The Stanford University Medical Center's expansion project is still in its amoeba phase, but city officials are already scrambling to determine who would be responsible to house the influx of hospital workers the project would bring.

In recent weeks, the city has released a "housing needs analysis" report for both the hospital project and the proposed expansion of Stanford Shopping Center. The Planning and Transportation Commission discussed the subject at two recent meetings, and the City Council will hold a study session on housing needs at its meeting Monday.

According to the analysis prepared by Keyser Marston Associates, Inc., the hospital project would bring 2,242 new jobs to the medical center. Stanford Hospital and Clinics would get 1,251 new workers while the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital would get 891. The report also estimated that 100 non-Stanford employees would lease space at the new facilities.

The shopping center is expected to bring in 958 new employees.

A total of 1,856 housing units would be needed in the region to meet the needs generated by the expansion — 1,301 for medical-center employees and 555 for shopping-center workers, the report stated.

Now, the question city officials are trying to answer is: Should Stanford assume responsibility for housing these workers?

Arthur Keller, a commissioner on the planning board, argued at last week's meeting that Stanford should play a major role in solving the housing problem. He acknowledged, as did the Keyser analysis, that many of the workers will commute to Palo Alto from other cities. But he disputed the notion that this means Stanford should only worry about housing the small percentage of workers who would move here.

"The impacts that are not paid for by Stanford are either borne by the rest of us in the City of Palo Alto through higher taxes and more expenditure, or ... are borne unmitigated by other residents and businesses of the City of Palo Alto."

"Stanford should be dealing with the high impact of that development, whether those people choose to live in Palo Alto or elsewhere," Keller later added.

The $2.5 billion hospital project includes major additions and renovations to both Stanford Hospital & Clinics and the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. The main hospital would add about 824,000 square feet of space and 144 beds. Its emergency department would more than double in size.

The Children's Hospital, meanwhile, would add 104 beds and about 441,000 square feet of space, including areas where families can stay with children during the recovery period.

Stanford Hospital officials have long touted the need to expand the overcrowded facilities and disputed the idea that the hospital should be providing housing for its workers. Earlier this week, Stanford Hospital released a "community benefits summary" detailing the hospital's contributions to the community. Besides providing world-class emergency care and advanced patient care, the report noted, the new facilities would ensure that the region continues to produce medical breakthroughs and provide the region with economic benefits such as jobs and employee spending.

At recent meetings with community and business leaders, Stanford Hospital officials said the hospital is not in the housing business and argued that the dialogue should focus on the need to expand the overcrowded facilities.

"This idea that we should look to our health care institutions to take on other community needs is certainly something that we will continue to raise as an important point for discussion," said Shelley Hebert, the hospital's executive director for public affairs.

Hebert also noted that while the housing-needs analysis is an important first step, the city's environmental impact review for the project won't be available until early next year. The report, she said, is needed for any informed discussion on the topic to take place.

The project still needs a series of local and state approvals before construction begins. Construction is expected to take about five years.

The City Council study session is scheduled for 6 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at City Hall (250 Hamilton Ave.).