July 14, 2026 Housing Update
Staff Report
At the June 2nd Study Session, Council asked City staff to prepare a report updating progress toward the City’s required RHNA housing goals.
Staff presented the report on July 14.
The Bottom Line: Projected Capacity Exceeds Requirements
“After factoring in changes to pipeline projects and recent pending and approved projects described above, Table 4 (Attachment C) shows that total RHNA capacity increased from 5,832 units at Housing Element certification to 6,244 units as of July 2026, an increase of 412 units. Capacity continues to exceed both the required RHNA and the RHNA plus 30% buffer in every income category.” [Page M-3.5]
Totals from Attachment C
“Capacity” does not mean that all these homes have been built or approved. It means the City has identified enough projects and potential sites to accommodate its RHNA through 2031. (The January 2031 deadline concerns building permits, not completed construction.) There is still much to do, but the report shows that Menlo Park has substantial housing capacity to work with.
What Changed: Willow Village Paused; More from Parkline and USGS
The report was requested in part because of the recent pausing of Meta’s Willow Village project, which had been in the pipeline. Council wanted to know where things stand after removing that project.
The report no longer includes numbers from now-inactive pipeline projects (such as Willow Village). However, it adds capacity from projects that substantially exceed the Housing Element’s original assumptions, particularly Parkline and the former USGS property. These additions more than offset the losses, so the City’s projected RHNA capacity is now 412 units higher than it was when the Housing Element was certified.
Back to the Ballot Measure: Why Depend on the Parking Plazas?
The report includes 345 projected affordable units on Parking Plazas 1, 2 and 3. Even without those units, the City’s overall projected capacity would remain well above its total RHNA. Removing them would, however, substantially reduce the recommended buffer in some lower-income categories. That is why the City should amend its Housing Element by adding more sites rather than depending on the parking plazas.
The City’s staff report supports our view that using the parking plazas for housing is not a necessity—it is a choice. Passing the ballot measure would prohibit the City from making that choice without voter approval.