To the esteemed Menlo Park City Council,
I am writing in support of the planned development of affordable housing units in downtown Menlo Park. I am a 29 year old woman working at Stanford and have been fortunate enough to live in this area for nearly 10 years. Currently, I reside in a BMR unit at Springline and its been transformational to my life. Like many other young people in my position, I have struggled profoundly to live and work in an area such as this while also not financially bankrupting my future. For years, I have lived on a typical college athletics employee salary of very low income, but pushing through to be able to work and do what I love at the greatest university in the world.
We cannot live in a community that inhibits the brilliant people around us who are working just as hard and just as deserving to be financially banished from the areas in which we work. We have a beautiful community that deserves to be shared and accessible to those who make below high six/seven figure salaries.
Our world today is far too exclusionary of our fellow neighbors. Lets not pattern the faults of the rest of the world. I would love for more people to be able to enjoy the same life changing housing opportunities I have been able to enjoy.
Warmly,
Kate Dalman
55o Oak Grove Ave #262
Menlo Park, CA
