Belle Haven Empowered was created by several Belle Haven residents to increase civic education and support active participation in the decisions made by the City of Menlo Park that affect the Belle Haven neighborhood. BHE was formed through the efforts of and is an independent project of Menlo Together.  Our history is unique, and we remain the most diverse neighborhood in Menlo Park. The Belle Haven neighborhood was annexed to Menlo Park in 1949 and, by 1955, was identified as a redlined community.

Since 2018, we have elected our council members by districts, which guarantees a council member from and for our neighborhood. It had been 28 years since the only person elected from Belle Haven had sat on the council. The residents of our district live in the Belle Haven neighborhood and in the recently completed high-density apartment complexes built on land previously zoned for offices, commercial, and light industry. In 2016, this area was re-zoned to include high-density housing complexes.

Our main activities are Kitchen Table Chats (Chats) and InfoChats. Chats are a safe space for discussing, listening, and learning about community-related issues that are important to residents. Topics have included construction updates, Belle Haven Visioning and the Mini-grant, commissioner interviews, and more. We have also been working on creating the Belle Haven History Project (BHHxP)

InfoChats are 5-7 minute "how-to" presentations focused on how to use the city website and participate in meetings and redistricting. In-progress InfoChats includes how items are put on agendas, reviewing staff reports, and what zoning is and how it affects construction.

We know that a strong community is one built on collaboration. This is why we support other local nonprofits by inviting them to share their work with our residents. These collaborations foster a strong network, allowing us to address important issues together, from housing and anti-displacement efforts to environmental justice and voter participation. We are currently focusing on important local and city-wide issues such as housing construction, swimming pool access, and anti-displacement.

We are also encouraging residents to review the agendas for the council or one of the commissions. By encouraging residents to review the agendas, the community can be alerted when there are items that affect us and express our interest in them.

Whether we rent or own, we all pay taxes and we are all entitled to the full benefit of paying taxes. 

Belle Haven Empowered is Demystifying city government and working to motivate and support residents raising their voice and effecting change.