We keep wanting to house the homeless and are asked to lavish them with pity, goods and good will. What is this "transition housing" in Palo Alto? Again, I ask what are the metrics for making this temporary? Palo Alto used to be a socioeconomically diverse community, a place one wanted to live. That was decades ago. The downtown , University Avenue, is seedy with homeless people sprawled across the sidewalks, their garbage piled nearby. El Camino is lined with cars and RVs. Jobs go begging. Sorry, I have no sympathy, let alone empathy for those who come here for a lifetime of handouts. Stop complaining about the high cost of living here and go to a place where you can afford to put a roof over your head. Of course, you might have to actually get a job ...

Compatibility with the Bayland’s setting is an absurd comment and reason to only build a two story building. Once again our leaders are foregoing an opportunity to address this issue as much as we could. I’d say build five stories and do the same thing on other city owned land. As for you Stepheny, many unhoused people do have local jobs and I’m not sure what jobs you mention “go begging”. The housing is transitional by design and the metrics you claim are lacking is the limited length of stay time. I’m also sorry to hear you have no empathy or sympathy but I guess it’s positive you at least admit it. I suggest you examine your erroneous assumptions and find a better outlet for your anger than picking on the unhoused.

Last night's City Council meeting was one of the best, most positive, and productive meetings in AGES. Progress was made on housing for the disabled and housing for those who are unhoused. Even watching from home I was moved by a sense of community that has been dormant for too long. THANK YOU, CC and all who are working to bring these two projects to fruition.

This will only work if police and social workers are allow to remove those sleeping on the streets.

I'd love to get rid of the guy who has been sleeping in his van for over a decade parked on our street but there seems to be no legal way to make these people move on. Too bad we got rid of the metal hospitals decades ago and the laws to remove people from public areas. We need them back to deal with the problem we have now.

Two thoughts:

There is nothing so permanent as a temporary solution.

Especially in Palo Alto. Just look at the road furniture installed south of Oregon expressway in the failed "make a bike lane on Ross Road" debacle. Or the "trial" of the Arastradero Rd. traffic "calming". "Temporary" is standard Palo Alto process of lying to residents.

Build it and they will come. This will ring true. And, in all likelihood, this "temporary" facility will, no doubt, expand. Soon we will have all kinds of "temporary" housing solutions in the nature preserve that was the baylands in bygone days.