.

Enforcement
is
unlikely
to
be
a
long-term
solution.

In
general,
there
are
very
few
tools
for
law
enforcement
to
provide
permanent
solutions
for
unhoused
households.

While
there
are
some
citations
that
law
enforcement
can
issue,
and
while
law
enforcement
often
plays
an
important
role
when
there
are
health
and
safety
issues,
ultimately,
forcing
households
to
move
or
issuing
a
citation
does
not
address
the
long-term
issue
of
households
not
having
a
long-term
place
to
live.

Even
in
places
where
things
like
parking
bans
have
been
enforced,
households
have
simply
moved
around
to
other
areas
nearby.

As
discussed
in
section
1,
many
unhoused
households
in
Palo
Alto
have
connections
in
Palo
Alto,
and
have
incentive
to
stay
-
for
jobs,
for
kids
in
local
schools,
or
for
proximity
to
family
or
community.

County
staff
shared
that
often
citations
and
removals
end
up
causing
additional
barriers
for
households
trying
to
stabilize
and
seek
housing.

Households
that
are
moved
are
harder
to
reach
by
outreach
workers,
who
may
have
been
working
with
them
in
a
known
location.

When
citations
are
issued,
households
who
are
already
facing
financial
29 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
38 Packet Pg. 753 of 948

struggles
incur
another
financial
obligation
that
makes
it
harder
for
them
to
get
funds
together
for
basic
needs
or
housing
solutions.

Often,
these
enforcement
actions
make
it
harder
for
households
to
ultimately
get
housing.

While
this
analysis
is
focused
on
housing
and
services
for
the
unhoused,
the
City
is
also
reviewing
its
own
enforcement
and
that
of
neighboring
and
like
jurisdictions,
in
light
of
the
recent
Supreme
Court
decision
enabling
jurisdictions
to
engage
in
enforcement
activities
previously
halted
under
a
9 th
circuit
opinion.

An
overarching
strategy
and
team
is
often
needed
to
address
the
need.

As
discussed
above,
the
need
is
large
when
addressing
housing
crises,
and
municipalities
often
need
to
set
discrete
goals
and
cohesive
strategies
in
order
to
effect
change.

This
includes,
for
example,
setting
requirements
for
BMR
inclusionary
housing
to
have
a
specific
affordability
level
that
the
City
knows
is
of
particular
need,
focusing
affordable
housing
funds
on
a
specific
type
of
affordable
housing
that
will
address
the
needs
of
the
unhoused,
or
building
shelter
programs
to
serve
an
underserved
population.

Many
cities,
including
the
cities
of
Milpitas,
Morgan
Hill,
Cupertino,
Mountain
View,
Santa
Clara,
Sunnyvale,
and
San
Jose
have
a
specific
housing
department
(or
division
or
unit)
whose
role
is
to
administer
the
City’s
various
housing
programs,
services
for
unhoused
residents,
and
to
implement
strategies
as
discussed
above.

While
Palo
Alto
has
a
number
of
staff
across
multiple
departments
—
the
Community
Services
Department,
the
Planning
and
Development
Department,
and
the
City
Manager’s
Office
—
who
work
on
elements
of
housing
and
homelessness,
there
is
no
central
hub.

Some
cities
have
a
housing
team
that
mainly
works
on
issuing
funds
and
supporting
affordable
housing
developments
through
the
planning
process.

Others
have
housing
teams
that
also
implement
supportive
programs
serving
unhoused
communities.

Still
others
focus
on
rental
protections.

Nearly
all
require
investment
into
work
related
to
grant
funding
and
coordination
with
potential
partners.

A
centralized
housing
team
could
work
on
the
following:
-
Developing
specific
goals
tailored
to
the
City’s
housing
needs.

This
would
go
beyond
the
goals
set
in
the
Housing
Element
to
tailor
goals
to
specific
—
and
30 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
39 Packet Pg. 754 of 948

occasionally
changing
—
needs
in
the
cost-burdened
and
unhoused
populations.
-
Coordinating
existing
and
future
efforts
-
both
with
regards
to
housing
and
serving
the
unhoused
-
so
that
they
are
aligned
and
working
towards
the
aforementioned
goals.
-
Developing
relationships
with
affordable
and
market-rate
developers
to
understand
barriers
to
housing
development.
-
Serving
as
a
"responsible
party,”
as
developments
go
through
the
City’s
planning
process,
helping
to
advise
developers
on
streamlined
processes,
and
coordinating
with
other
departments
for
more
efficient
and
seamless
review
processes.

The
goal
for
this
role
is
to
“get
stuff
done,”
-
that
is,
get
affordable
housing
built.
-
Applying
for
funding
opportunities
and
developing
funding
strategies.
-
Partnering
with
non-profits
and
other
municipalities
to
pool
resources
and
collaborate
on
solutions.

The
list
above
is
not
a
comprehensive
list
of
possible
programs.

It
includes
those
that
link
most
directly
to
Palo
Alto’s
current
efforts.

Appendix
C
lists
some
other
programs
and
services
offered
by
other
municipalities
that
could
be
considered
for
Palo
Alto.
31 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
40 Packet Pg. 755 of 948

4. Summary
of
Gaps
Palo
Alto
has
both
significant
needs
relating
to
housing
and
the
unhoused,
and
significant
services
and
programs
meant
to
address
those
needs,
and
yet,
because
of
the
depth
of
the
housing
crisis,
gaps
remain.

One
of
the
most
notable
gaps
involves
the
need
for
non-congregate
shelter,
which
could
provide
an
important
option
for
unsheltered
Palo
Altans
to
stabilize,
and
receive
services.

While
the
City’s
upcoming
Homekey
site
may
address
a
large
portion
of
the
need
for
non-congregate
shelter,
more
options
may
be
worth
considering
to
meet
the
demand,
such
as
a
motel
voucher
program
with
key
partners.

Another
notable
gap
is
the
quantity
and
type
of
affordable
housing
expected
to
be
produced
in
the
City,
compared
with
the
number
of
unhoused
Palo
Altans,
and
the
number
of
Palo
Altans
at
risk
of
becoming
unhoused.

While
the
City
currently
has
programs
in
place
meant
to
incentivize
and
fund
affordable
housing,
additional
programs
are
needed
to
create
the
quantity
and
type
of
units
necessary
to
house
the
City’s
currently
unhoused
population.

Additionally,
given
the
number
of
Palo
Altans
who
become
homeless
annually,
and
the
number
of
Palo
Altans
facing
housing
cost
burdens,
more
options
are
needed
to
prevent
households
from
becoming
homeless.

While
housed
Palo
Altans
facing
housing
crises
currently
benefit
from
programs
like
the
County’s
Homelessness
Prevention
System,
further
supports
-
either
through
an
expansion
of
this
program
or
some
other
program
-
are
needed
to
prevent
Palo
Altans
facing
rent
burdens
from
falling
into
homelessness.

Armed
with
the
knowledge
of
the
City’s
current
needs
relating
to
housing
and
the
unhoused,
the
City
can
strategize
on
the
best
paths
forward
to
address
them.

Unlike
most
cities,
Palo
Alto
does
not
have
a
centralized
housing
team
to
dedicate
time
to
coordinating
the
City’s
strategies
relating
to
housing
and
the
unhoused.

Such
a
centralized
office
allows
the
City
to
focus
on
moving
projects
and
programs
through
the
process
and
into
production.

Depending
on
the
City’s
goals,
the
team
can
focus
exclusively
on
getting
affordable
units
built,
and
the
funding
and
planning
processes
that
entails,
or
can
more
broadly
coordinate
rental
protections,
unhoused
services,
and
even
homelessness
prevention-related
programs.
32 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
41 Packet Pg. 756 of 948

APPENDIX
A:

Income
Categories
and
Definitions
This
report
uses
the
following
definitions
for
income
categories,
which
combines
the
definitions
in
the
U.S.

Department
of
Housing
and
Urban
Development’s
Comprehensive
Housing
Affordability
Strategy
Data
and
the
California
Department
of
Housing
and
Community
Development
annual
income
limits.

Note
that
there
are
slight
differences
between
how
these
two
data
sources
define
income
categories
(for
example,
the
state
has
an
“acutely
low
income”
category,
and
uses
a
“moderate
income”
category),
but
for
the
purposes
of
comparing
data,
the
definitions
were
combined
as
follows.

Income
Categories
Extremely
Low
Income
(ELI)
Less
than
30%
of
Area
Median
Income
Very
Low
Income
(VLI)
30%
to
50%
of
Area
Median
Income
Low
Income
(LI)
50%
to
80%
of
Area
Median
Income
Median
Income
(MI)
80%
to
100%
of
Area
Median
Income
Above
Median
Income
(Above
MI)
Above
100%
of
Area
Median
Income
In
Santa
Clara
County,
the
categories
above
correspond
with
the
following
income
limits,
per
the
California
Department
of
Housing
and
Community
Development,
as
of
May
9,
2024:

Household
Size:
1 2
3 4
5 ELI
$38,750
$44,250
$49,800
$55,300
$59,750
VLI
$64,550
$73,750
$82,950
$92,150
$99,550
LI
$102,300
$116,900
$131,500
$146,100
$157,800
MI
$129,000
$147,450
$165,850
$184,300
$199,050
Any
income
above
MI
would
be
considered
“Above
Median
Income”
in
the
report.
33 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
42 Packet Pg. 757 of 948

APPENDIX
B:

Definitions
of
Terms
This
report
uses
the
following
definition
of
terms.

These
definitions
come
from
the
Santa
Clara
County
Office
of
Supportive
Housing’s
Glossary
of
Terms:

Coordinated
Assessment/Entry
System
(CAS/CES):

Coordinated
Assessment/coordinated
entry
is
a
consistent,
community
wide
intake
process
that
is
used
to
match
people
experiencing
homelessness
to
existing
community
resources
that
are
the
best
fit
for
their
situation.

Coordinated
assessment
maximizes
the
use
of
available
resources
and
minimizes
the
time
and
frustration
people
spend
while
trying
to
find
assistance.

It
also
identifies
and
quantifies
housing
and
service
gaps
and
thereby
enables
effective
and
efficient
systems
planning.

Homeless
Management
Information
System
(HMIS):

Help
Management
Information
System
or
Homeless
Management
Information
System.

The
HMIS
is
a
secure
online
database
that
stores
data
on
all
homelessness
services
provided
in
Santa
Clara
County.

Homelessness
Prevention:

Homelessness
prevention
is
a
key
component
of
the
Santa
Clara
County
Community
Plan
to
end
homelessness.

The
homeless
prevention
program
focuses
on
individuals
and
households
at
risk
of
homelessness
in
the
community
and
provides
critical
homeless
prevention
resources
and
services
to
them.

Permanent
Supportive
Housing
(PSH)
program:

Permanent
Supportive
Housing
program
provides
permanent
housing
and
supportive
services
to
chronically
homeless
individuals
and
families.

The
target
population
for
permanent
supportive
housing
program
are
chronically
homeless
individuals
with
a
disability.

The
program
focuses
on
the
population
that
has
high
acuity
and
high
costs.

The
program
provides
rental
subsidy,
intensive
case
management
and
health
care
(including
behavioral
health)
to
the
program
participants.

There
is
usually
no
time
limit
for
the
program.

PSH
has
been
seen
to
have
a
high
impact
on
housing
stability.

Nationally
84%
of
program
participants
have
been
observed
to
retain
housing
for
at
least
a
year.

Point-in-Time
(PIT)
Count:

Point-in-Time
Count
refers
to
the
Homeless
Census
and
Survey
that
is
undertaken
every
two
years
in
the
last
ten
days
of
January.

It
is
mandatory
for
all
jurisdictions
receiving
funding
from
HUD
to
undertake
the
Point-in-Time
Count.

The
data
34 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
43 Packet Pg. 758 of 948

gathered
from
the
count
helps
the
County
and
local
homeless
service
providers
to
better
understand
the
needs
of
the
community,
evaluate
the
current
system
of
services,
and
apply
for
federal
and
local
funding.

RRH
(Rapid
Rehousing
program):

Rapid
rehousing
is
an
intervention
that
has
been
seen
to
be
a
successful
model
in
addressing
the
issue
of
homelessness
in
different
parts
of
the
country.

There
are
three
core-components
of
rapid
rehousing–

1. Housing
identification,

2. Move-in
and
rent
assistance
and

3. Rapid
rehousing
case
management
and
services.

The
clients
are
provided
shallow
or
declining
rent
subsidy,
other
temporary
financial
assistance
and
time-limited
case
management.

It
has
been
observed
that
rapid
rehousing
helps
individuals
and
families
to
quickly
exit
homelessness,
return
to
housing
in
the
community
and
not
become
homeless
again
in
the
near
future.

VI-SPDAT:

Vulnerability
Index
–
Service
Prioritization
Decision
Assistance
Tool:

The

VI-SPDAT
is
a
part
of
the
coordinated
assessment
process.

The
tool
is
used
at
the
time
of
intake.

It
considers
the
household’s
situation
and
identifies
the
best
type
of
housing/supportive
services
intervention
to
address
the
household’s
situation.
35 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing
and Unhoused Services
Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
44 Packet Pg. 759 of 948

APPENDIX
C:

Programs
and
Services
in
Other
Municipalities
(not
inclusive
of
existing
Palo
Alto
Programs)
Category
Program
Specific
Programs
Relevance
to
Palo
Alto
Needs
Considerations
Participating
Municipalities
Homelessness
Prevention
Renter
Protections
●
Rent
stabilization
(capping
rent
increases)●
Right
to
petition
(for
tenants
and
property
owners)●
Right
to
petition
for
habitability
issues
Rent
stabilization
may
prevent
some
households
from
falling
into
further
housing
cost
burdens.

