Tenant Matching and Housing Services

In the most recent cycle of housing element updates, the Town has prioritized making a specific portal on the town website focused specifically on affordable housing resources such as matching tenants to existing units, providing more information on current affordable housing projects, and pointing users to further useful state and local affordable housing resources. This portal will be updated as new units become available.

Tenant Matching and New Site Analysis

One of the simplest solutions in alleviating the housing affordability crisis is matching tenant demand with existing supply. Public partnerships with private nonprofits and charitable organizations have been used with great effect around the Bay Area to link renters seeking affordable units with available housing. As a part of the implementation program of the 6th Cycle Housing Element, the Town has created a database for those interested in seeking out affordable housing as renters, or for those who are interested in developing units marked for affordable rent.

To register for more information on volunteering your property for multifamily or affordable units in Los Altos Hills, click here

To register for more information on available multifamily and affordable housing click here.

Housing Services

Los Altos Hills and surrounding Santa Clara County are well-resourced for housing services through the Santa Clara County public-private partnerships, local matching programs, and greater Bay Area and State Programs. In the 2023-31 housing element, the Town committed to providing a web portal for residents seeking affordable housing resources and information. This website will be updated as programs are introduced or retired and policy around housing is updated. Through this portal, prospective renters will be able to see units which are available across below market rate, low income, and market rate housing. While the Town does not currently have a large stock of affordable housing at the moment, this portal will be a scalable resource as new units are available through ADU and SB9 construction.

Protecting Tenants

Preventing Housing Discrimination
In January 2020, California amended the Fair Employment and Housing Act to include income status as a form of discrimination, meaning that landlords cannot refuse to rent to an applicant due to their income status. As part of the Town's Housing Element goals for 2023-2031, Los Altos Hills is committed to preventing housing discrimination and resolve arising disputes.

Housing discrimination can take many forms, and is often most prevalent in activities preventing Section 8 housing choice vouchers users from renting units. Discrimination may include advertisements with phrases such as "no section 8" or "applicants may not participate in the housing choice voucher program," requiring that rental applicants prove they have a minimum income level of a given amount, or denying repairs during tenancy. According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the following activities also constitute housing discrimination:

• Denying Section 8 applicants
• Refusing to rent housing
• Communicating that housing is unavailable when it, in fact, is available
• Advertising housing only to specific groups of people
• Refusing to make reasonable accommodations for persons with a disability if the accommodation may be necessary to afford such person a reasonable and equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling

In the event of housing discrimination, please call the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing at 1-800-884-1684, or file a case with the Pacific/Hawaii Office of the Fair Housing Hub within the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development:

Address:
600 Harrison Street, Third Floor
San Francisco, CA 94107-1300

Telephone (415) 489-6524 or 1-800-347-3739
Fax (415) 489-6558
TTY (415) 436-6594

E-mail: Complaints_office_09@hud.gov

Landlord-Tenant Mediation Services for Los Altos Hills residents
Project Sentinel, Los Altos Dispute Resolution Service
The Town of Los Altos refers landlords and residents engaged in a dispute to contact the Los Altos Dispute Resolution Service, administered by Project Sentinel. Project Sentinel is a non-profit organization that provides residents within the County of Santa Clara that are experiencing landlord-tenant disputes, housing discrimination, or other housing-related grievances, with free, confidential, and neutral support. Project Sentinel offers informational and counseling services, referrals to other resources, and conciliation and mediation.

Mediation allows both parties to resolve their disputes face-to-face in a confidential, neutral site. Mediation is effective and more convenient than going to court, and no communication during the mediation process may be used against a party in court.

To call the Los Altos Dispute Resolution Service via Project Sentinel, please call 408-287-4663.

State of California Civil Rights Department Dispute Resolution Division
The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) also offers free, confidential, and neutral mediation services between landlords and tenants. To utilize CRD's mediation services, complainants must first file claims with the CRD, and afterwards, it may be referred to mediation. To initiate this process or for any other concerns, please contact CRD's Dispute Resolution Division at
DRDOnlinerequests@calcivilrights.ca.gov.

Section 8 Housing

What are Housing Choice Vouchers?
Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Programs have their origins from Section 8 of the 1937 Housing Act; hence, they are colloquially known as "Section 8 vouchers." HCVs administer federal funds to assist very low-income families, elderly, and disabled individuals find affordable housing. Individuals are able to find their own housing and, if compliant with HCV health standards, may receive vouchers. The U.S. Department for Housing and Urban Development (HUD) gives the funds to local public housing agencies (PHAs), who then administer the voucher program and its waitlist, pay participating landlords, and provide assistance for recipients.

Los Altos Hills does not currently have pre-approved Section 8 rental units, however, resources for Section 8 and affordable rental units can be found through Santa Clara County and their affordable housing program. The links to the resources can be found below.

It is illegal for landlords to discriminate against potential leasers due to income, including voucher status. In order to foster an inclusive and diverse housing environment, the Town is committed to providing assistance to prevent housing discrimination.

