Should we worry about Airbnb?
Recent studies, legislative efforts and legal battles in cities with high housing demand reflect growing concern about the impacts of short-term rentals on the supply and affordability of housing as well as neighborhood quality of life, concerns shared by many Palo Alto residents. As we confront our own housing affordability crisis, shouldn’t Palo Alto be asking the same questions? Read more
What’s the fuss about code enforcement?
According to Palo Alto’s National Citizen Survey, satisfaction with the City’s code enforcement efforts dropped to 52 percent in 2016. Ask a typical Palo Altan what code enforcement is all about and odds are the first thing they’ll mention is leaf blowers. But it also has substantial land use and quality of life implications, including zoning and building compliance, use and occupancy permits, parking, signage and more. For many, consistent and effective code enforcement is fundamental to public trust.
Look for an article in our upcoming Newsletter to get up to speed on why code enforcement matters.
The City Auditor’s office is currently conducting an audit of code enforcement and is sending a survey to 3,000 Palo Alto residents to better understand citizen concerns. If you get the survey, be sure to fill it out!