Palo Alto sees housing surge as state laws, local policies take effect

When Palo Alto’s elected leaders convened in January 2023 for a special retreat to set goals for the year, they kicked things off with an unusual exercise. Every council member was asked to create an aspirational headline that they would like to see run in the paper on the last day of that year. Not surprisingly, housing was on top of everyone’s mind. Vicki Veenker, who was completing her first month of council duties, offered: “Wave of Paly and Gunn alums move to Palo Alto.” That would mean, among other things, that the city has net its goal for making housing affordable at all levels, Veenker explained. Councilmember Ed Lauing, who had also just joined the council for the first time, suggested a headline about Palo Alto securing $250 million for an affordable housing fund.

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