A well-established Planned Parenthood facility in Mountain View is being forced to move soon, and it has yet to find a new home.
The nonprofit's lease expires in May, and the property on San Antonio Road where it now sits is being redeveloped. But with soaring rent prices in a competitive market, finding a new location hasn’t been easy.
"We’ve been having some trouble finding a place," said Lupe Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for the Planned Parenthood facility.
For the past year, Rodriguez and her colleagues have been looking for an affordable location nearby.
"The rising rent costs are very big part of an issue in finding a place," she said.
In addition to the rent issue, Rodriguez says access to public transportation is a major concern in finding another space. The Mountain View clinic serves more than 8,000 patients each year.
Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian plans to support Planned Parenthood in a county meeting Tuesday morning.
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"We don’t have a county health clinic in this part of Santa Clara County, so we rely on folks like Planned Parenthood to get the job done for us," Simitian said. "In my view, if Planned Parenthood has a problem, we have a problem.
"Can we help financially?" he continued. "Can we help with facilities? Can we help pick up some of the slack in terms of the patients who will need someplace to go if and when Planned Parenthood does close?"
Despite the controversy surrounding the federal funding of Planned Parenthood, Simitian is hoping the county will find a way to assist the thousands of patients who depend on the Mountain View facility for primary care.
"How do we help the folks get the health care they need in a way that is convenient and affordable in their location?" the supervisor said.
There will be public comment and a vote at the Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday.
A decision will be made only regarding whether or not to continue discussions with Planned Parenthood.
