Local Preference

In 2020, the City adopted a Local Preference Policy where in the selection of tenants for affordable housing was prioritized for people who live, work, or have been displaced from a residence in East Palo Alto. The Local Preference Policy applies to occupancy of City subsidized affordable housing units, density bonus units, and development projects subject to the City’s Inclusionary Housing Ordinance.

This policy would incorporate a tier based system where applicants who live, work, or have been displaced from East Palo Alto would receive priority for units with a local preference. This policy would incorporate a tier based system. The process for the tier based system is outlined below: 

Process Overview:
1. All applicants receive a lottery number
2. Applicants are sorted first by preference status, then by lottery number.
3. Units subject to preferences are offered to applicants with a preference first.
4. Any remaining units are then made available to all applicants irrespective of preference.

The City approved the updated Policy on 1/21/2025 and is now in the process of developing and finalizing guidelines for the program to be approved by the City Manager. Please direct any comments or questions to housing@cityofepa.org