More
universally
relevant,
however,
is
the
ability
for
households
to
petition
when
renter
protections
are
not
followed
—
something
not
currently
feasible
outside
of
court
for
a
Palo
Alto
resident.

This
typically
doesn’t
exist
outside
of
rent
stabilization,
however.

Will
require
the
creation
of
a
new
infrastructure
to
monitor
and
implement
these
protections.

Rent
stabilization
exists
in
various
forms
in:

East
Palo
Alto
Mountain
View
San
Jose
Los
Gatos,
and
several
other
Bay
Area
cities.
36 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing and
Unhoused Services Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
45 Packet Pg. 760 of 948

Category
Program
Specific
Programs
Relevance
to
Palo
Alto
Needs
Considerations
Participating
Municipalities
●
Housing
Payment
Equality
Ordinance
(protection
from
discrimination
based
on
payment
source
-
particularly
protects
tenant
seeking
housing
with
a
housing
voucher)
No
data
was
uncovered
to
determine
if
housing
discrimination
related
to
payment
source
was
an
issue
in
Palo
Alto.

Those
facing
this
issue
can
seek
help
from
the
City’s
partnership
with
Project
Sentinel.

City
of
San
Jose
Rent
Subsidies ●
Tenant
Based
Rental
Assistance
(TBRA)
This
rental
subsidy
program
is
typically
funded
by
HOME
funds,
but
that
doesn’t
preclude
Palo
Alto
from
using
another
funding
TBRA
programs
are
most
effective
in
places
where
there
is
unlikely
to
be
a
significant
increase
in
housing
production,
and
City
of
Santa
Clara,
City
of
San
Jose
37 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing and
Unhoused Services Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
46 Packet Pg. 761 of 948

Category
Program
Specific
Programs
Relevance
to
Palo
Alto
Needs
Considerations
Participating
Municipalities
source.

A
partnership
with
the
County
of
Santa
Clara
on
rapid
rehousing
programs
(see
below)
may
result
in
the
same
outcome.
where
it
is
feasible
for
households
to
pay
market
rents
after
an
initial
subsidy.

Neither
are
necessarily
the
case
in
Palo
Alto,
where
housing
production
goals
continue
to
grow
and
market
rents
continue
to
be
out
of
reach
for
many
full-time
working
households.

In
general,
housing
vouchers
often
go
unused
in
places
where
housing
is
scarce.
26 That
said,
a
small-scale
26 “Using
Emergency
Housing
Vouchers
to
Address
Homelessness.”
Terner
Center
for
Housing
Innovation,
UC
Berkeley.
https://ternercenter.berkeley.edu/research-and-policy/emergency-housing-vouchers-lessons/ 38 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing and
Unhoused Services Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
47 Packet Pg. 762 of 948

Category
Program
Specific
Programs
Relevance
to
Palo
Alto
Needs
Considerations
Participating
Municipalities
program
to
prevent
temporary
homelessness
for
households
that
have
an
immediate
emergency
that
lasts
beyond
the
initial
month
of
emergency
funding
currently
available
may
be
of
use.

Homelessness
Prevention
Funds
●
Some
cities
contribute
funds
to
the
County’s
Homelessness
Prevention
System
to
increase
funding
availability
for
those
in
need
of
services.

Last
year,
County
homelessness
prevention
funds
provided
an
average
of
a
little
more
than
$4,000/person
was
spent
on
111
Palo
Alto
households.

More
funding
would
increase
availability
to
households
with
The
City
could
work
with
the
County
to
determine
the
appropriate
funding
amount
to
address
likely
need
in
Palo
Alto
and
simply
pay
into
the
existing
program.

Any
additional
funds
would
be
Santa
Clara
contributes
additional
funds
to
the
system.
39 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing and
Unhoused Services Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
48 Packet Pg. 763 of 948

Category
Program
Specific
Programs
Relevance
to
Palo
Alto
Needs
Considerations
Participating
Municipalities
less
vulnerability.
added
to
the
larger
pool
meant
to
serve
the
whole
County.

The
current
Countywide
homelessness
prevention
system
pools
funds
and
uses
a
vulnerability
index
to
distribute
based
on
need.

LifeMoves
(at
the
Opportunity
Services
Center)
is
the
most
local
distributing
agency,
but
there
is
a
“no
wrong
door”
policy
that
allows
Palo
Altans
to
access
funds
from
multiple
agencies.

Displacement ●
Tenant
Several
Bay
Area
This
type
of
San
Jose
40 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing and
Unhoused Services Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
49 Packet Pg. 764 of 948

Category
Program
Specific
Programs
Relevance
to
Palo
Alto
Needs
Considerations
Participating
Municipalities
Response
&
Prevention
Opportunity
to
Purchase/Co
mmunity
Opportunity
to
Purchase
Acts
(TOPA/COPA)
cities,
including
San
Jose,
are
exploring
this
rule,
which
would
require
private
residential
property
owners
to
give
either
their
tenants,
or
a
community
partner
(like
an
affordable
housing
non-profit)
the
first
opportunity
to
purchase
housing
that
is
set
to
be
sold
for
redevelopment,
at
a
market
price.

Given
that
the
City
has
significant
rental
housing
stock
that
is
nearing
a
natural
need
for
upgrade,
it
may
be
worthwhile
for
the
City
to
explore
options
to
stem
displacement
intervention
has
not
yet
been
successfully
implemented
in
the
Bay
Area
and
would
require
significant
work
with
stakeholders,
as
well
as
a
funding
mechanism,
to
be
effective.

TOPA/TOCA
is
not
the
only
tool
needed
to
address
displacement
-
funding
would
be
needed
as
well
-
but
it
may
give
the
City
or
affordable
housing
developers
the
opportunity
to
help
intervene
in
the
case
of
potential
41 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing and
Unhoused Services Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
50 Packet Pg. 765 of 948

Category
Program
Specific
Programs
Relevance
to
Palo
Alto
Needs
Considerations
Participating
Municipalities
and
to
consider
opportunities
to
rehabilitate
older
buildings
into
permanent
affordable
housing.
mass
displacement.

Shelter
Tiny
homes ●
Tiny
homes
The
City’s
Homekey
project
has
many
similarities
to
a
tiny
homes
project,
so
this
was
not
further
analyzed.

San
Jose
Non-congreg
ate
shelter
●
Motel
voucher/
motel
shelter
program
In
certain
circumstances,
typical
shelter
options,
and
even
a
non-congregate
shelter
like
the
one
the
City
is
building,
are
uncomfortable
or
feel
unsafe
to
certain
unhoused
households.

If
the
If
the
City
combines
such
a
program
with
a
specific
goal
(for
example,
no
unsheltered
families,
or
shelter
for
those
who
seek
it),
it
could
be
limited
in
nature.

The
City
would
Non-profits,
Domestic
Violence-related
agencies,
Santa
Clara,
San
Jose
(both
cities
converting
motels
into
non-congregate
shelters)
42 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing and
Unhoused Services Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
51 Packet Pg. 766 of 948

Category
Program
Specific
Programs
Relevance
to
Palo
Alto
Needs
Considerations
Participating
Municipalities
City,
working
with
a
non-profit
administrator,
had
a
small
fund
to
provide
motel
vouchers
for
some
households,
it
may
help
prevent
some
of
the
most
vulnerable
households
experiencing
homelessness
to
get
some
respite.

Alternatively,
or
in
addition,
a
motel
could
be
a
first
stopping
point
for
households
while
waiting
for
an
open
spot
at
the
City’s
new
Homekey-funded
non-congregate
shelter.
likely
need
to
seek
funding
partners,
as
well
as
a
non-profit
to
implement
the
program.

This
may
be
worth
considering
after
the
Project
Homekey
shelter
is
up
and
running,
to
determine
the
additional
need
for
non-congregate
shelter.
43 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing and
Unhoused Services Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
52 Packet Pg. 767 of 948

Category
Program
Specific
Programs
Relevance
to
Palo
Alto
Needs
Considerations
Participating
Municipalities
Often,
when
a
household
is
able
to
stabilize
in
a
safe
place,
they
have
more
time
and
capacity
to
engage
with
outreach
workers
on
problem
solving,
including
signing
up
for
additional
services
or
housing
lists.

Sanctioned
encampment
●
Sanctioned
encampment
The
City
of
San
Jose
is
considering
sanctioned
encampments
in
particular
to
help
move
an
unhoused
encampment
from
an
unsafe
location
to
more
desirable
locations.

This
proposal
is
unlikely
to
address
the
City’s
current
needs.?
San
Jose
Housing
Rapid
Rehousing
●
Rapid
Rehousing
The
City
has
32 rapid
rehousing
units
in
its
Rapid
rehousing
requires
a
subsidy
Santa
Clara
County
44 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing and
Unhoused Services Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
53 Packet Pg. 768 of 948

Category
Program
Specific
Programs
Relevance
to
Palo
Alto
Needs
Considerations
Participating
Municipalities
Units
pipeline,
compared
with
120
Palo
Altans
assessed
to
need
these
units.

These
units
are
meant
to
give
unhoused
households
a
deeper
rental
subsidy
at
first,
eventually
tapering
towards
more
typical
affordable
rents
as
the
household
stabilizes.

These
units
have
most
recently
been
funded
by
Santa
Clara
County’s
Measure
A
funds,
which
are
nearly
entirely
expended.

It
may
be
worth
reaching
out
to
the
County
to
explore
other
opportunities
to
bring
these
units
to
decrease
already
subsidized
affordable
units.

Investment
in
these
kinds
of
units
will
require
significant
additional
funds.

That
said,
if
this
population
is
determined
to
be
a
priority,
the
City
could
direct
its
affordable
housing
funds
towards
incentivizing
these
kinds
of
units.
45 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing and
Unhoused Services Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
54 Packet Pg. 769 of 948

Category
Program
Specific
Programs
Relevance
to
Palo
Alto
Needs
Considerations
Participating
Municipalities
to
Palo
Alto
developments,
however.

Permanent
Supportive
Housing
●
Permanent
Supportive
Housing
Units
Despite
45%
of
the
City’s
unhoused
population
assessed
to
need
permanent
supportive
housing,
there
are
no
permanent
supportive
housing
units
planned
in
the
City’s
affordable
housing
pipeline.

Permanent
Supportive
Housing
requires
funding
for
case
management,
in
addition
to
funding
for
the
affordable
units
themselves..

Investment
in
these
kinds
of
units
will
require
significant
additional
funds.

That
said,
if
this
population
is
determined
to
be
a
priority,
the
City
could
direct
its
affordable
housing
funds
towards
incentivizing
these
kinds
of
units,
as
there
is
already
a
46 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing and
Unhoused Services Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
55 Packet Pg. 770 of 948

Category
Program
Specific
Programs
Relevance
to
Palo
Alto
Needs
Considerations
Participating
Municipalities
Countywide
infrastructure
in
place
to
provide
case
management
to
these
kinds
of
units.

Infrastructure
Planning
Programs
●
Inclusionary
Rental
Housing
Requirement●
Additional
Incentives
for
Affordable
Housing
Creation●
Replacement
of
commercial
impact
fees
with
housing
development
requirements
Given
funding
shortages,
the
requirement
of
affordable
housing
development,
if
finely-tuned
so
as
to
not
meaningfully
stifle
development,
may
be
an
appropriate
way
to
increase
the
number
of
affordable
units
in
Palo
Alto.

Will
require
thoughtful
consideration
of
the
City’s
existing
housing
incentive
programs,
the
City’s
current
impact
and
in-lieu
fee
programs,
and
an
understanding
of
the
potential
impacts
of
these
requirements
on
development
in
general,
in
order
for
these
programs
to
actually
create
affordable
units.

Menlo
Park,
Campbell,
Los
Gatos,
Mountain
View,
and
others
have
similar
programs
in
place.
47 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing and
Unhoused Services Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
56 Packet Pg. 771 of 948

Category
Program
Specific
Programs
Relevance
to
Palo
Alto
Needs
Considerations
Participating
Municipalities
Staffing ●
Centralized
Housing
Staff
Many
cities,
including
the
cities
of
Milpitas,
Morgan
Hill,
Cupertino,
Mountain
View,
Santa
Clara,
Sunnyvale,
and
San
Jose
have
a
specific
housing
department
whose
role
is
to
administer
the
City’s
various
housing
programs.

Some
cities
have
a
housing
team
that
mainly
works
on
issuing
funds
and
supporting
affordable
housing
developments.

Others
have
housing
teams
that
also
implement
supportive
programs
serving
unhoused
communities.

Still
others
focus
on
rental
protections.

Nearly
all
require
investment
into
work
related
to
grant
funding
and
coordination
with
potential
partners.

Milpitas,
Morgan
Hill,
Cupertino,
Mountain
View,
Santa
Clara,
Sunnyvale,
and
San
Jose
48 Item 18
Attachment A - Housing and
Unhoused Services Gap Analysis

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
57 Packet Pg. 772 of 948

Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
58 Packet Pg. 773 of 948

2 Executive Summary
This report gives a 2024 analysis of homelessness in Palo Alto. It uses both data and interviews with local service providers to present its findings on the demographics, housing issues, and service needs of the local unhoused community. Key findings include a high rate of unsheltered homelessness. Long-term homelessness affects 62% of the unhoused and unemployment affects 60% of the community. Many of the unhoused individuals in Palo Alto have strong local ties. Service providers stress that trust-based outreach is essential, as it helps build relationships and increases engagement with the homeless community. The report supports hope in the community's ability to make progress through outreach and services.

