I'm looking forward to the towns of Atherton and Hillsborough putting in BMR housing so I can live there!

Ha ha ha Steve. Me too!! Let's not forget Los Altos and Palo Alto. But I agree, I'd much rather hang in Atherton. funnnny.

How magnanimous of the city council.

Or not.

It's the city council's fault that rents and housing prices are so high to begin with. How about rolling back all the stupid zoning laws that prevent developers from building dense urban dwellings like high rises. I'm stuck paying $2000 a month in rent for a less than 1000 sq ft. Roll back the zoning laws, and watch homes go up while rents and prices come down, and tax revenues increase. Everyone wins.

The free market has its shortcomings, but this is one case where it performs better than any council could ever plan.

City council, you're not making things better; you're making them worse. Get out of the way and stop playing kingmaker.

Is this really true?:

"50 percent of the area median income, which is $96,000 a year for a family of four"

Seems a bit high. I guess they are only considering the government jobs.

really... some studies have shown BMR housing actually serves to reduce affordability, yet in these days of $5M city budget gaps, laid off teachers and reduced police staffing, we still find the money for 51 "gold plated" BMR units???

It is hard to believe a city that crys wolf and wants to take away services and employee funds when they make purchases like this and lets not forget the Moffett Blvd land that is going to sit there for years to come.

As I understand it, the City collects fees from the for profit developers to assist with building the affordable housing. I for one do not want to live in a town where only the rich can afford to live.

Lisa... the fees from the "for profit developers" make those new homes in Blossom Valley (e.g. Satake Estates and Classics at Miramonte) cost just a bit more... which in turn raises property values and makes all but BMR houses LESS affordable. BMR and the preferred funding mechanism (taxes on new construction) raise real estate prices, not lower them. BMR goes against basic economics (supply-demand). If we really want more affordable housing in Mountain View, we should be against restrictions on zoning and advocate for high-rise developments to increase supply... not onesies and twosies that supply a drop in the bucket of demand. Further, there are affordable housing options in Mountain View, they just aren't very nice... a search of craigslist will turn up 2 bdrm apts around $800/mo, and 3 bdrm under $2K. I'd like a beachfront villa in Carmel I can afford, should the owners there feel ashamed that they are not willing to provide BMR for us lowly rich people (as opposed to filthy rich)?

I agree with "priorities," all the research shows that BMR only makes housing less affordable.

Palo Alto, Los Altos and Menlo Park all have BMR housing - can't seem to find any in Atherton or Hillsborough, sorry guys...

No for BMR housing...Yes, for better dinning and shopping downtown (like Palo Alto).