Water poured through the walls and ceilings of the Woodland Park Apartments at 430 East O'Keefe Street in East Palo Alto when storms hit on October 22, soaking floors and leaving residents scrambling to salvage belongings. The flooding was severe enough that the city red-tagged all 58 units in the building, forcing every household out while crews scrambled to assess the damage. More than a week later, dozens of tenants are still displaced, shuttling between hotel rooms far from home as repairs continue unit by unit.
Rachel Anderson, who has lived at Woodland Park for five years, told NBC Bay Area that a roof the complex had been patching for months finally gave way. “The roof that they've been fixin' on for the last couple of months — so it finally caved through,” she said, describing how water then came pouring through the walls. Tenants said the damage left their walls and floors soaked, and the property owner moved everyone out of their units in response.
Dozens of Units Still Off-Limits
City crews have worked every day since the red-tagging to get people back into their homes, according to the station's report. East Palo Alto Mayor Webster Lincoln said 50 of the 58 units have now been cleared for residents to return, but eight others still need permitted repairs that may take longer than a week. Repairs to those units may take longer than a week.
Even for those cleared to go back, some tenants remain wary. Several described a lingering odor they say smells like mold, and Anderson said she doesn't think a quick cleanup will be enough to convince her it's safe. She said carpet cleaning and patched walls alone would not be sufficient for her to move back in. Lincoln said he noticed a strong odor himself during a building tour last Thursday, after red tags had already come down on some units, and said he plans to ask city staff to require moisture readings or air quality testing before residents are allowed to move back in.
A Long Commute Just to Sleep
The property owner put tenants up in hotel rooms while their units were red-tagged, first placing them in Palo Alto. But after the first few days, tenants said they were relocated to a hotel in San Mateo — a 14-mile, 19-minute drive from their apartments. That distance has been especially hard on tenants without cars who work in Palo Alto, Anderson said, and families say the extra gas money needed to reach jobs and their kids' schools is eating into the budgets they'd normally use to pay rent.
Adding to the pressure, tenants are being asked to pay their normal rent at the start of November despite the disruption. Lincoln said the city's municipal code does allow landlords to require that payment under these circumstances, but he noted landlords are also obligated to cover temporary housing within 15 miles of the property, along with moving and storage costs. He has urged Sand Hill, the company tied to Woodland Park's ownership, to give residents a rent credit for their time displaced and to provide a per diem for meals and travel, plus housing closer to East Palo Alto.
A Complex Already Under Scrutiny
Woodland Park is part of a sprawling, 1,800-unit rent-controlled complex, according to a Bay Area News Group report that detailed long-standing complaints about mold and broken elevators at the property. Sand Hill Property Company has separately outlined plans to demolish nearly 500 Woodland Park units and build more than 1,000 new ones, as Palo Alto Online reported. Residents have described years of pest infestations, mold and mass evictions, while the redevelopment plans have revived displacement fears. Under the proposed O'Keefe-Manhattan project, the company would renovate 221 rental units, demolish 344 more, and build 114 for-sale townhomes alongside 736 new apartments.
The flooding has also stirred frustration among neighbors who live nearby but weren't directly displaced. Roberto Arias, who lives in a Woodland Park apartment across the street managed by the same owner, said he wants his neighbors' concerns about the damaged units taken seriously. Lincoln echoed that sentiment, saying displaced residents deserve clear, consistent communication about where they'll be staying and when they can finally return home.
What Tenants Should Know
The city has cleared 50 red-tagged units for residents to return, while eight remain in need of permitted repairs. Legal tenants may be eligible for owner-paid relocation assistance, including two months of fair-market rent and utility deposits. Separately, California Civil Code Section 1941 requires landlords to keep rental housing fit for occupation and to repair damage that renders a unit untenantable, according to the California Legislative Information website.
Lincoln has advised tenants not to sign any documents waiving their relocation rights before getting advice. Impacted residents can reach East Palo Alto's Community and Economic Development Department at [email protected], or contact Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto at (650) 326-6440 for free assistance. NBC Bay Area reported that it reached out to the listed property owners for comment but had not received a response.
