Housing Mandates — 1,958 Units in a City That Has Never Built at Scale
active• losaltos
Los Altos faces one of the most difficult RHNA challenges in Silicon Valley relative to its existing character. The city's current allocation is 1,958 housing units for the 2023–2031 cycle, of which 1,105 are required to be affordable — an increase of roughly 18% over the city's existing 11,000 housing units. Los Altos attempted to appeal its draft RHNA allocation, requesting at least a 50% reduction, but the ABAG Executive Board denied the appeal, leaving the full allocation unchanged. The city adopted a certified Housing Element in 2023 identifying sites — primarily along commercial corridors — but production has significantly lagged behind targets. With SB 79 taking effect July 1, 2026, the stakes are rising: Los Altos has a Caltrain station at San Antonio Road, meaning transit-oriented high-density development could now be proposed near the downtown without the city being able to block it based on local zoning.
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Related cause: Housing affordability
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