Human Relations Commission - October 10, 2024

Commission backs Option 1 with a two-year lookback

The Human Relations Commission voted 5-1 to recommend Fair Chance Housing Policy Option 1, amending the proposed criminal-history lookback period from three years to two. Staff will bring the topic to the City Council for consideration; the commission’s recommendation does not itself change Palo Alto’s rental-housing rules.

As presented by staff, Option 1 would limit consideration of criminal history in rental decisions, require a conditional offer before a criminal-history check and require written reasons and an opportunity to provide mitigating information if an offer is withdrawn. The alternative, Option 2, would generally prohibit landlords from considering criminal history except where state or federal law requires it.

Commissioners debated whether Option 2 would be simpler and more protective, as well as whether applicants could effectively prove violations under Option 1. Staff said the proposed remedy was civil litigation and that administrative enforcement was not being proposed because of resource limitations. Commissioners also raised questions about penalties, drug-related convictions and potentially inaccurate commercial background checks; those points were feedback for further staff review and were not included in the adopted motion.

Public comment was mixed. Some speakers supported a local policy and urged outreach to people affected by incarceration and housing denials, while another argued that a Palo Alto ordinance could duplicate state protections and create confusion for renters and housing providers.

Commission flags omitted holidays in 2025 calendar review

The commission took no formal action on the proposed 2025 City Council meeting schedule but provided feedback on holidays and significant dates that could affect public participation. Staff will consider additions including Labor Day, Easter, Lunar New Year, Diwali, Shabbat, Sukkot and Nakba Day before the proposal reaches the City Council.

Council liaison Julie Lythcott-Haims identified Labor Day as missing from the proposed dates-to-avoid list and suggested adding Easter to the broader list of holidays and dates of significance. Staff said the dates-to-avoid list is intended to cover city closure days and evening observances that could prevent residents from attending council meetings, while the broader list is meant to increase awareness rather than determine how the city celebrates each date.

Staff will also assess how many proposed dates-to-avoid would affect the council’s regular Monday meetings. The lists can be updated during the year, and staff said the review is intended to recur annually.

Community-center planning moves toward a future bond measure

Council liaison Julie Lythcott-Haims reported that the city and school district had reached a real-estate transfer agreement intended to enable planning for a new community center, subject to voter approval of a future bond measure. She said a prospective measure could go to voters in approximately two years and that the community discussion would need to be completed within 18 months to prepare for it.

Lythcott-Haims invited the commission to apply an equity, belonging and access lens early in the planning process. Potential housing at the site remains an open question, and commissioners identified transportation barriers affecting senior and youth programs. The commission took no formal action on the update.

Primary sources

Watch the meeting on YouTube · Read the official meeting packet