Qualifications

Individuals eligible for the voucher must possess an income that is less than 50% of the median income in the jurisdiction of the PHA that the applicant wishes to live in. 75% of a PHA's voucher recipients must possess incomes less than 30% of the area's median income. Once receiving the voucher, participants must continue to pay their share of the rent on-time, while the share covered by the voucher will be paid to the landlord by the PHA on behalf of HUD.

Los Altos Hills presently has 135 homes classified as extremely low-income, and such residents disproportionately need housing assistance, including HCVs. While the Town does not presently have a great need to administer a PHA for Los Altos Hills residents specifically, per 8th Cycle Housing Element goals, the Town is committed to providing assistance to prospective applicants from the Town.

Why should I participate as a Housing Choice Voucher landlord?
Participating as a landlord with the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program allows you to take an active role in the Town's goals of providing more affordable housing and a more diverse community. Becoming an HCV landlord serves the needs of teachers, home caretakers, healthcare workers, and individuals who are essential to the success of the community. Participating landlords frequently site the guaranteed on-time payments from the local public housing administration as the biggest benefit to the process, ensuring a steady source of income for the landlord. Furthermore, participating landlords do not have to provide their own property evaluations or check-ups, as the County will conduct all inspections on behalf of the landlord.

The Santa Clara County Housing Authority
If you believe you are eligible for a Section 8 voucher with Santa Clara County guidelines, we advise you to contact the Santa Clara County Housing Authority, the County's local PHA.

Add yourself to the Santa Clara County Housing Authority's waitlist here, and please find their contact information below:

Benefits for landlords renting to a Housing Choice Voucher Holder from AHA on Vimeo.

Relevant documents:

MetaViewer.php (granicus.com)

Santa Clara County Housing Authority(SCCHA)'s landing page

The SCCHA's Housing Choice Voucher Program Applicant Portal & Waitlist

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Housing Choice Vouchers Fact Sheet

Recent Legislation

AB 291 (2017) -- Prevents landlords from using a tenant's immigration status to prevent the execution of repair requests or for the purpose of influencing the tenant to vacate the dwelling.

AB 1521 (2017) -- Requires owners of housing developments with subsidy contracts to notify residents – bot current and potential – if the contract is set to expire within 3 years, requires purchasers and rental appraisers for assisted housing developments to obtain certification from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) prior to the execution of those tasks.

AB 1919 (2018) -- Prohibits landlords from increasing rent by 10% during states of emergency, when declared per the California Emergency Services Act.

AB 2219 (2018) -- Prohibits landlords from denying third-party rental payments.

AB 2243 (2018) -- Extends eviction notice periods, which are 3 days, to exclude weekends and national holidays.

AB 1110 (2019) -- Requires 90 days' notice for rent increases by more than 10%.

AB 1482 (2019) -- Prohibits rent increases of more than 5% plus the percentage change in the cost of living or 10%, whichever is lower; prohibits owners from terminating rental agreements without cause, and in the case of "no-fault just cause" terminations, requires that owners provide relocation assistance and waive the final month's rent.

SB 18 (2019) -- Protects foreclosed tenants facing eviction for 90 days.

SB 329 (2019) -- Requires owners to accept Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) participants, approving of government aid as "verifiable income."

SB 1190 (2020) -- Permits tenants to terminate their lease without penalty if an immediate family member was a victim of a crime involving injury or death.

AB 838 (2021) – Requires an investigation of all complaints of substandard building or lead hazard violations.

AB 948 (2021) -- Prohibits real estate appraisers from basing their appraisal off any basis prohibited by the federal Fair Housing Act, including the basis of race, religion, source of income, employment status, or of the present owners/occupants of the properties in the vicinity of the subject property. Such discriminatory appraisals increase the racial wealth gap through the determination of a property's value.

AB 978 (2021) -- Prohibits the managers of mobile home parks from increasing the gross rental rate for a tenancy for a mobile home space more than 3% plus the percentage change in the cost of living, as defined, or 5%, whichever is lower, of the lowest gross rental rate charged at any time during the immediately preceding 12 months.

AB 1043 (2021) -- Prohibits rents over an area-specific threshold for households with incomes that are less than 15% of the area's median income.

AB 1466 (2021) -- Facilitates title companies or real estate brokers to record Restrictive Covenant Modifications, making it easier to remove discriminatory language that is no longer enforceable from restrictive covenants or deeds.

SB 60 (2021) -- Increases the maximum fines for violations relating to short-term residential rentals to $1,500 for first-time violations, $3,000 for second-time violations, and $5,000 for each additional violation of the same ordinance.

SB 263 (2021) -- Revises fair housing course requirements for real estate broker or salesperson licenses to include a participatory component about implicit bias, and a 2-hour course upon each renewal of the license.

AB 2559 (2022) -- Prohibits landlords from charging a rental applicant a fee for providing a reusable tenant screening report, which discloses information about the applicant's financial history or eviction history, that was collected within the previous 30 days.

SB 914 (2022) -- Sets goals to address homelessness amongst survivors of domestic violence.

SB 1017 (2022) -- Protects survivors of domestic abuse from unlawful evictions.