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San Mateo Cities Use Local Ordinances to Tackle Affordable Housing 

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When it comes to producing affordable housing, cities have a variety of tools they can use to ensure residents of all income levels have access to safe, stable, and healthy housing. The city of Pacifica has taken bold first steps to enact rent control and just cause evictions, which are evictions requiring a clearly stated legal reason, and both of which will be going to the ballot in November. Other cities, such as Redwood City, have opted to take on affordability through preserving existing affordable housing. Redwood City and nonprofit HIP Housing are partnering to acquire an affordable housing building and preserve its affordable rents. Taking a slightly different approach to affordable housing, the city of Belmont is working on guidelines to make Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), sometimes called in-law or granny units, easier to permit in order to increase housing options.