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For decades Palo Alto added housing slowly, a few dozen apartments and a scattering of new houses each year. That is changing. State housing laws, a state-certified Housing Element and a regional target of 6,086 homes for 2023 to 2031 have brought larger applications than the city has seen in a generation, mostly along El Camino Real and San Antonio Road.
This page lists major residential projects as the city's own planning pages and reports describe them in 2026. It is general information, not investment or legal advice. Project status changes quickly. A project shown here as approved may change its design, sell or stall. Before relying on any detail, check the city's project page or Permit View. For the policy background, see our Housing Element guide.
The pipeline in numbers
Every California city reports its housing activity to the state each year in an annual progress report. Palo Alto's 2025 report, due to the state by April 1, 2026, shows these totals for calendar year 2025:
| Stage in 2025 | Units | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Entitled (approved by the city) | 568 | 143 low-income and 6 moderate-income deed restricted, 419 above moderate |
| Building permits issued | 174 | 9 moderate-income, 165 above moderate |
| Completed | 148 | All above moderate |
| ADUs permitted | 136 | Included in the permit total |
| ADUs completed | 138 | Most of the year's completions |
The pattern is clear. Approvals jumped in 2025 because of a few large projects. Completions were still dominated by backyard units, which take months rather than years to build. Large approvals usually take two or more years to become finished homes. Our housing statistics page tracks the total housing stock.
Why approvals rose
Several state laws push cities to say yes faster. SB 330 locks in the rules that apply when a complete preliminary application is filed and limits the number of hearings. The builder's remedy let some projects proceed while the city's Housing Element was not yet certified. AB 130, passed in 2025, exempts many qualifying infill housing projects from full environmental review. Palo Alto also changed its own zoning on the sites listed in its Housing Element. Together these changes explain why more large projects now reach a decision within a year or two.
Projects the city approved in 2025
The 2025 progress report lists these multifamily projects of five or more units as entitled during the year. Affordable counts are shown where the report gives them.
| Address | Units | Affordable units | Entitled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3150 El Camino Real | 368 | 74 | July 22, 2025 |
| 660 University Avenue | 70 | 14 | December 17, 2025 |
| 3265 El Camino Real | 55 | Not stated | February 24, 2025 |
| 4345 El Camino Real | 29 | 4 | March 6, 2025 |
| 824 San Antonio Road | 28 | Not stated | February 5, 2025 |
| 420 Acacia Avenue | 16 | Not stated | March 6, 2025 |
| 70 Encina Avenue | 10 | 2 | May 8, 2025 |
The largest is 3150 El Camino Real, a multifamily project on five merged parcels zoned for commercial service, on El Camino Real by the Ventura neighborhood. Its city page traces several earlier versions, including 380-unit and 377-unit proposals, before the 368-unit plan. The 660 University Avenue project sits at the edge of downtown. Our Ventura and downtown guides describe those areas.
Large applications still under review
Several big applications filed in 2024 and 2025 had not reached a final decision on the city's pages when we checked.
- 3606 El Camino Real. 321 market-rate apartments in one seven-story building, replacing several parcels on El Camino Real and Kendall Avenue near Barron Park. In September 2025 the applicant requested a state CEQA exemption under AB 130, which the city found applied.
- 800 to 808 San Antonio Road. 175 units, application filed September 10, 2025, per the 2025 progress report.
- 788 San Antonio Road. 167 units, 25 of them affordable, filed November 10, 2025.
San Antonio Road near the Mountain View line is one of the areas the Housing Element opened to more housing. The city is preparing a San Antonio Road Area Plan for that corridor. Our Greendell and Charleston Meadows pages describe nearby neighborhoods.
