- Palo Alto planning commissioner resigns because she can no longer afford Palo Alto
- A Palo Alto Planning Commissioner Leaves Town—and Starts a Furor
The Planning Commissioner for Palo Alto resigned, in part because it no longer makes sense for her to pay Palo Alto housing prices, and attempts to resolve the housing affordability crisis there are hitting many roadblocks. In her resignation letter, she highlights how the controversies over planning hurt those with middle incomes and those who were not fortunate to buy homes before prices started skyrocketing. City Lab and Curbed San Fransisco discuss more.
“The reason for the history lesson is: We paved over the orchards to make way for the Baby Boomers, and now the Boomers are fighting with Millennials who want to turn one-story strip malls into four-story apartments.
It’s so jarring. When the Boomers were in their 20s and 30s, the government made it a priority for the middle class to be able to own a home. We created all these incentives to help make the American Dream come true. It’s such a core part of the Boomer generation. Now, these same people say, even though you’re highly educated professionals, you should be OK with renting for the rest of your lives.”