Overview
- Santa Clara County’s latest count shows Palo Alto’s unhoused population up 113 percent in two years, with 70 percent living in vehicles.
- On Monday evening, the City Council discussed a phased over-sized vehicle ordinance intended to reduce long-term RV parking on city streets.
- City estimates put implementation costs at more than $6 million over two years for staffing and new signage.
- Local businesses, including Recor Medical near Elwell Court, report lost street parking and safety concerns, noting tickets are issued but towing is rare.
- Vice Mayor Vicki Veenker supports a phased approach to move RVs off streets but cautions that removals without housing options could worsen homelessness, citing high housing costs and recent Caltrans parking cuts as factors.