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4.A. - Page 11 of 98 <br />a clear public safety risk exists requiring the vehicle be removed from the roadway or when leaving <br />the vehicle unattended would carry a significant risk of it being stolen or vandalized. <br />The Department has also taken a more compassionate approach towards the towing of <br />recreational vehicles (RVs) which are parked on the street and being used as housing. Though <br />these RVs are often in violation of the City's 72 -hour parking limit, the department recognizes that <br />towing the only shelter of individuals who are already suffering financial hardship only serves to <br />compound their situation and serves little public interest. However, this has created some <br />problems within the City as the number of RVs on our streets used for housing has grown and <br />there is a tendency for these vehicles to group in certain areas for long periods, a practice that <br />can negatively affect local businesses and neighborhoods. In response to this concern, the City is <br />currently implementing a Safe Parking Program to allow residents living in RVs to either park their <br />vehicle overnight at a City -sponsored secure lot or, in the event the City lot is full, remain parked <br />on the street but subject to some requirements that will reduce their impact on the local <br />community. All participants in the Safe Parking Program will have access to resources and <br />assistance geared towards helping them transition to permanent, stable housing. <br />6. Desire for Equity in Housing Opportunity Including Housing Affordability and Eliminating <br />Homelessness <br />Some community members have expressed concerns about inequity in housing opportunity, <br />citing historic patterns of housing segregation nationwide and noting that people of color are less <br />likely to have sufficient housing and are at greater risk for displacement. <br />The City Council has identified affordable housing and homelessness as top priorities for Redwood <br />City. The City's Housing Division administers affordable housing programs for extremely low, very <br />low, low and moderate income Redwood City households. The City provides funds to produce and <br />preserve affordable housing for residents, including rental and ownership housing. Funds are <br />provided to non -profits to construct and manage affordable rental housing and to provide housing <br />preservation services to lower-income residents to preserve existing affordable housing. <br />Attachment C provides the goals for the City's Housing Division for this year and will be identified <br />with the FY 2020/21 Revised Budget presented on October 26. <br />Last year, the City, in partnership with Redwood City 2020, the County's Home for All initiative <br />and the Library Foundation, invited the community to a series of community conversations on <br />housing titled Our Community: Housing and Our Future. Feedback from these conversations led <br />the City Council to address issues like renter relocation assistance and affordable housing <br />requirements. <br />In response to the economic challenges of Covid-19, Redwood City has administered an <br />Emergency Rental Assistance Program for families and individuals who have experienced a loss of <br />income due to the pandemic. The City has committed over $500,000 in City operating funds, and <br />allocated over $1.7 million in federal, county, and private funds to this program. Fully 40% of all <br />residents in San Mateo County receiving rent assistance received this support due to the City's <br />efforts. As of September 18, 2020, over $2.2 million has been spent to assist 940 unduplicated <br />Page 11 of 17 <br />City of Redwood City 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA. 94063 Tel: 650-780-7000 www.redwoodcity.org <br />13 <br />