Introduction
The City of Palo Alto is a beacon of innovation and leadership within the Bay Area. Few cities match the spirit of civic involvement and neighborly support that defines this community. While it is home to some of the nation’s wealthiest individuals, it is also home to those who face significant economic challenges. The City Council of Palo Alto has called for a deeper, more comprehensive understanding of the city’s unhoused population as part of a larger effort to prioritize community well-being.
1 At a high level, people experiencing homelessness in Palo Alto are different than the overall County unhoused population. When examining a single year, more people in Palo Alto experiencing homelessness are unsheltered (91%) than countywide (75%) and are more likely to be sheltering in a vehicle (88%) than countywide (32%).2 Unhoused individuals can be sheltered meaning they have temporary housing like a shelter or a couch to sleep on or they can be unsheltered meaning they are living on the street, a car, or a place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation.

The infographic below highlights some statistics of the unhoused in Palo Alto, gathered from Santa Clara County.

1 Palo Alto City Council. December 4, 2023. Action Minutes. Item 10. https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/Public/CompiledDocument?meetingTemplateId=13063&c ompileOutputType=1
2 2023 Santa Clara County PIT Count Data.

Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
59 Packet Pg. 774 of 948

3 Note: Data from Palo Alto affiliated individuals taking an assessment to receive services between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024. Veteran data was gathered from September 1, 2022 to August 31, 2024.

This report provides a look at those experiencing homelessness in Palo Alto in 2024, outlining their stories, needs, and the services available to them as told by local service providers. It responds to Palo Alto City Council direction to explore clearer data on the population and condition of unhoused in Palo Alto.3

3 Palo Alto City Council. December 4, 2023. Action Minutes. Item 10. https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/Public/CompiledDocument?meetingTemplateId=13063&c ompileOutputType=1
Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
60 Packet Pg. 775 of 948

4 Process
This report's findings are derived from a thorough analysis of demographic data and personal stories from individuals experiencing homelessness in Palo Alto. The information collection process involved sifting through quantitative data and conducting qualitative interviews to understand the story behind the data.

Interviews were held with local service providers, community workers, and city outreach employees, to gather their experiences in their interactions with the unhoused population. A structured set of questions was used for all interviews to minimize bias and ensure consistency across interviews.

Santa Clara County provided housing data specific to Palo Alto. There are two primary methods used to assess the number of unhoused individuals:

1. Point-in-Time (PIT) Counts: Conducted biannually, this method captures a snapshot of homelessness within a 24-hour period during the last week of January. Every individual seen on that night is counted, and this total represents the city’s official homelessness figure for the year in which it is counted, per guidelines from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

2. Homeless Management Information System (HMIS): HMIS collects data over time, tracking the number of individuals who have completed the Vulnerability Index – Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool (VI-SPDAT), a critical pre-screening tool used to assess the health and social needs of unhoused individuals. The VI-SPDAT helps connect individuals to appropriate housing and support services through the county. 4 Any person who has answered “Palo Alto” to any of the following VI-SPDAT assessment questions was counted in the Palo Alto HMIS count:
● In which city do you spend most of your time?
● Which city did you live in prior to becoming homeless? ● If employed, what city do you work in?
● If you go to school, in which city is your school?
The use of both PIT counts and HMIS data provide a picture to help identify trends and a more detailed assessment which can help in evaluating the efficacy of services. For the qualitative interview questions, refer to Appendix A. Appendix B contains the full VI-SPDAT questionnaire.

Appendix C contains data from Santa Clara County, covering data collected over a two-year

4 Santa Clara County is a Continuum of Care (CoC), the regional planning body coordinating the funding for HUD services. Santa Clara County is the CoC for Palo Alto. As a CoC it is mandated that Santa Clara County maintain a Coordinated Entry System (CES). The CES is the process for guiding individuals from initial contact with service providers to receiving services and housing.

The VI-SPDAT is typically included in the formal referral for services, which is a required first step for individuals seeking access to HUD-funded resources.

Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
61 Packet Pg. 776 of 948

5 period. Appendix D contains data from Santa Clara County, covering data collected over a one- year period.

Homeless count data
PIT-The One Day Snapshot
The 2023 PIT counts indicate a national homelessness crisis with approximately 582,462 people experiencing homelessness in the United States. Broken down by state, California ranks highest in PIT counts, with over 171,521 people experiencing homelessness—nearly 44 people per 10,000 residents—California's rate far exceeds that of any other state. The need for policy intervention is acutely felt in California given that the scale of homelessness greatly outpaces that of New York and Florida, the next two largest states by homeless population.

As reflected in data from several key Continuums of Care, the Bay Area is consistent with California’s high levels of homelessness.
5 Geographically, Palo Alto is located at the northern
boundary of Santa Clara County near San Mateo County. For that reason, staff looked at both counties’ counts. San Mateo County conducts counts in even number years, in 2024, 1,808 individuals were recorded as experiencing homelessness.6 While in Santa Clara County, counting in odd number years, recorded 9,903 individuals in 2023. Though Santa Clara County’s overall population is more than 2.5 times that of San Mateo County, it counted more than 5 times the unhoused population.

The 2023 PIT count recorded 206 unhoused individuals in Palo Alto, or 3.3% of the total Santa Clara County PIT count. For context, Palo Alto’s overall population is 3.5% of the county’s, thus its share of the unhoused population is at a similar rate. Palo Alto is not immune from this larger trend of homelessness even with its small population size and large amount of wealth.

HMIS – Entries and Exits to and From Homelessness
Looking at the HMIS database which tracks how people are accessing services and attaining housing, it is possible to also get a picture of people newly experiencing homelessness. As shown in the Table 1 below, the number of Palo Alto-affiliated households experiencing homelessness spiked 30% during the pandemic from 138 in 2019 to 180 in 2021.7 Since then, the inflow has decreased, but has not declined to pre-pandemic levels.

5 Ibid.
6 2024 One Day Homeless Count | County of San Mateo, CA (smcgov.org) 7 Santa Clara County HMIS Data for Palo Alto. Homeless Inflow from 2019-2023.

Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
62 Packet Pg. 777 of 948

6 Table 1 – Homeless Inflow, 2019-2023
Year 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Total
Homeless
Inflow (Santa
Clara
County)
4,751
3,445 3,175 3,473 4,297
City of Palo
Alto
Affiliated
Inflow
138 147 180 165 168
Unsurprisingly, just as the pandemic coincided with dramatic increases in people newly experiencing homelessness, at the same time there was a 25% decline in “outflow” or placement of households in permanent housing from 87 placements in 2019 to 65 in 2021 with 138 and 180 new households of inflow, respectively. However, there is cause for encouragement, as placements rose to 80 with 168 household inflow in 2023 and already exceed that number for 2024.8
Employment and housing
It is often assumed that an individual experiencing homelessness is also experiencing unemployment. While this is often true, there is more to the story.

For individuals who completed a VI-SPDAT intake form between July 2023 and June 2024, most reported being either unemployed or having employment in Palo Alto. The pie chart below details the employment breakdowns.9

8 82 Palo Alto-affiliated households were placed in permanent housing as of June 30, 2024, with 154 new households counted in inflow.
9 Santa Clara County. Unhoused Households Affiliated with the City of Palo Alto, FY24.

Demographics of 269 households affiliated with the City of Palo Alto who took the VI-SPDAT during July 2023 to July 2024. “Employment of Palo Alto Affiliated Unhoused Households.” Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
63 Packet Pg. 778 of 948

7 Notably, 60% of unhoused individuals in Palo Alto report having no employment. Service providers shared the complex factors contributing to their clients’ unemployment, including a lack of stable housing, transportation challenges, and other systemic barriers. Addressing issues hindering employment, such as maintaining personal hygiene, securing reliable transportation, and adhering to consistent attendance and performance at work, can take time.

A local service provider shared the challenges a long-term client faced. They said he has been in and out of shelters and has been receiving local services for the past ten years, all while dealing with substance abuse issues, mental health issues, and a learning disability. According to the service provider, “he's been able to get jobs through different programs throughout Santa Clara, but [it’s] been hard for him to hold them down.” For unhoused individuals employed in Palo Alto, housing prices are a significant obstacle to getting and keeping housing. Despite having jobs, many individuals are priced out of the housing market due to the disparity between wages and the cost of living in the area. One service provider reflected on this disconnect: “The first sentence out of somebody's mouth when I say I work with unhoused folks is, ‘Oh, there's a lot of addiction and drug and mental health issues, aren't there?’ I think no one is putting the cost of housing in the first position when they think about what is causing homelessness in our area.” Even for those employed locally, high housing costs are a barrier that can lead to instability.

A household’s income level is central in determining its ability to maintain stable housing in the area. According to data collected through the VI-SPDAT intake forms over two years, most Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
64 Packet Pg. 779 of 948

8 unhoused households in Palo Alto have little to no income. Table 3 outlines the household income breakdowns. 10
These data show that 64% of households report having no income and face severe economic challenges. Only 13% of households earn more than $2,000 per month, an income level that still does not guarantee the ability to secure and maintain housing in one of the country's most expensive real estate markets.

A large portion of Palo Alto's unhoused population is in a state of long-term homelessness. The “Time Since Stable Housing” bar graph below outlines this breakdown.11

For 62% of the unhoused in Palo Alto, it has been a year or more since they have been stably housed. Prolonged periods of homelessness compound the many difficulties of re-entering stable housing.

Current services
Palo Alto offers many resources and services to unhoused individuals. The accompanying gap analysis details these services and the ongoing needs within the current offerings. Through outreach and collaboration with local service providers including LifeMoves, Downtown Streets

10 Santa Clara County. Unhoused Households Affiliated with the City of Palo Alto, 2022- 2024. Demographics of 534 households affiliated with the City of Palo Alto who took the VI- SPDAT during Sept. 2022 to August 2024. “Total Household Income Levels (Based on Most Recent Program Enrollment).”
11 Santa Clara County. Unhoused Households Affiliated with the City of Palo Alto, 2022-2024.

Demographics of 534 households affiliated with the City of Palo Alto who took the VI-SPDAT during Sept. 2022 to August 2024. “Time Since Stable Housing”.

Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
65 Packet Pg. 780 of 948

9 Team, Peninsula Healthcare Connection, Heart and Home Collaborative, MayView Community Health Center, Karat School Project, and Move Mountain View, Palo Alto is able to offer essential services such as healthcare, mental health support, and job and shelter placement.

Current city outreach efforts seem to have been instrumental in supporting greater acceptance of services and engagement. As one provider shared, “Now that we're part of outreach and we have two outreach workers who go out in the field, we are able to meet them with our team...the process is starting out on the streets, which is exciting...we are now able to reach them.”
Ongoing connection with unhoused individuals has seen successes, such as with a long-time Opportunity Services Center (OSC) user who
lived on the streets of Palo Alto for a very long time. He didn’t really engage with our services other than for breakfast and lunch. In the past few months, we’ve gotten him to fully engage in case management and got him into Hotel de Zink. He downsized a lot, and we were able to get him a storage unit to keep things valuable to him while continuing to work on his hoarding behaviors.

Another success story involves a man a service provider worked with for a while. He grew up in foster care and had misdemeanors outside Santa Clara County. After struggling for a while in Palo Alto, he started volunteering with the provider daily to find purpose. Over time, they offered him a job. He’s now working two jobs and the provider reports substantial improvement—he’s showering, dressing well, and seems much happier and more focused.

Another provider noted that building trust and providing long-term support starts with getting a case plan and supporting individuals while they wait for a call back from housing services.

And during that time, we're working on general life skills, so sometimes hygiene is a problem. We'll work on that. And sometimes just food insecurity…While we wait for that process, we're just supporting them on some of those life skills. . . . And what we like to call that is getting them shelter-ready. There's housing ready, and shelter ready, so we're trying to get them to that place where they will be successful in a shelter.

They emphasized the importance of consistent support to help individuals transition into work and housing. The provider notes that they do a warm handoff with the shelter and then continue to support the client until they can ensure the placement is a good fit and the client’s needs are being met.

Safe parking program
Safe parking provides a structured environment for individuals living in their vehicles to park for an extended period of time while seeking permanent housing. This program offers not only a safe place to park but also essential support services aimed at helping participants transition to more stable living situations. The parking locations in Palo Alto often include access to restrooms, showers, and sanitation services, key factors of quality-of-life improvements.

Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
66 Packet Pg. 781 of 948

10 Safe parking has been particularly beneficial for families, as one provider shared, “We had a family with two boys who go to school in Palo Alto. They couldn’t afford housing, but if we didn’t help, they would end up living on the street. Safe parking gave them stability, and the boys could stay in school—it was life-changing for them.” Family groups are a common sight in the Palo Alto safe parking locations. A provider noted that this can lead to stronger community ties with schools, such as when, “[ . . . ] we had a few kids in that lot, and the school bus was coming, and the school district was working with us on the transportation for them. . . . Actually, the school district even donated some books to our library. . . . [I]t’s great to see the community come together to support these families.” Community ties also grow in the safe parking program itself, as one provider described, “Safe parking has created a sense of community . . . people aren’t isolated anymore, and there’s less loneliness . . . . they look out for each other now.” This sentiment is echoed in residents' experience in RV lots. A provider for safe parking expressed:

And then I think there are lots of big RV lots that have created a community. People are not isolated to some side street kind of watching each other and only trusting this one and not that one. But I think that has been very helpful, less of that loneliness and the ability to have made friends, in the sense of community and responsibility for their area, because a lot of them report to us if something is wrong or somebody that's not part of the program comes in.

