Good afternoon,
My name is Amanda Chang and I am a staff member of Urban Habitat writing to you in support of developing deeply affordable homes in the city-owned downtown parking lots. I was born and raised in Hillsborough, a town in San Mateo County that has close to zero affordable housing, which is why I have dedicated my career to ensuring that we reverse the long-lasting effects of segregation and have safe and affordable housing for all. This ordinance is just one step in the right direction to keeping San Mateo County the diverse and vibrant community it is and setting an example for other localities to do the same.
Furthermore, Menlo Park is a Transit-Oriented Communities (TOC) Policy Area, which means the city has to comply with MTC’s guidelines for passing, among other things, housing policies that promote mobility, equity, and sustainability. The TOC was adopted as part of Plan Bay Area 2050 and therefore compliance with the policy is required to be eligible for future One Bay Area Grant money. One of the TOC’s policy requirements is having at least two housing production policies. Using public land for affordable housing would help the city reach this goal.
Thank you for your consideration and I hope you make a decision today that will keep our county affordable for future generations.
Amanda Chang
