Housing Anti-Displacement
What is displacement?
Displacement occurs when people need to relocate from their homes or neighborhoods due to a variety of factors that are often out of their control. These factors could include eviction, rising housing costs, deteriorating building conditions, neighborhood redevelopment or gentrification.
Per the approved 2023-2031 Housing Element and the approved 2024 Environmental Justice Element, the City of Menlo Park will develop an Anti-Displacement Strategy, with a particular focus on the Belle Haven neighborhood. Anti-displacement is a plan of action to prevent people from leaving their homes and neighborhoods and ensure that those currently housed can stay in place. Anti-displacement strategies are laws, policies, or programs that intend to counteract the displacement pressures felt by some households.
How will the City of Menlo Park create its Anti-displacement Strategy?
The City, in collaboration with The Housing Endowment and Regional Trust (HEART) of San Mateo County, is preparing an Anti-displacement Strategy. The community suggested many helpful anti-displacement strategies and tools during creation of the recent Housing Element Update and Environmental Justice Element. The City has continued to engage with the community to help prioritize those suggested strategies, beginning with bilingual community meetings in fall 2024.
As next steps, the City is moving forward with releasing a citywide survey as well as establishing a focus group to receive additional feedback on how to prioritize the suggested strategies. The survey is expected to be released in April 2025 and City staff is actively assembling community members for the focus group. The top-prioritized strategies will become the basis of the City’s Anti-displacement Strategy. The strategy will be presented to the City Council at a future study session in summer 2025.
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Ways to get involved
- We want your input! Join our future community meetings on Anti-Displacement to share your feedback so we can learn about what matters to you.
Timeline
- On March 20, 2024, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) certified the City of Menlo Park 2023-2031 Housing Element(PDF, 29MB). It is in substantial compliance with state Housing Element law. Certification is a significant milestone for the City’s Housing Element and is essential to Menlo Park’s efforts to meet the housing needs of its residents across all income levels.
- In the 2023-2031 Housing Element, Program H2.E specifically highlights the City of Menlo Park’s need for an Anti-displacement Strategy. Menlo Park will develop an Anti-displacement strategy, particularly in the Belle Haven neighborhood.
- On September 24, 2024, the City Council adopted the City’s first Environmental Justice Element(PDF, 36MB). During the community engagement and outreach process, the community identified access to safe, sanitary, and stable housing as a top priority. The Environmental Justice Element includes a similar program, including additional tools to consider, and to ensure that the Anti-displacement Strategy supports households and neighborhoods in underserved communities.
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On November 7, 2024, a community meeting was held at the Belle Haven Community Campus to prioritize anti-displacement tools. Community members were invited to share their thoughts on displacement and what they believe will most effectively combat it. On November 14, 2024, a Spanish language event was held, also at the Belle Haven Community Campus.