Menlo Park asks residents: “How has the housing situation affected you?”

The City of Menlo Park will post a series of questions designed to solicit ideas and opinions by those who make Menlo Park home as part of its Housing Element Update. The process is a critical step in fulfilling a lawsuit settlement levied against the City by three housing advocacy groups.

The questions will be posted on Open City Hall, an online platform designed for civic engagement where people may answer questions posed to them by the city or read the comments of others before creating their statements. Open City Hall is run by Peak Democracy, a non-partisan company whose mission is to broaden civic engagement and build public trust in government.

To have your say about how the housing situation has impacted you, your friends, and your family visit, click here. You can also access the site on the City’s web page. To sign up for regular email updates from the City on the Housing Element Update or for more information, visit http://www.menlopark.org/athome.

California State law requires Menlo Park to update its Housing Element every 7 years. The Housing Element is part of the City’s General Plan and it will ensure that the City makes its regional fair share of land available for residential development in the Bay Area. Early in 2013 City council members will vote on adoption of the Housing Element. Before then, the public will have a number of opportunities to comment on the plan.