For children, this sense of belonging is crucial. As one provider expressed, “For the children . . . saying I live in a parking lot is any better than saying I live on the street, but at least we have a community to come to. So at least to give that much dignity to them . . . humanity goes first, always.” Safe parking, with its sense of community and safety, has created a space where people can connect and support each other. In many ways, it reflects the values of Palo Alto neighborhoods.

For many individuals, having a safe place to park their vehicles provides more than physical security. One client expressed to a provider, “Do you know how great it is to have a safe parking place? . . . It frees my mind to know that at night, I have a place to go.” The provider said, “That gave her the freedom to start thinking about other things beyond sheer survival.” Though unusual, as providers noted, safe parking has embedded itself in the community and provided an opportunity for the unhoused, local leaders, hosts, and neighboring residents to unite in building a supportive space for people and families.

Success stories
The success stories in the Palo Alto unhoused community are not infrequent and represent individual resilience and the efficacy of local services. One provider shared, “We have a client who has been coming here for over ten years. . . . he’s dealt with substance abuse, mental health issues, and a learning disability. Recently, he’s stayed sober for about three months, got a job as a crossing guard, and is reuniting with his daughter—that’s a huge win for us.” Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
67 Packet Pg. 782 of 948

11 Another individual has taken significant steps toward rebuilding his life after facing employment challenges: “There was a guy who had been living out of his van for a long time. He used to run a nonprofit but had trouble securing long-term employment. Recently, he got a job as a security guard after doing all the steps himself. It’s a big win for him, especially after struggling for so long.”
Family reconnection is a significant theme in these success stories. One provider recalled an individual came to them and said, “'My mom really wants to connect. She’s afraid of me being unhoused.' We got him a train ticket, and now he’s back with his family, working for his dad, doing really well. He went from being a vagabond to reconnecting with his family and stability.” Other stories show individuals overcoming years of distrust and hardship to find housing stability. One provider recounted, “We worked with a woman who had been unhoused for many years and had a hard time trusting the system. But we were able to help her get into housing within a month after doing the VI-SPDAT, and now she’s thriving.” Another story shared the transformative power of services. During the pandemic, a service provider encountered a young man without any form of identification. The man, having lost everything, explained, “I am nobody, I get nothing,” referring to his lack of ID and the inability to access services. The provider helped him obtain his birth certificate and an Idaho state ID. “When he received his ID, he was jumping up and down. He was like, 'I'm a person again. I am a person again!’”
Many individuals have developed survival strategies to navigate their environments. Referring to individuals in safe parking facilities, a provider noted that many people experiencing homelessness are in their situations because they could not afford to stay housed. The provider remarked,
And the misconception is ... if you're homeless, you're on drugs. Which is of course for some people it's true. The majority of our population, I would say no. And then if not that, then you know. You're poor and you're violent. You're going to steal. ... but our dwellers and car dwellers are not that[...] These are people who couldn't economically make it. And what they did was ... they made a plan, especially the RV dwellers. They decided my child is going to school here, and my child is going to finish school here. So I'm going to make a plan on how I can live and work here. So I'm going to make it.

Another service provider recounted a success story:

We were working with a woman who had been on the street for many years. She had significant mobility issues and clotting problems and was sleeping upright, which wasn’t good for her. Eventually, we got her housed through the expedited housing process, and now, after many years, she’s in a home and working on her health issues.

Targeted housing interventions can be so critical for older individuals with severe health concerns who often struggle to access appropriate care.

Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
68 Packet Pg. 783 of 948

12 For many, the road to stability involves securing necessities. A provider stated, “Success is not always about getting someone housed immediately. It’s about getting them a job, a place to shower, or an ID.” “Those are the steps that lead to bigger changes over time,” another provider added.

One provider shared that a man who used to have several calls for service targeted at his disruptive behaviors weekly, sometimes daily, now enjoys a consistent lifestyle.

I recently saw him, and he called me by name. He knew who I was after many run-ins, and he looks great. He says he's sober. He's living in a house with family in Palo Alto. . . .

He's actually a very pleasant person to talk to and has insight on things in the world. I think that's the most fun about the job is getting to hear these people's side of, you know, their perspectives on life. But that was super cool to see back to like a success story, right? Like maybe I had a small part of that.

The range of services in Palo Alto is making a significant difference in the lives of those who need it most.

Difficulties administering services
While there are many Palo Alto success stories, success is not straightforwardly attainable, particularly for older adults and individuals with severe mental health issues. One service provider discussed the difficulty of supporting an older client in a wheelchair in Palo Alto.

Achieving progress is tough because he refuses housing options, struggles with severe mental health issues, and is involved in drug use. He needs skilled nursing care, but shelters won’t accept him because he can’t meet basic daily living needs. His hygiene is a problem, as he lives in a tent and refuses to use diapers despite their efforts. Unfortunately, there are few resources for older, disabled individuals with substance use and mental health issues, leaving the providers facing significant roadblocks in helping them.

Often, the “standard” services do not meet unhoused individuals’ particular needs, and multiple encounters with insufficient services can leave people disenchanted about the available services. Building trust and providing long-term engagement are vital to helping these individuals access the support they need. One provider explained the process of getting individuals into the health clinic, noting
It takes sometimes five to six outreach attempts to get someone in here. A lot of folks have already been through the system. They've already been through caseworkers, medical teams, resources, and services, so they know how the system works. But they also know how the system doesn't work for them. . . . there's been a lot of stigma that's been applied to them in the past. So it's hard to trust any provider, right? So we need to build a lot of trust with them and really set what the expectations are. And a lot of times the expectation is just coming in to talk to us and keeping it focused on what their need is.

Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
69 Packet Pg. 784 of 948

13 Providers must often overcome significant barriers to establish trust with unhoused individuals.

As one service provider said, “You cannot do your job if you're not meeting the clients where they're at. It takes understanding them, getting to know them, talking through hard conversations with them.” Building this trust takes time. A provider said:

We work with a very unique population. Now, with this population, sometimes, the majority of the time, building rapport with these clients takes months. Maybe even a year. It may be over the year, but building rapport with the client is always the most important thing because you know the majority of these people have trust issues. They have abandonment issues, there's a lot of things that that take place in, in the type of work that we do. So when I say I'll work with clients, [for] long periods, it's building rapport with the client, checking in with the client, taking baby steps towards goals with the client.

Though tangible services are provided, the most difficult challenge for some individuals is accepting structured housing. One provider explained, “The ultimate challenge is getting them to actually want to receive housing. . . . A lot of them don't want to subside to society's rules and regulations [...] whether that’s you need to be clean and sober, they don't want that.” Many people want freedom, proximity to their family, and the ability to make choices on their terms.

A city employee noted that
A lot of the housing that not only the county but the state of California offers these folks have a lot of rules in place when they take in somebody, right? Whether that's, you need to show that you're trying to get a job, or there's a curfew, or you need to be clean and sober. They don't want that. They wanna be independent people and not have to answer to anybody.

Even with all the available services, individuals can decline assistance. For various reasons— whether personal preference, mental health challenges, or distrust of the system—some people may reject the resources available to them. In some cases, it can be too difficult for individuals to navigate the services offered, or they may feel that the help provided doesn’t meet their unique needs.

As one provider explained, “Sometimes there are clients that, they're so used to living out in the outdoors that that's where their comfort zone is, and being in a shelter is abnormal to them.” From these interviews, it seems that there is more demand for services tailored to those who require specialized care than availability. However, these provider perspectives also illustrate that for many, the struggle lies in accessing these services and also in their willingness to accept them.

Challenges for providers
Local service providers identified central challenges in their efforts to assist the unhoused community in Palo Alto. Stated challenges included a lack of adequate resources, trouble Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
70 Packet Pg. 785 of 948

14 meeting specific needs and dynamics within the unhoused population, and difficulties in ensuring that individuals are prepared to transition into stable housing.

One provider noted difficulty assisting undocumented immigrants, stating:

That's the tricky part with non-citizens or undocumented people is that they don't qualify for any of the federally funded housing. So it has to be that you get a job and we find an apartment that is within your price range, which is becoming less and less attainable to do. If they're senior citizens, income is also tricky because they can't increase their income. Most of them are not able to go back to work or only work minimally. So because of the expensive apartments here, it's hard to place senior citizens in housing as well.

Another noted the difficulty they have with a client who’s been struggling with substance abuse for years, and it’s hard to watch them spiral when there’s so little they can do to help. They need long-term treatment, but the resources just aren’t there. Another emphasized:

Just because the person has unusual behavior does not mean that they necessarily meet the criteria for a 5150 evaluation hold because at the same time you know I, when we do take place under a hold, we're taking away the freedom. And so I don't want to do that, obviously, unless they actually meet that criteria, which is a little difficult for some reporting parties or citizens to understand that although a person's behavior might be unusual, there are only certain times and criteria where I can actually. Force a person to receive a mental health treatment.

A provider echoed this frustration of a lack of resources, stating, “We work with clients who need more than just housing. They need a skilled nursing facility, but there’s nothing available for them...it’s incredibly frustrating to see these people fall through the cracks.” Providers also stressed the importance of challenging public misconceptions, with one noting, “The biggest misconception is that unhoused people don’t want help or are lazy. The truth is, many of them are working hard, but they just don’t have the resources or support to make it.” Additionally, service providers often face emotional challenges in building relationships with those they assist. One noted, “When you build relationships with people, care about them, and want to help, it’s really hard... You want to be optimistic, but it's hard to be in these conditions.” This emotional investment is coupled with the reality of limited resources and high demand for services in Palo Alto, as another provider explained: “We're a small community, but we have a huge need, especially for those vulnerable or at risk... Anyone that resides in Palo Alto is part of our community, housed or not. We want to ensure equitable access to services and care... But we need continued support from the county and city to do that.” Besides calling for more resources and support, providers also spoke to the complexity of individual needs. One said, “I no longer am able to look at it from a big picture problem. It’s more like an individual at a time issue...trying to find a solution from my own perspective that fits all of them is impossible because they all need different things.” Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
71 Packet Pg. 786 of 948

15 Understanding vulnerabilities
There are many factors that contribute to an experience of homelessness. Within the unhoused community, an assessment of particular vulnerabilities (the “VI-SPDAT”) determines the priority of the individual in the resources queue. Understanding vulnerabilities helps service providers identify those most likely to become or remain unhoused. The “VI-SPDAT Assessment Questions about Client Vulnerabilities” bar graph below breaks down vulnerabilities reported by clients affiliated with Palo Alto. 12

The diversity of difficulties faced by the unhoused, such as trauma, mental health issues, substance use, or past incarceration, can often make it challenging for them to accept services.

Each circumstance requires different support, but that does not guarantee straightforward navigability by the unhoused person. As one provider notes, “A lot of folks don't want to get housed because they've been burned because there are rules and there are barriers and boundaries that their mental health and substance use just can't cross yet. And that's why a lot of folks can't get housed, right? And we understand it as providers, but not everyone else understands it.”
While conditions like physical disabilities or certain mental health issues may be recognized as disabilities, other vulnerabilities—such as overall incarceration history—are not classified as such. This distinction can limit access to specific housing programs and protections designed for people with disabilities, further complicating the process of obtaining stable housing.

12 Santa Clara County. Unhoused Households Affiliated with the City of Palo Alto, 2022-2024.

Demographics of 534 households affiliated with the City of Palo Alto who took the VI-SPDAT during Sept. 2022 to August 2024. “VI-SPDAT Assessment Questions about Client Vulnerabilities (Client responded “Yes” to these questions).” Note: Contains duplicates.

Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
72 Packet Pg. 787 of 948

16 Medical problems further complicate a person's ability to maintain stable housing and engage with available services. Chronic illnesses, untreated medical conditions, and physical disabilities are prevalent among the unhoused, often worsened by the lack of consistent medical care. One story notes:
[a] guy that I worked with a couple of years ago and it was one of those things where he was on the City's radar and they're like, ‘Hey, this guy really needs some help. He's out in the parking lot,’ So we went out there and we did the VI-SPDAT. And this is during COVID so he got a house pretty fast. . . . His health was never addressed prior to that, so we were addressing this health as we were getting him housed. The issue was he was not able to take care of himself. So we tried to get all these services, but within two months he had a stroke. He couldn't take care of himself and then he had to go to long-term care. . . . But it's those kind of things where people are so quick to get someone off the street. That we’re not thoughtfully thinking about what they need, what these outcomes would look like. I mean, you put a 75-year-old into housing who hasn't been housing in years. Who has severe chronic health conditions. The Health Center can only do so much, right?
Community safety is a priority when addressing homelessness, but while efforts focus on helping the most vulnerable, not everyone can be fully protected from harm. One city employee pointed out, “In my experience as a patrol officer, I've gone to a number of calls where people are believing that the people experiencing homelessness are the suspects of certain crimes. The people experiencing homelessness are actually more likely to be victims of crimes than actually be suspects of crimes…”
Accessing mental health care is also a major obstacle. A provider noted:

It's really hard to get mental health help in Santa Clara County. I know that like people think that it's easy. Oh we have like a behavioral health urgent care. Well, it's way the heck in San Jose, not really on any bus line. And I know they'll do kind of emergency band-aid stuff but it's a hike for somebody to get even if they are open. For somebody to get on medication, it's 6 to 8 weeks before they take effect and they're not gonna feel good and they're gonna have all these side effects. And, I don't know, being unhoused and dealing with all of that. I mean, that's even if they can remember to take it every day.