City-supported affordable housing
The city's Housing Policies and Projects page lists affordable projects it has helped fund. It says the city has contributed or pledged nearly $52 million since 2017.
| Project | Address | What the city lists |
|---|---|---|
| Wilton Court | 3705 El Camino Real | 59 affordable units, 21 for adults with disabilities; city funding $20.5 million. Alta Housing lists it with an open waitlist. |
| Mitchell Park Place | 525 East Charleston Road | 50 affordable rental units, half for residents with intellectual or developmental disabilities; approved ministerially |
| Educator workforce housing | 231 Grant Avenue | 110 units for school staff, led by the County of Santa Clara |
| Homekey Palo Alto | 1237 San Antonio Road | 88 rooms of interim housing for people leaving homelessness |
| Buena Vista Mobile Home Park | 3980 El Camino Real | Preservation of 117 homes as deed restricted |
| Mayfield Place | 2500 El Camino Real | 70 affordable units under a development agreement with Stanford |
Status pages for some of these have not been updated in years, so check with the sponsor before assuming a building is open. Affordable apartments fill through their own waiting lists. Our below market rate guide explains how to apply.
Area plans that shape future projects
Beyond individual buildings, the city has adopted or is preparing plans for whole districts. The North Ventura Coordinated Area Plan, adopted August 5, 2024, covers the blocks around the former cannery on Portage Avenue. The city also lists a Downtown Housing Plan and the San Antonio Road Area Plan. These plans set heights, densities and street changes that later projects must follow. Our Housing Element guide explains where the plan puts new homes and how the builder's remedy affected earlier applications.
How to track a project yourself
- Search Permit View. The city's Palo Alto Permit View map shows planning, building and code enforcement records by address. It replaced BuildingEye in late 2025.
- Check the project page. Larger applications have pages under Current Planning with plan sets, staff reports and the planner's contact details.
- Watch the agendas. Major projects go to the Architectural Review Board, the Planning and Transportation Commission or the City Council. Our council meetings guide explains how to comment.
- Use the dashboard. The city's 2023 to 2031 housing dashboard tracks RHNA progress and multifamily milestones and is updated monthly.
Good to know
- Entitled is not the same as permitted. Permitted is not the same as built.
- Unit counts often change between application rounds. Use the latest plan set.
- Most new market-rate projects must include BMR units under the city's inclusionary rules.
- New buildings may be exempt from the state rent cap for 15 years. Our tenant protections page explains.
What this means for buyers and renters
New apartments mostly arrive as rentals, often with amenities and higher rents than older buildings. The BMR units inside them are some of the few new below-market homes in the city. For-sale new construction is mostly townhomes and single-family rebuilds. Buyers of a newly built home should still order inspections, review permits and read the builder's warranty. Our home inspections guide explains what to check.
Frequently asked questions
What new apartments are being built in Palo Alto?
The city's 2025 annual progress report lists several projects entitled that year, led by 368 units at 3150 El Camino Real and 70 at 660 University Avenue. Larger applications still under review include 321 units at 3606 El Camino Real and two projects on San Antonio Road. Check each project page for current status.
How many homes did Palo Alto approve in 2025?
The city's 2025 Housing Element annual progress report counted 568 units entitled, 174 units issued building permits and 148 completed. Accessory dwelling units added 136 permits and 138 completions. Most entitled units were market rate, with 143 low-income and 6 moderate-income units deed restricted.
Does entitled mean a building is under construction?
No. Entitlement means the city approved the project. The developer still needs building permits, financing and a construction start. Some approved projects wait years or never get built, so a permit or a visible construction site is a better sign.
How can I check the status of a project near my home?
Use the city's Palo Alto Permit View map to see planning and building records by address. The Current Planning projects page lists pending and approved projects with plans and staff reports. The city's housing dashboard is updated monthly.
Will new projects include affordable units?
Most market-rate projects must include below market rate units under the city's inclusionary rules, usually at least 15 percent. For example, the 2025 progress report shows 74 affordable units at 3150 El Camino Real and 14 at 660 University Avenue. The city has also helped fund fully affordable buildings.