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Published on 06/12/1995 All articles from this issue

Lawsuit dropped in wake of Los Altos affordable housing compliance

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By Joanne Griffith Domingue / Town Crier Staff Writer

The people suing the city of Los Altos for failure to provide affordable housing dropped their lawsuit last week because the city now complies with state law, according to the city's attorney.

"The city moved a lot of public opinion to make it happen," said Robert Booth Jr. "We're pleased that the plaintiffs recognize the efforts of the city."

State law requires cities to provide affordable housing within their boundaries. A group of four individuals and one unincorporated association didn't think Los Altos complied with the law. So on Jan. 27, 1994, they sued.

"The lawsuit was to combat the NIMBY fears - the not-in-my-backyard worries," said Amanda Wilson, attorney with the Public Interest Law Firm who represented those filing the suit. "Those fears are unfounded," Wilson said. "Affordable housing does not mean a huge, ghetto-like project from the 1960s and 1970s."

Los Altos must provide 51 sites for affordable housing by 1997, Booth said. The city has approved every application brought before it in the past several years, he said.

Currently, several affordable housing units are under construction within the city. Of the 34 units in the Chester Circle condominiums, "the showpiece with the most units," eight are for residents with low- to-moderate incomes, Booth said.

The Association of Bay Area Governments reviews housing needs for the area and then decides how much affordable housing each region must offer. Affordability is a statewide standard, which varies with locality, and is based on the median income of a region. In Santa Clara County, for a family of four, low income is approximately $50,000, Wilson said.

One of the four who sued Los Altos is a long-term resident of the city. She was unhappy with the reputation she saw her community acquiring as being exclusionary. The city appeared to be thumbing its nose at state housing laws, Wilson said.

Another who sued, an attorney, rented a home in Los Altos. But when he was ready to buy, he claimed he couldn't afford to live in the city.

A third person in the lawsuit, a computer worker and also an attorney, worked in Los Altos but allegedly could not afford to live there.

The fourth individual in the lawsuit, a low-income woman, wanted to live in a safe community with good schools for her children, Wilson said.

Los Altos granted concessions to the builders of projects with units of affordable housing, Booth said. The city may allow a higher density in the overall site or permit fewer parking spaces per unit. The city also may waive its fees, Booth said.

"We're very happy with the actions taken by the city," Wilson said. "Affordability is not segregated housing, but part of the community in which people live and work."