Those who self-identified as women make up approximately 1/3 of the unhoused population 13 and face a unique set of challenges. Their vulnerabilities often put them at higher risk.

A provider noted that unhoused women are more vulnerable to harassment and exploitation.

In a small community like Palo Alto it is easy to track where people sleep. This knowledge can

13 Santa Clara County HMIS Data, FY 2024 for Palo Alto, 36% Woman/Other; 2023 Santa Clara County PIT Count Data, 32% Female. Note: The differences in data collection methods for HMIS and PIT account for the discrepancy in percentages.

Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
73 Packet Pg. 788 of 948

17 cause women to be targeted. Some women resort to sex work, trading for goods or protection.

Some women feel forced to align themselves with men for safety. The streets operate like a lawless zone where affiliations and decisions about day and night are crucial for survival.

Solitude as a woman on the street almost guarantees harassment. The provider said, “And so you kind of have to be strategic like where you sleep and who you sleep with. Like some people might be able to protect you and you don't have to have a sexual relationship, but if you're alone, 10 out of 10 times, you're going to be harassed if you're a woman.” One woman came asking for help for herself and her two daughters, needing a place to sleep for the night. Her boyfriend had kicked them out of his house and they had nowhere to go. The woman feared her children would be taken from her and she was willing to do anything, even sell herself, to care for her children. She took pride in the fact that she never had to resort to that. The employee gave her $100 from their personal funds and suggested they stay at an all- night restaurant, as it was the only option. Her ex later found out they were homeless and took the children in. It may be a long time before the woman can be reunited with them.

A client was living with three roommates who were using drugs and sexually assaulting her. She repeatedly reported the situation to HomeFirst but it took three days for a police report to be filed. The client had no support or follow-through so she left the house and ended up living on the streets. She faced harassment, had to frequently relocate, and lost her belongings during street sweeps. She now must carry everything with her and struggles to find a safe place to sleep every night. “This one woman I've talked about has gotten beaten. She's been raped, she's been assaulted, she's really skilled with a knife now which is super unfortunate,” the provider said.

Veterans make up a notable section of the unhoused population in Palo Alto, facing significant challenges, especially those with disabilities. Additionally, 41% of unhoused veterans are 65 or older, while 59% are between the ages of 25-64. Table 2 outlines the disability statuses of unhoused veterans in Palo Alto.
14 14 Santa Clara County. Unhoused Households Affiliated with the City of Palo Alto, 2022-2024.

Demographics of 534 households affiliated with the City of Palo Alto who took the VI-SPDAT during Sept. 2022 to August 2024. ”27 Unhoused Veterans Affiliated with the City of Palo Alto, by Disability Status.”
Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
74 Packet Pg. 789 of 948

18 Table 2 – 27 Unhoused Veterans Affiliated with the City of Palo Alto, by Disability Status, 2022-2024
Type of Disability Number of Households with the Disability Mental health affects housing
11 Physical disability limits housing options

12 Mental health, physical health, or substance
use disorder 12
One service provider recounted the story of, “Tony, a Vietnam combat medic, who walked out the door in 1982 and never came back. He was on the street for years. His daughters came looking for him after his death... He just snapped, and his family had made peace with his absence, but this was why he was on the street.” This story highlights the long-term impact that service-related trauma can have on veterans, many of whom continue to carry the burdens of their experiences long after their military service has ended. As the provider reflected, “Memorial Day comes 30 years later, and he still carries the weight of his service...he’s a veteran who’s battled mental health issues for years...it’s heartbreaking to see how we fail those who’ve served.”
The data on age reveal that the majority of individuals experiencing homelessness are between the ages of 25 and 64, with the largest group (24%) falling within the 35-44 age range. The “Unhoused Individuals in Palo Alto by Current Age” bar graph details this breakdown. 15 According to the graph, 21% of unhoused individuals are ages 25-34, and 18% are ages 45-54.

Additionally, those aged 65 or above make up 13%.

15 Santa Clara County. Unhoused Households Affiliated with the City of Palo Alto, 2022-2024.

Demographics of 534 households affiliated with the City of Palo Alto who took the VI-SPDAT during Sept. 2022 to August 2024. ”Unhoused Individuals in Palo Alto by Current Age.” Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
75 Packet Pg. 790 of 948

19 Older adults experiencing homelessness also may be impacted by health problems related to aging and the effects of being unhoused. A service provider shared a story illustrating the challenges faced by older adults experiencing homelessness:

What is the senior citizen supposed to do tomorrow if one trips and falls trying to get into the RV... and then you get sick? What happens when it’s that dangerous, you know? And then we know that hospitals will take you in if they, at least if they know you're homeless, the possibility of them keeping you and doing their process of case management if they can house you is very small.

The data in Tables 7 and 8 detail the household types and sizes of households experiencing homelessness in Palo Alto. The majority of households consist of a single adult and households include children. Table 3 further breaks down the household type. 16 Table 3 – Household Type (Based on VI-SPDAT Type), 2022-2024 Household Type Single Adult Households with
children
Single transitional-age
youth
Number of
Households 416 (78%) 95 (18%) 23 (4%)

16 Santa Clara County. Unhoused Households Affiliated with the City of Palo Alto, 2022-2024.

Demographics of 534 households affiliated with the City of Palo Alto who took the VI-SPDAT during Sept. 2022 to August 2024. ”Household Type (Based on VI-SPDAT Type).” Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
76 Packet Pg. 791 of 948

20 Unhoused households vary in size, particularly those with children. Table 4 outlines this.17 Table 4 – Household Size and Composition based on VI-SPDAT response, 2022-2024 Household
Size 1 Adult 1 adult, 1
child
1 adult, 2
children
1 adult, 3+
children
2 adults, 1+
child
Number of
Households 439 (82%) 38 (7%) 23 (4%) 12 (2%) 22 (4%)
In general, these tables show the bulk of unhoused in Palo Alto are single adults, although there is a significant percentage of families with children—almost 20 percent. Households with a single individual often encounter challenges, but those with multiple members and children face additional complexities related to housing and service needs. They also require coordination with educational and employment resources.

Housing outcomes
Many individuals experiencing homelessness in Palo Alto have deep-rooted ties to the community, and for some, staying in the city is essential due to lifelong connections. As one provider shared, “A lot of the people we contact have some tie here. They grew up here in a family home, went to Paly or Gunn, graduated high school...there are ties and I think that’s what the community doesn’t understand.” Another echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that “Most of the people we work with have some tie to Palo Alto. They grew up here, went to school here, or have family here . . . it’s not like they’re just showing up out of nowhere.” For many families, staying within the community is critical to ensuring children can continue their education in familiar environments, rather than being displaced to other areas. Santa Clara County is geographically vast and the bulk of the county services for the unhoused are not central to Palo Alto.

San Jose is where many individuals end up seeking housing and supportive services. San Jose houses many of the healthcare and housing services available in Santa Clara County. Palo Alto service providers give clients bus tickets to San Jose when they can for individuals who qualify for the county services.

In Palo Alto, 68% of unhoused individuals report having a disability over the past two years.

Meeting the needs particular to disabilities is a challenge for providers and clients alike. One service provider described their struggle to assist an older, wheelchair-bound client with serious

17 Santa Clara County. Unhoused Households Affiliated with the City of Palo Alto, 2022-2024.

Demographics of 534 households affiliated with the City of Palo Alto who took the VI-SPDAT during Sept. 2022 to August 2024. ”Household Size and Composition based on VI-SPDAT response.” Note: The ”1 Adult” category includes the count of ”Single transition age youth” seen in Table 3.

Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
77 Packet Pg. 792 of 948

21 mental health and substance abuse issues. Despite ongoing efforts, the client refuses all housing options, including interim supportive housing, and due to his inability to perform basic daily tasks, shelters won’t accept him. A different provider voiced frustration, saying, “Some people don’t realize they need mental health treatment, and even if they do, the resources are so limited . . . it’s almost impossible to get the help they need in Palo Alto.” Despite difficulties, people are getting connected to . Data indicates that the majority of Palo Alto-affiliated people who receive housing services end up accessing emergency shelters. Table 5 demonstrates where individuals find shelter.
18 Table 5 – Emergency Shelter Program Enrollments, by City (Contains Duplicates) for 205 Unhoused Palo Alto Affiliated Households, Sept. 2022 to August 2024 City of
enrollment San Jose Palo Alto Sunnyvale Mountain
View Gilroy
Number of
households
147 (45%) 54 (10%) 50 (15%) 49 (15%) 14 (4%)
The most common unhoused services or programs that Palo Alto-affiliated households engaged with were services only, followed by emergency shelter and street outreach. The least utilized services are also the most scarce—there is much higher demand for vouchers, permanent supportive housing, and transitional housing than there is availability. The “What programs did the 534 assessed households enroll/become housed in?” bar graph details this breakdown.19

18 Santa Clara County. Unhoused Households Affiliated with the City of Palo Alto, 2022-2024.

Demographics of 534 households affiliated with the City of Palo Alto who took the VI-SPDAT during Sept. 2022 to August 2024. ”Emergency Shelter Program Enrollments, by City for 205 Unhoused Palo Alto Affiliated Households.“ Note: Contains duplicates. Only contains data for those who enrolled in Emergency Shelter Programs.
19 Santa Clara County. Unhoused Households Affiliated with the City of Palo Alto, 2022-2024.

Demographics of 534 households affiliated with the City of Palo Alto who took the VI-SPDAT during Sept. 2022 to August 2024. “What programs did the 534 assessed households enroll/become housed in?“ Note: Contains duplicates. A client enrolled in one program in 2024 may have had different program enrollment in the previous year.

Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
78 Packet Pg. 793 of 948

22 Although 65% of households received services only, there is engagement with overall programming.

Establishing relationships and maintaining human dignity Traditional housing and care services, while essential, often fall short of addressing the comprehensive needs of unhoused individuals. To truly support this population, providers emphasized that relationship-building and the preservation of human dignity must be prioritized.

One provider illustrated this by saying, “I have all kinds of cough drops, you know, toenail fungus medicine. . . . all the stuff that seems really frivolous but it's all really important to somebody.” These items may not be essential or emergency services but fill needs of daily hurdles and frustrations individuals may encounter. These small gestures of care can restore a sense of normalcy and comfort to individuals.

For many, the road to stability is slow but achievable with persistent effort. One provider shared a recent success story: “We’ve had some long-term clients, and one recently got housing after years of living outside...this was a huge win for our team, but it took a lot of persistence and engagement to get there.” Another provider said, “One person had been on the streets for a long time, camping in Palo Alto. We built trust over many months, and eventually, we helped him reconnect with his parents. He’s now back living with them.” These stories illustrate providers experience that sustained, relationship-based outreach can help individuals reconnect with support systems and transition into stable housing. As one provider observed, “It’s all about building relationships with people. I don’t think of this work as just about getting Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
79 Packet Pg. 794 of 948

23 someone housed, it’s about moving them from A to B, supporting them in whatever way they need to move forward.”
People require much more than basic material support; they need friendship, dignity, and community to truly heal and move forward. Accepting services is only the first step. As another provider put it, “Fine, they will accept services. Then what? Expecting people to make that jump from zero to normal is insane. Otherwise, they get left behind.” The real challenge is supporting people through the gradual process of recovery, building trust, and restoring their dignity over time. “A win is very different for our site than it is at any other site... we count small wins as wins and big wins as wins. For us, it’s about supporting people with dignity and getting them ready for the next step, even if it takes months,” noted another provider.

In order to support people with dignity, some providers spoke of humanizing people experiencing homelessness, as one provider shared, “I try to challenge people . . . like, have you ever considered this is somebody's son? If you were their parent, how would you want them to be treated?” Another provider demonstrated this by reflecting on the general population’s proximity to an experience of homelessness:

After working here, I honestly realized that all of us are much closer to being homeless than we ever are to hitting any sort of jackpot. And a lot of people I worked with have, had cancer or sickness, that the medical bills were such that they couldn't pay them and basically found themselves having cancer . . . I think that's definitely something that everyone needs to take into consideration is you can become homeless at literally anytime. It doesn't matter who you are, no matter what support you have life can flop you any which way.

Conclusion
The data and stories in this report reveal the realities of the experiences of the unhoused in Palo Alto. There is more to the story, but this report provides a route toward greater understanding. Long-term homelessness is the dominant unhoused experience in Palo Alto. The majority of individuals experiencing homelessness have been without stable housing for over two years. Many of these individuals have deep roots in the community, having grown up, worked, or attended school in Palo Alto. People don’t want to leave their home, but the challenges they face with obtaining stable housing can be a great burden. Employment barriers are a major sticking point of concern as many struggle to secure stable jobs due to housing instability, lifestyle barriers, and transportation issues. A job alone is not enough to guarantee relief from homelessness. The cost of living in Palo Alto exceeds what many households are able to earn. Health issues, particularly among older individuals, exacerbate many of the existing vulnerabilities. Additionally, large portion of the unhoused population suffers from mental health conditions, physical disabilities, or substance use disorders, making it nearly impossible for them to navigate the system or secure stable housing.

There is cause for hope. The Housing and Unhoused Services Gap Analysis sheds light on the variety of services available in Palo Alto. And, though local service providers have indicated that Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
80 Packet Pg. 795 of 948

24 services alone aren’t enough, there is space for programs and people to build trust and maintain long-term engagement with the unhoused to facilitate real progress.

The experience of homelessness is not singular. Each person occupies a unique place in the habitat of needs and services. Palo Alto’s connected and compassionate community can use the local spirit of innovation to further the efforts toward real belonging for all Palo Altans.

Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
81 Packet Pg. 796 of 948

25 Appendices
• Appendix A: Interview Instrument
• Appendix B: VI-SPDAT Questionnaire for Single Adults
• Appendix C: Santa Clara County Data on Unhoused Palo Altans, 2022-2024 • Appendix D: Santa Clara County Data on Unhoused Palo Altans, 2023-2024

Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
82 Packet Pg. 797 of 948

26 Appendix A
Interview Instrument
Pre-Interview: Email interview subject and request basic biographical info (i.e., name, job/role, years in job/role)

Introduction
Hello, my name is Kathryn Fortenberry, and I am the Management Fellow in the City of Palo Alto City Manager’s Office. I am working on a project that has the goal of providing a clear picture of who the unhoused in Palo Alto are. This interview and others will be used to inform a report which will be presented to the City Council. Do you have any questions for me regarding the purpose and use of this interview?
Do I have your consent to record our conversation and write some notes as we are speaking?

Initial question
MAIN: Thank you for meeting with me today. I would like to begin by asking if you could tell me a bit about the work you do.
• Could you walk me through a typical day of you serving the unhoused?

Daily Care
MAIN: Could you walk me through, start to finish, what a typical full cycle of care for an unhoused person looks like for you?
• If you could provide the ideal level of care, what would that look like?

Achievements
MAIN: Tell me about a win in your work. What does success look like? • Tell me about a time you were able to comprehensively assist someone. • Could you tell me about a time when assistance from you to an individual made all the difference in their life?

Limitations
MAIN: Could you tell me about your challenges or limitations in your work with the unhoused. • How do you navigate these difficulties?
• Tell me about a time when you were unable to help someone.

Misconceptions and Stereotypes
MAIN: What are some of the biggest misconceptions or stereotypes you’ve encountered about the unhoused community in Palo Alto?
• Could you describe to me different subgroups within the unhoused community? • Can you provide examples of how these misconceptions have affected the community's response to homelessness?
• How can the community better understand the realities faced by the unhoused? Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
83 Packet Pg. 798 of 948

27 Demographics
MAIN: Part of understanding the unhoused community includes getting to know what the demographic backgrounds of folks are. Can you describe who you most frequently serve in Palo Alto?
• What changes have you noticed in the demographics of the unhoused in your time in this role?

Stories
MAIN: Our City Council is interested in understanding what our unhoused community looks like and what their experiences are. Can you give me three stories that you have authorization to share with me about the unhoused in Palo Alto?
• How would you describe the unhoused population in Palo Alto? • Can you tell me a story of someone you've worked with that illustrates the challenges faced by the unhoused in Palo Alto?
o What were the most significant obstacles they faced in seeking help? o How did their situation evolve after accessing services?

Wrap up
MAIN: We have talked a lot about your work as a provider and you have shared excellent stories. Is there anything you would like to share with me that we have not yet discussed? Thank you for your time today. I have greatly appreciated your insights into the unhoused population in Palo Alto. If you have any client quotes or materials that you can share with me, please do. I look forward to following up with you when my report is complete.

Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
84 Packet Pg. 799 of 948

28 Appendix B
VI-SPDAT Questionnaire for Single Adults

Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
85 Packet Pg. 800 of 948

29 Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
86 Packet Pg. 801 of 948

30 Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
87 Packet Pg. 802 of 948

31 Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
88 Packet Pg. 803 of 948

32 Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
89 Packet Pg. 804 of 948

33 Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
90 Packet Pg. 805 of 948

34 Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
91 Packet Pg. 806 of 948

35 Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
92 Packet Pg. 807 of 948

36 Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
93 Packet Pg. 808 of 948

37 Appendix C
Santa Clara County Data on Unhoused Palo Altans, 2022-2024

Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
94 Packet Pg. 809 of 948

38 Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
95 Packet Pg. 810 of 948

39 Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
96 Packet Pg. 811 of 948

40 Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
97 Packet Pg. 812 of 948

41 Appendix D
Santa Clara County Data on Unhoused Palo Altans, 2023-2024

Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
98 Packet Pg. 813 of 948

42 Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
99 Packet Pg. 814 of 948

43 Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
100

Packet Pg. 815 of 948

44 Item 18
Attachment B -
Understanding the
Unhoused Community in
Palo Alto

Item 18: Staff Report
Pg.
101

Packet Pg. 816 of 948

City Council
Staff Report
Report Type: CONSENT CALENDAR
Lead Department: City Clerk
Meeting Date: December 9, 2024
Report #:2412-3852
TITLE
Adoption of a Resolution Accepting the Statement of Votes and Certificate of Election Results and Declaring the Results of the Consolidated Municipal Election Held on November 5, 2024; and Adoption of an Ordinance Approved by the Voters (Measure D) to Undedicate 0.33 Acres of El Camino Park; CEQA status - the Ordinance is exempt under Pub. Res. Code § 21080(b)(12).

RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council adopt (1) a resolution certifying the results of the election and (2) an ordinance approved by the voters (Measure D) to undedicate 0.33 acres of El Camino Park. The Clerk will transmit the Council Resolution and Ordinance to the Secretary of State as required by State law.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Attachment A is the Ordinance amending the area dedicated as El Camino Park to discontinue the park use of approximately 0.33 Acres, which was approved by the voters in the November 5, 2024 election. The City Charter requires that the Council formally adopt the ordinance after voter approval1 and only one reading is required before the ordinance becomes effective.2 Attachment B is the proposed Resolution canvassing the results of the November 5, 2024 Consolidated Municipal Election for the purpose of electing four councilmembers and voting on one proposed ballot measure, Measure D. The County Election Department canvassed the returns of the election as required by law and has certified the vote results for the City of Palo Alto as follows:

CANDIDATE TOTAL VOTES %
Greer Stone 14,717 15.55
George Lu 13,520 14.28
Pat Burt 12,925 13.65
Keith Reckdahl 11,561 12.21
1 See Govt. Code section 38451 as referenced in Appendix A to the City Charter. 2 See PAMC sections 2.04.270(b) and 2.04.330.

Item 4
Item 4 Late Packet Report

Item 4: Staff Report
Pg.
1 Packet Pg. 817 of 948

Doria Summa 11,551 12.20
Katie Causey 10,887 11.50
Cari Templeton 9,166 9.68
Anne W. Cribbs 7,462 7.88
Henry Etzkowitz 2,869 3.03
Total Votes 94,658
MEASURE D – DISCONTINUATION OF THE USE OF A PORTION OF PARK LAND AT EL CAMINO PARK
TOTAL VOTES %
Yes 22,806 73.77
No 8,107 26.23
Total Votes 30,913
The total number of registered voters in the City was 43,572; the total number of ballots including both mail-in ballots cast was 34,933. Results from each precinct are attached to the Resolution in Attachment B. According to the ROV, voters who do not know their precinct are assigned to precinct 0002001, which is why there are more votes cast than registered voters.

ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Ordinance of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Amending the Area Dedicated as El Camino Park to Discontinue the Park Use of Approximately 0.33 Acres Attachment B – Resolution Declaring the Results of the November 5, 2024 Election APPROVED BY:

Mahealani Ah Yun, City Clerk
Item 4
Item 4 Late Packet Report

Item 4: Staff Report
Pg.
2 Packet Pg. 818 of 948

NOT YET APPROVED
Ordi
nance No. _____
Ordinance of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Amending the Area Dedicated as El Camino Park to Discontinue the Park Use of Approximately 0.33 Acres The P
eople of the City of Palo Alto do ordain as follows:

SEC
TION 1. Exhibit A-19 of Title 22 (Parks) of the Palo Alto Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows (new text underlined):

EXHIBIT A-19 LEGAL DESCRIPTION EL CAMINO PARK
Beginning at the most northerly corner of that certain 1.194 acre parcel of land described in that certain sublease between the City of Palo Alto and Southern Pacific Railroad Company, dated October 2, 1939; thence S. 17° 13' 57" E. along the westerly line of said parcel 143.13 feet; thence S. 51° 41' 59" E. 421.31 feet; thence northeasterly along a tangent curve to the left, having a radius of 13.64 feet, through a central angle of 90 00' for an arc length of 21.42 feet to a point of reverse curve; thence southeasterly along a curve to the right, having a radius of

13.64 feet, through a central angle of 90° 00', for an arc length of 21.42 feet; thence S. 51° 41' 59" E. 122.41 feet; thence southerly along a tangent curve to the right, having a radius of 75 feet, through a central angle of 87° 29' 32", for an arc length of 114.53 feet, to a point of reverse curve; thence southerly along a tangent curve to the left, having a radius of 300 feet, to a point of reverse curve; thence southerly along a tangent curve to the left, having a radius of 300 feet, to a point of compound curve; thence continuing southerly along a tangent curve to the left, having a radius of 68 feet, through a central angle of 20° 03' 52" for an arc length of

23.81 feet, to a point of reverse curve; thence southwesterly, along a reverse curve to the right having a radius of 33.40 feet, through a central angle of 77° 52' 04", for an arc length of 45.39 feet, to a non-tangent point on the northeasterly line of El Camino Real; thence northwesterly, along said northeasterly line, the following courses and distances: N. 51° 13' 12" W. 566.52 feet; N. 42° 20' 20" W. 80.45 feet; along a curve to the left, having a radius of 1333 feet through a central angle of 8° 24' 00", for an arc length of 195.43 feet; N. 51° 08' W. 68.39 feet; along a tangent curve to the right, having a radius of 900 feet, through a central angle of 11° 08' 21", for an arc length of 174.97 feet; N. 39° 59' 39" W. 317.82 feet; along a tangent curve to the left, having a radius of 72 feet, through a central angle of 73° 09' 21", for an arc length of 91.93 feet; N. 45° 58' 59" W. 436.48 feet; N. 41° 16' 13" W. 151.00 feet; along a curve to the right, having a radius of 102 feet, through a central angle of 16° 19' 30", for an arc length of 29.06 feet, to a point of compound curve, along a curve to the right, having a radius of 12 feet, through a central angle of 90° 08' 53", for an arc length of 18.88 feet; N. 31° 10' 38" W. 85.53 feet; N. 51° 31' 10" W. 123.49 feet; N. 49° 31' 31" W. 69.11 feet to a point in the centerline of San Francisquito Creek; thence leaving said northeasterly line of El Camino Real, and running along the centerline of said creek S. 85° 56' 59" E. 164.52 feet and N. 62° 31' 01" E. 77.22 feet, to a point on the southwesterly line of the Southern Pacific right-of-way; thence southeasterly along the southwesterly line S. 51° 35' 10" E. 7.93 feet; S. 51° 41' 59" E. 797.87 feet and S. 46° 56' 10" E. 602.08 feet; thence S. 38° 18' 01" W. 60.00 feet to the point of beginning. Excepting Item 4
Late Packet Attachment
A - Ordinance of the
Council of the City of Palo
Alto Amending the Area
Dedicated as El Camino
Park to Discontinue the
Park Use of
Approximately 0.33 Acres

Item 4: Staff Report
Pg.
3 Packet Pg. 819 of 948

NOT YET APPROVED
therefrom the following described portion of Palo Alto Avenue: Beginning at the northerly terminus of the above described as "having a radius of 12 feet, through a central angle of 90° 08' 53", for an arc length of 18.88 feet"; thence easterly along a compound curve to the right, having a radius of 182 feet, through a central angle of 19° 27' 55", an arc length of 61.83 feet; thence N. 81° 46' 56" E. 59.63 feet; thence N. 84° 40' 59" W. along said right-of-way line 86.96 feet; thence S. 84° 40' 05" W. 192.23 feet; thence westerly along a curve to the right, having a radius of 382 feet, through a central angle of 7° 50' 24", an arc distance of 52.27 feet; thence S. 31° 10' 38" E. 85.53 feet to the point of beginning. Also excepting therefrom that portion thereof described in Resolution No. 5802 of the City of Palo Alto recorded July 16, 1980 in Book F442 of Official Records at Page 707, records of Santa Clara County, California. Also excepting therefrom that certain 0.551 acre parcel described as follows: Commencing at the intersection of the southwesterly line of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company's right-of-way, 230 feet in width, (as described in that certain easement of Leland Stanford to the Southern Pacific Railroad Company, dated November 23, 1892, and recorded October 28, 1915, in Volume 435 of Deeds at page 244, Santa Clara County Records, in which the bearing of said line is called North 51 28' West, which is also the southwesterly line of that certain easement (Palo Alto Agreement No. 224) granted by the Southern Pacific Railroad Company to the City of Palo Alto by Agreement dated October 2, 1939, and recorded November 27, 1939, in Book 954 of Official Records, page 567, Santa Clara County Records), with the center line of University Avenue produced southwesterly, as said University Avenue exists 75 feet in width (said intersection being the most easterly point of Parcel 1 as described in that certain lease of the Board of Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior University of the City of Palo Alto (Palo Alto Lease No. 3) dated June 10, 1915, and recorded by Stanford University on September 23, 1915, in Vol. P of Leases at page 333 et seq., Santa Clara County Records, in which the bearing of said line is called North 51 45" West); thence North 51 45' West along said southwesterly line a distance of 467.50 feet to the intersection of said line of right-of-way with the center line of Lytton Avenue (prolonged); a distance of 81.00 feet to a point on the southwesterly most line of Parcel No. 2, City of Palo Alto Agreement No. 46, dated October 2, 1939, and recorded October 30, 1939, in Book 951 of Official Records, page 580, Santa Clara County Records, which point is the true point of commencement; thence South 51 45' East, along said southwesterlymost line, a distance of 25.00 feet; thence South 38 15' West a distance of 120.00 feet; thence North 51 45' West a distance of 200.00 feet; thence North 38 15' East a distance of 120.00 feet to a point on the above mentioned southwesterlymost line of Parcel No. 2; thence South 51 45' East a distance of 175.00 feet along said line to the true point of commencement.

SAVE AND EXCEPT THE FOLLOWING DESCRIBED PORTION THEREOF DISCONTINUED FOR PARK PURPOSES PURSUANT TO A VOTE OF THE PEOPLE, AS CONFIRMED BY ORDINANCE NO. _____:

Real property in the City of Palo Alto, County of Santa Clara, State of California, described as follows:

Item 4
Late Packet Attachment
A - Ordinance of the
Council of the City of Palo
Alto Amending the Area
Dedicated as El Camino
Park to Discontinue the
Park Use of
Approximately 0.33 Acres

Item 4: Staff Report
Pg.
4 Packet Pg. 820 of 948

NOT YET APPROVED
Be
ing a portion of Park Parcel 1, as said Parcel 1 is described in that certain document, recorded on September 6, 2012, as Document 21840095, Official Records of Santa Clara County, more particularly described as follows:

COMMENCING at the most westerly corner of Palo Alto Station Grounds, as said Station Grounds are described in that certain easement from Leland Stanford to the Southern Pacific Railroad Company, dated November 23, 1892 and recorded October 28, 1915 in Volume 435 of Deeds at Page 244, Official Records of Santa Clara County, said point being marked by a found 3/4” iron pipe with wood plug and tack;
Thence along the northeasterly line of said Park Parcel, South 16°12’28” East, 56.48 feet to the POINT OF BEGINNING;
Thence leaving said point and continuing along said northeasterly line, South 16°12’28” East,

86.65 feet to an angle point in said northeasterly line; Thence along said northeasterly line, South 50°40’30” East, 4.34 feet; Thence leaving said northeasterly line, South 34°32’43” West, 24.21 feet to the beginning of a tangent curve to the right, having a radius of 273.00 feet; Thence southwesterly along said curve, through a central angle of 09°40’14”, for an arc length of 46.08 feet;
Thence South 44°12’57” West, 49.45 feet, to the beginning of a tangent curve to the left, having a radius of 49.50 feet;
Thence southerly along said curve, through a central angle of 62°46’25”, for an arc length of

54.23 feet to the northeasterly line of El Camino Real (State Highway 82); Thence northwesterly along said northeasterly line, North 41°18’51” West, 2.64 feet; to the beginning of a non-tangent curve, concave to the southwest, having a radius of 1,333.00 feet, with a radial line that bears North 48°17’29” East;
Thence continuing along said northeasterly line and northwesterly along said curve, through a central angle of 04°28’38”, for an arc length of 104.17 feet; Thence leaving said northeasterly line, North 44°14’48” East, 87.93 feet; to the beginning of a tangent curve to the right, having a radius of 260.50 feet; Thence northeasterly along said curve, through a central angle of 04°48’43”, for an arc length of

21.88 feet;
Thence North 49°03’31” East, 59.71 feet, to the beginning of a tangent curve to the left, having a radius of 19.50 feet;
Item 4
Late Packet Attachment
A - Ordinance of the
Council of the City of Palo
Alto Amending the Area
Dedicated as El Camino
Park to Discontinue the
Park Use of
Approximately 0.33 Acres

Item 4: Staff Report
Pg.
5 Packet Pg. 821 of 948

NOT YET APPROVED
Th
ence northerly along said curve, through a central angle of 66°09’32”, for an arc length of

22.52 feet; Thence North 29°22’27” East, 14.50 feet to the POINT OF BEGINNING.

Containing an area of 13,960 square feet, more or less.

SECTION 2. The area being discontinued for park purposes in Section 1 of this Ordinance is based on the legal survey attached as Exhibit 1.

SE
CTION 3. The area being undedicated as parkland by this Ordinance may only be used to construct a road linking the adjacent Palo Alto Transit Center with El Camino Real and related improvements, such as but not limited to: bus stops, utility infrastructure, landscaping, sidewalks, bicycle paths, safety infrastructure, parking spaces, lighting, signage and wayfinding , parking restrictions, and any improvement otherwise permitted in dedicated parkland (including those permitted after adoption of an ordinance).

SECT
ION 4. The City Council finds this proposed transit connector project exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The proposed project comes within the statutory exemption for “facility extensions not to exceed four miles in length which are required for the transfer of passengers from or to exclusive public mass transit guideway or busway public transit services.” Pub. Res. Code § 21080(b)(12). Due to its fixed location, Caltrain qualifies as an “exclusive public mass transit guideway” service. The proposed project would extend the existing transit center facility by approximately 210 feet, through the intersection of Quarry Road and El Camino Real, to facilitate the transfer of passengers to Caltrain, among other public transit services.

SE
CTION 5. Effective Date. This ordinance shall be effective only if approved by a majority of the voters and shall go into effect immediately after the vote is declared and this ordinance is adopted by the City Council.
//
//
//
//
Item 4
Late Packet Attachment
A - Ordinance of the
Council of the City of Palo
Alto Amending the Area
Dedicated as El Camino
Park to Discontinue the
Park Use of
Approximately 0.33 Acres

Item 4: Staff Report
Pg.
6 Packet Pg. 822 of 948

NOT YET APPROVED
SE
CTION 6. Execution. The Mayor is hereby authorized to attest to the adoption of this Ordinance by the voters of the City by signing where indicated below.

I he
reby certify that the foregoing Ordinance was PASSED, APPROVED by the People of the City of Palo Alto voting in the election set on November 5, 2024 and ADOPTED by the City Council pursuant to California Government Code section 38451 as incorporated into Appendix A to the Charter of the City of Palo Alto.

ATTE
ST:
_____________
_____________ ___________________________
City Clerk Mayor
APP
ROVED AS TO FORM: APPROVED:
_____________
______________ ___________________________
City Attorney or designee City Manager
_____________
______________
Director of Community Services
_____________
______________
Chief Transportation Official
Item 4
Late Packet Attachment
A - Ordinance of the
Council of the City of Palo
Alto Amending the Area
Dedicated as El Camino
Park to Discontinue the
Park Use of
Approximately 0.33 Acres

Item 4: Staff Report
Pg.
7 Packet Pg. 823 of 948

NOT YET APPROVED
Ex
hibit 1
Item 4
Late Packet Attachment
A - Ordinance of the
Council of the City of Palo
Alto Amending the Area
Dedicated as El Camino
Park to Discontinue the
Park Use of
Approximately 0.33 Acres

Item 4: Staff Report
Pg.
8 Packet Pg. 824 of 948

NOT YET APPROVED
Item 4
Late Packet Attachment
A - Ordinance of the
Council of the City of Palo
Alto Amending the Area
Dedicated as El Camino
Park to Discontinue the
Park Use of
Approximately 0.33 Acres

Item 4: Staff Report
Pg.
9 Packet Pg. 825 of 948

Item 4: Staff Report
Pg.
10 Packet Pg. 826 of 948

Item 4: Staff Report
Pg.
11 Packet Pg. 827 of 948

NOT YET APPROVED
125_20241205_ts24 1

Resolution No._____
Resolution of The Council of The City of Palo Alto Declaring the Results of the Consolidated General and Special Election Held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024

R E C I T A L S

A. On November 5, 2024, a municipal election was duly held in the City of Palo Alto pursuant to the provisions of Article III, Section 4 of the Charter of the City of Palo Alto for the purpose of electing four members to the City Council, each for a full term of four years expiring December 31, 2028 and to vote on one ballot measure at the request of the City Council: Ballot Measure D - Discontinuance of the Use of a Portion of Park Land at El Camino Park.

SECTION 1. The Council finds and declares that:

(a) A general and special municipal election was duly and regularly held on November 5, 2024, according to the Charter of the City of Palo Alto, Resolution Numbers 10165 and 10167, Ordinance 5625, and the election laws of the State of California;

(b) The total number of registered voters in the City was 43,572; the total number of ballots cast was 34,933; the total number of votes cast in the City at the municipal election for the purpose of electing four council members for full terms was 94,658; and the total number of votes cast for or against Measure D was 30,913;

(c) The total number of votes given and cast at the municipal election, including votes cast upon absentee ballots, was as follows for the candidates for City Council for full terms:

CANDIDATE TOTAL VOTES %
GREER STONE 14,717 15.55
GEORGE LU 13,520 14.28
PAT BURT 12,925 13.65
KEITH RECKDAHL 11,561 12.21
DORIA SUMMA 11,551 12.20
KATIE CAUSEY 10,887 11.50
CARI TEMPLETON 9,166 9.68
ANNE W. CRIBBS 7,462 7.88
HENRY ETZKOWITZ 2,869 3.03
TOTAL VOTES 94,658
Item 4
Late Packet Attachment
B - Resolution Certifying
the November 5, 2024
Election Results

Item 4: Staff Report
Pg.
12 Packet Pg. 828 of 948

NOT YET APPROVED
125_20241205_ts24 2
(d) Greer Stone, George Lu, Pat Burt, and Keith Reckdahl being the four candidates receiving the highest number of votes for the office of Council Member for a full four-year term, were duly and regularly elected for terms of four years commencing January 1, 2025 to serve as Council Members of the City of Palo Alto;

(e) The total number of votes given and cast at the municipal election, including votes cast upon absentee ballots, was as follows for Measure D:

MEASURE D – DISCONTINUATION OF THE USE OF A PORTION OF PARK LAND AT EL CAMINO PARK

Yes 22,806 73.77%
No 8,107 26.23%
TOTAL VOTES 30,913

(f) A majority of voters voted in favor of Measure D and it shall become a valid and binding ordinance upon City Council adoption in accordance with Govt. Code section 38451 as incorporated into Appendix A of the City Charter.

SECTION 2. Attached hereto as Exhibit "A" and incorporated herein by this reference is the statement of the results as required by Section 10264 of the California Elections Code.

INTRODUCED AND PASSED: December 9, 2024
AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

ABSTENTIONS:

ATTEST:

__________________________ _____________________________ City Clerk Mayor

APPROVED AS TO FORM:

__________________________
Assistant City Attorney

Item 4
Late Packet Attachment
B - Resolution Certifying
the November 5, 2024
Election Results

Item 4: Staff Report
Pg.
13 Packet Pg. 829 of 948

NOT YET APPROVED
125_20241205_ts24 3
EXHIBIT A – Statement of Results
(See following pages)
Item 4
Late Packet Attachment
B - Resolution Certifying
the November 5, 2024
Election Results

Item 4: Staff Report
Pg.
14 Packet Pg. 830 of 948

Item 4
Late Packet Attachment
B - Resolution Certifying
the November 5, 2024
Election Results

Item 4: Staff Report
Pg.
15 Packet Pg. 831 of 948

Item 4
Late Packet Attachment
B - Resolution Certifying
the November 5, 2024
Election Results

Item 4: Staff Report
Pg.
16 Packet Pg. 832 of 948

Item 4
Late Packet Attachment
B - Resolution Certifying
the November 5, 2024
Election Results

Item 4: Staff Report
Pg.
17 Packet Pg. 833 of 948

Item 4
Late Packet Attachment
B - Resolution Certifying
the November 5, 2024
Election Results

Item 4: Staff Report
Pg.
18 Packet Pg. 834 of 948

Item 4
Late Packet Attachment
B - Resolution Certifying
the November 5, 2024
Election Results

Item 4: Staff Report
Pg.
19 Packet Pg. 835 of 948

Item 4
Late Packet Attachment
B - Resolution Certifying
the November 5, 2024
Election Results

Item 4: Staff Report
Pg.
20 Packet Pg. 836 of 948

Item 4
Late Packet Attachment
B - Resolution Certifying
the November 5, 2024
Election Results

Item 4: Staff Report
Pg.
21 Packet Pg. 837 of 948

Item 4
Late Packet Attachment
B - Resolution Certifying
the November 5, 2024
Election Results

Item 4: Staff Report
Pg.
22 Packet Pg. 838 of 948

1 City of Palo Alto Council Member
Registered
Voters
Voters Cast
Turnout (%)
George Lu
Cari
Templeton
Henry
Etzkowitz
Keith
Reckdahl
Katie
Causey
Anne W.

Cribbs
Pat Burt
Greer Stone
Doria
Summa
16th Congressional District In-Person 43572 3538 8.12 % 1281 780 389 980 1064 799 999 1200 968 16th Congressional District Mail Voting 43572 31395 72.05 % 12239 8386 2480 10581 9823 6663 11926 13517 10583 16th Congressional District Total 43572 34933 80.17 % 13520 9166 2869 11561 10887 7462 12925 14717 11551 13th Senatorial District In-Person 43572 3538 8.12 % 1281 780 389 980 1064 799 999 1200 968 13th Senatorial District Mail Voting 43572 31395 72.05 % 12239 8386 2480 10581 9823 6663 11926 13517 10583 13th Senatorial District Total 43572 34933 80.17 % 13520 9166 2869 11561 10887 7462 12925 14717 11551 23rd Assembly District In-Person 43572 3538 8.12 % 1281 780 389 980 1064 799 999 1200 968 23rd Assembly District Mail Voting 43572 31395 72.05 % 12239 8386 2480 10581 9823 6663 11926 13517 10583 23rd Assembly District Total 43572 34933 80.17 % 13520 9166 2869 11561 10887 7462 12925 14717 11551 State Board of Equalization #2 In-Person 43572 3538 8.12 % 1281 780 389 980 1064 799 999 1200 968 State Board of Equalization #2 Mail Voting 43572 31395 72.05 % 12239 8386 2480 10581 9823 6663 11926 13517 10583 State Board of Equalization #2 Total 43572 34933 80.17 % 13520 9166 2869 11561 10887 7462 12925 14717 11551 County of Santa Clara In-Person 43572 3538 8.12 % 1281 780 389 980 1064 799 999 1200 968 County of Santa Clara Mail Voting 43572 31395 72.05 % 12239 8386 2480 10581 9823 6663 11926 13517 10583 County of Santa Clara Total 43572 34933 80.17 % 13520 9166 2869 11561 10887 7462 12925 14717 11551 5th Supervisorial District In-Person 43572 3538 8.12 % 1281 780 389 980 1064 799 999 1200 968 5th Supervisorial District Mail Voting 43572 31395 72.05 % 12239 8386 2480 10581 9823 6663 11926 13517 10583 5th Supervisorial District Total 43572 34933 80.17 % 13520 9166 2869 11561 10887 7462 12925 14717 11551 City of Palo Alto In-Person 43572 3538 8.12 % 1281 780 389 980 1064 799 999 1200 968 City of Palo Alto Mail Voting 43572 31395 72.05 % 12239 8386 2480 10581 9823 6663 11926 13517 10583 City of Palo Alto Total 43572 34933 80.17 % 13520 9166 2869 11561 10887 7462 12925 14717 11551 Total - In-Person 43572 3538 8.12 % 1281 780 389 980 1064 799 999 1200 968 Total - Mail Voting 43572 31395 72.05 % 12239 8386 2480 10581 9823 6663 11926 13517 10583 Contest Total 43572 34933 80.17 % 13520 9166 2869 11561 10887 7462 12925 14717 11551 Printed: Tuesday, December 3, 2024 2:42 PM Page 149 of 227Data Refreshed: Tuesday, December 3, 2024 2:41 PM Santa Clara
Santa Clara November 5 2024 General Election
November 5, 2024 General Election SOV by District
November 5, 2024
Item 4
Late Packet Attachment
B - Resolution Certifying
the November 5, 2024
Election Results

Item 4: Staff Report
Pg.
23 Packet Pg. 839 of 948

1 City of Palo Alto Council Member
Registered
Voters
Voters Cast
Turnout (%)
George Lu
Cari
Templeton
Henry
Etzkowitz
Keith
Reckdahl
Katie
Causey
Anne W.

Cribbs
Pat Burt
Greer Stone
Doria
Summa
0002001 In-Person 5 48 960.00 % 16 8 8 6 9 9 9 2 4
0002001 Mail Voting 5 5 100.00 % 3 1 1 3 1 1 2 2
0002001 Total 5 53 1,060.00
%
19 8 9 7 12 10 10 4 6
0002002 In-Person 2396 212 8.85 % 70 50 29 35 78 57 54 56 37 0002002 Mail Voting 2396 1672 69.78 % 640 501 189 393 593 359 504 539 381 0002002 Total 2396 1884 78.63 % 710 551 218 428 671 416 558 595 418 0002003 In-Person 2584 214 8.28 % 82 55 28 56 70 49 53 59 57 0002003 Mail Voting 2584 1973 76.35 % 883 551 165 612 693 412 696 786 684 0002003 Total 2584 2187 84.64 % 965 606 193 668 763 461 749 845 741 0002006 In-Person 87 1 1.15 % 1
0002006 Mail Voting 87 61 70.11 % 30 17 8 26 25 7 17 26 12 0002006 Total 87 62 71.26 % 30 17 8 26 25 7 17 26 13
0002009 In-Person 2781 292 10.50 % 101 68 37 78 95 56 85 79 85 0002009 Mail Voting 2781 1838 66.09 % 777 480 192 558 607 377 618 739 579 0002009 Total 2781 2130 76.59 % 878 548 229 636 702 433 703 818 664 0002013 In-Person 2479 176 7.10 % 71 39 21 79 45 37 59 63 50 0002013 Mail Voting 2479 1828 73.74 % 637 467 159 768 516 403 768 799 686 0002013 Total 2479 2004 80.84 % 709 507 180 847 561 440 828 862 736 0002014 In-Person 2879 264 9.17 % 88 59 23 80 79 67 65 100 87 0002014 Mail Voting 2879 2001 69.50 % 772 522 174 718 570 379 726 823 725 0002014 Total 2879 2265 78.67 % 860 581 197 799 649 446 791 923 812 0002016 In-Person 2954 291 9.85 % 98 54 36 78 80 65 81 96 89 0002016 Mail Voting 2954 1961 66.38 % 734 513 179 670 562 398 650 798 688 0002016 Total 2954 2252 76.24 % 832 567 215 748 642 463 731 894 777 0002018 In-Person 138 11 7.97 % 1 2 1 1 2 3 2
0002018 Mail Voting 138 70 50.72 % 33 29 15 12 31 17 17 13 22 0002018 Total 138 81 58.70 % 34 29 15 14 32 18 19 16 24 0002022 In-Person 7 3 42.86 % 1
0002022 Mail Voting 7 5 71.43 % 1 1 2 3 3 4
0002022 Total 7 8 114.29 % 1 2 2 3 3 4
0002026 In-Person 1653 119 7.20 % 48 36 11 38 44 31 35 42 36 0002026 Mail Voting 1653 1233 74.59 % 454 289 106 476 340 222 527 548 459 0002026 Total 1653 1352 81.79 % 502 325 117 514 384 253 562 590 495 0002030 In-Person 1942 168 8.65 % 51 40 16 24 52 30 36 42 38 0002030 Mail Voting 1942 1384 71.27 % 565 401 117 381 519 294 453 487 402 0002030 Total 1942 1552 79.92 % 616 441 133 405 571 324 489 529 440 0002032 In-Person 2598 240 9.24 % 92 46 23 65 58 59 63 82 64 0002032 Mail Voting 2598 1801 69.32 % 754 500 127 546 604 398 592 763 552 0002032 Total 2598 2041 78.56 % 846 546 150 611 662 457 655 845 616 0002035 In-Person 1867 126 6.75 % 58 25 8 32 39 30 38 51 40 0002035 Mail Voting 1867 1367 73.22 % 566 325 87 490 373 303 485 626 470 0002035 Total 1867 1493 79.97 % 624 350 95 522 412 333 523 677 510 0002036 In-Person 2932 226 7.71 % 84 58 27 56 71 49 58 82 61 0002036 Mail Voting 2932 2117 72.20 % 795 595 151 778 684 402 825 999 781 0002036 Total 2932 2343 79.91 % 879 653 178 834 755 451 883 1081 842 0002043 In-Person 2544 182 7.15 % 74 29 15 45 46 35 58 65 50 0002043 Mail Voting 2544 1890 74.29 % 783 513 114 628 523 465 774 885 668 0002043 Total 2544 2072 81.45 % 857 542 129 674 569 500 832 950 718 0002049 In-Person 2911 219 7.52 % 69 45 34 58 72 51 66 78 53 0002049 Mail Voting 2911 2172 74.61 % 841 611 131 710 779 509 930 983 702 Printed: Tuesday, December 3, 2024 11:22 AM Page 468 of 1073Data Refreshed: Tuesday, December 3, 2024 11:22 AM Santa Clara
Santa Clara November 5 2024 General Election
November 5, 2024 General Election SOV by Precinct
November 5, 2024
Item 4
Late Packet Attachment
B - Resolution Certifying
the November 5, 2024
Election Results

Item 4: Staff Report
Pg.
24 Packet Pg. 840 of 948

1 City of Palo Alto Council Member
Registered
Voters
Voters Cast
Turnout (%)
George Lu
Cari
Templeton
Henry
Etzkowitz
Keith
Reckdahl
Katie
Causey
Anne W.

Cribbs
Pat Burt
Greer Stone
Doria
Summa
0002049 Total 2911 2391 82.14 % 910 656 165 768 851 560 996 1061 755 0002065 In-Person 2738 210 7.67 % 71 57 22 68 79 58 68 69 57 0002065 Mail Voting 2738 2083 76.08 % 712 548 124 719 674 441 929 955 729 0002065 Total 2738 2293 83.75 % 783 605 146 787 753 499 997 1024 786 0002078 In-Person 2284 144 6.30 % 59 26 13 50 36 28 49 72 44 0002078 Mail Voting 2284 1699 74.39 % 659 421 103 571 482 358 726 806 565 0002078 Total 2284 1843 80.69 % 718 447 116 621 518 386 775 878 609 0002095 In-Person 2517 195 7.75 % 74 40 17 69 56 39 65 86 58 0002095 Mail Voting 2517 1818 72.23 % 651 460 143 653 519 360 758 906 664 0002095 Total 2517 2013 79.98 % 725 500 160 722 575 399 823 992 722 0002103 In-Person 569 42 7.38 % 11 14 7 12 12 8 14 14 10 0002103 Mail Voting 569 396 69.60 % 142 96 39 116 134 76 133 136 124 0002103 Total 569 438 76.98 % 153 110 46 128 146 84 147 150 134 0002110 In-Person 2346 134 5.71 % 54 26 13 47 38 37 37 55 43 0002110 Mail Voting 2346 1763 75.15 % 702 469 126 670 493 415 705 805 606 0002110 Total 2346 1897 80.86 % 756 495 139 717 531 452 742 860 649 0002125 In-Person 298 18 6.04 % 7 3 2 4 3 3 4 2
0002125 Mail Voting 298 212 71.14 % 88 68 26 67 76 52 73 75 67 0002125 Total 298 230 77.18 % 95 71 26 69 80 55 76 79 69 0002126 In-Person 60 3 5.00 % 2 1 1 1
0002126 Mail Voting 60 45 75.00 % 17 9 4 16 20 12 19 18 11 0002126 Total 60 48 80.00 % 19 10 5 16 20 12 20 18 11
0002145 In-Person 0 0
0002145 Mail Voting 0 0
0002145 Total 0 0
0002146 In-Person 0 0
0002146 Mail Voting 0 0
0002146 Total 0 0
0002151 In-Person 3 0 0.00 %
0002151 Mail Voting 3 1 33.33 %
0002151 Total 3 1 33.33 %
Total - In-Person 43572 3538 8.12 % 1281 780 389 980 1064 799 999 1200 968 Total - Mail Voting 43572 31395 72.05 % 12239 8386 2480 10581 9823 6663 11926 13517 10583 Contest Total 43572 34933 80.17 % 13520 9166 2869 11561 10887 7462 12925 14717 11551 Printed: Tuesday, December 3, 2024 11:22 AM Page 469 of 1073Data Refreshed: Tuesday, December 3, 2024 11:22 AM Santa Clara
Santa Clara November 5 2024 General Election
November 5, 2024 General Election SOV by Precinct
November 5, 2024
Item 4
Late Packet Attachment
B - Resolution Certifying
the November 5, 2024
Election Results

Item 4: Staff Report
Pg.
25 Packet Pg. 841 of 948

Item 4
Late Packet Attachment
B - Resolution Certifying
the November 5, 2024
Election Results

Item 4: Staff Report
Pg.
26 Packet Pg. 842 of 948

1 Measure D - City of Palo Alto,
Amendment to Palo Alto Municipal
Code
Registered
Voters
Voters Cast
Turnout (%)
Yes
No
16th Congressional District
In-Person
43572
3538

8.12 %
2080
1043
16th Congressional District
Mail Voting
43572
31364

71.98 %
20726
7064
16th Congressional District
Total
43572
34902

80.10 %
22806
8107
13th Senatorial District
In-Person
43572
3538

8.12 %
2080
1043
13th Senatorial District
Mail Voting
43572
31364

71.98 %
20726
7064
13th Senatorial District
Total
43572
34902

80.10 %
22806
8107
23rd Assembly District
In-Person
43572
3538

8.12 %
2080
1043
23rd Assembly District
Mail Voting
43572
31364

71.98 %
20726
7064
23rd Assembly District
Total
43572
34902

80.10 %
22806
8107
State Board of Equalization #2
In-Person
43572
3538

8.12 %
2080
1043
State Board of Equalization #2
Mail Voting
43572
31364

71.98 %
20726
7064
State Board of Equalization #2
Total
43572
34902

80.10 %
22806
8107
County of Santa Clara
In-Person
43572
3538

8.12 %
2080
1043
County of Santa Clara
Mail Voting
43572
31364

71.98 %
20726
7064
County of Santa Clara
Total
43572
34902

80.10 %
22806
8107
5th Supervisorial District
In-Person
43572
3538

8.12 %
2080
1043
5th Supervisorial District
Mail Voting
43572
31364

71.98 %
20726
7064
5th Supervisorial District
Total
43572
34902

80.10 %
22806
8107
City of Palo Alto
In-Person
43572
3538

8.12 %
2080
1043
City of Palo Alto
Mail Voting
43572
31364

71.98 %
20726
7064
City of Palo Alto
Total
43572
34902

80.10 %
22806
8107
Total - In-Person
43572
3538

8.12 %
2080
1043
Total - Mail Voting
43572
31364

71.98 %
20726
7064
Contest Total
43572
34902

80.10 %
22806
8107
Printed: Tuesday, December 3, 2024 2:42 PM

Page 150 of 227 ends

Palo Alto City CouncilDecember 9, 2024

Palo Alto City Council
December 9, 2024