Spring 2023 Newsletter

Dear Generation,,

May is Affordable Housing Month: a time when we lift up the importance of, need for, and successes in development of housing built and reserved for the low wage earners and low income families who need it most. It’s fitting then, that May is also the month Generation Housing is releasing its second State of Housing report. 

The Sonoma County landscape today is peppered with new multifamily — much of it is housing reserved for the County’s low wage earners — housing in various stages of construction; hundreds of new units, from studios to three-bedroom rentals, duets for purchase, some guaranteed as affordable to low wage earners, some for middle income families, will be available soon.

And while this uptick in housing production is just what Sonoma County needs—it’s just a start. Our 2021 How Much Housing Do We Need? study concluded that the county’s failure to produce enough housing to match the pace of population and job growth for nearly two decades had left us 38,000 units behind. And let’s remember though that these projects have been years in the making. They are in many cases the result of incentives put in place after the 2017 fires, one-time federal funding made available to wildfire-impacted areas, and collaborative efforts by philanthropic and community-based organizations to fill funding gaps.  This is a moment in time created by combined efforts over several years. If we are to successfully chip away at our deep housing deficit, newly laid foundations, visible scaffolding, and hard hats need to become a regular part of our scenery for the next several years. And so it is incumbent on us to keep our eyes on the goal and our feet on the gas. We need to watch closely how our progress waxes and wanes and iterate as necessary. 

This 2023 State of Housing in Sonoma County report (“SOH”), the first annual update to Generation Housing’s first SOH in 2022, tracks changes in the housing shortage crisis over the past year and presents new ways to look at housing data for the policy solutions that lie ahead. This annual update has a renewed focus on solutions because it is paired with our first annual jurisdictional housing progress reports. These scorecards highlight exemplary policies and challenges facing each jurisdiction so that local leaders can draw upon successful models regionally and around the state. In constructing these community profiles, Generation Housing acknowledges there are many paths to the goal of more housing—one effect of our local-driven approach in California. Yet no challenge is so unique as to prevent each jurisdiction’s participation in the overall goal of more, more diverse, and more affordable housing. 

Because many economic realities are outside of our local control, and our existing housing stock and system are inherited outcomes, we call upon our local policymakers to use their considerable power to carve a different path—one that creates a housing system that supports a more equitable, sustainable, resilient, and prosperous community for all. And we call upon all our local leaders, across sectors, to support those efforts.  

This community has shown its ability to band together to drive solutions in response to disaster after disaster.  We can draw upon those same assets, spirit of innovation, and determination to make Sonoma County a model of innovative housing systems change. 

We hope that this annual report will continue to keep us focused in that effort and ultimately document and celebrate success. 

In partnership,

Jen

Read Our Recently Published Reports

Sonoma County - Things you should know about!

Read below for highlights of important local issues pertaining to housing that will be coming forward for consideration by a local legislative body in the near future. If you know of something coming forward in the near future that isn’t listed, please reach out and let us know! 

Santa Rosa City Council

• June 6, 2023: Zero Emission Bus Rollout Plan
• July 11, 2023: Tierra de Rosas Time Extension Appeal

County Board of Supervisors

• July 18, 2023: 2020 General Plan - Housing Element Update; Housing Element Zoning Code Implementation Part 1

State Legislative Download

We are nearing the half-way mark of the 2023 portion of the two-year Legislative Session. Next week, all bills that have survived the legislative process thus far will be reviewed on the “Floor” of their respective “House of Origin”, whether that be the Senate or the Assembly. This is a critical juncture for all legislation as members of each house prepare to vote on bills proposed by members from their respective legislative body. If approved, the bills will then move to the other legislative body and are assigned to a committee(s) for review. That process kicks off in June - so expect a flurry of updates to our Housing Bill Tracker.

We have endorsed a new bill! Generation Housing is proud to announce our endorsement of Assemblymember Jim Wood’s (AD-2) bill, Assembly Bill 50 (“AB 50”). This bill will require the California Public Utilities Commission (“CPUC”) to establish criteria for timely service for electric customers and energization time periods and to annually collect certain information from each large electrical corporation in the form of a report. AB 50 enjoys broad support in the Assembly, but considerable advocacy may be necessary to get this bill through the State Senate and to the Governor's desk. 

To learn more about our endorsed state legislation, click here. We update our Housing Bill Tracker on a weekly basis. 

Be certain to check out the comprehensive California Housing Legislation Highlights graphic prepared by Alfred Twu. Click here to view it.

If you have specific questions about state housing legislation, feel free to email our Policy Director Calum Weeks at calum@generationhousing.org.

Sonoma County Housing Element Digest

All jurisdictions in Sonoma County have now either adopted their Housing Element Update or have been fully certified and deemed compliant by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (“HCD”) with the exception of Windsor and the County of Sonoma. The County of Sonoma plans on bringing forward an updated copy of their draft Housing Element to the County Planning Commission during a mid-June meeting time. Stay tuned, and follow our tracker for the most up-to-date information.

Check out our Housing Element tracker, posted on our website here!

• Cloverdale: The Housing Element Update was adopted by the City Council on April 26, 2023 and the document has since been remitted to HCD for certification.
• Click here to track Housing Element updates on their website
• You can submit public comment to the City of Cloverdale by emailing CloverdaleHousingElement@4leafinc.com or mail/deliver to Cloverdale City Hall (124 N. Cloverdale Blvd)
• Click here to get Cloverdale specific action alerts!
• Cotati: The Cotati City Council adopted their Housing Element on March 28, 2023 and have since remitted it to HCD for certification.
• Click here to track Housing Element updates on their website
• You can still submit public comment by emailing Cotati@TheCivicEdge.com.  
• Click here to get Cotati specific action alerts!
• Healdsburg: The Healdsburg City Council adopted their Housing Element on May 1, 2023 and remitted it to HCD for certification.
• Click here to read the draft Housing Element
• You can still submit public comment by emailing HousingElement@Healdsburg.gov 
• Click here to get Healdsburg specific action alerts!
• Windsor: The Town received a letter from HCD requesting additional updates to their revised draft Housing Element. To view their comments, click here. It isn’t immediately clear how they intend to proceed.
• Click here to track Housing Element updates on their website
• You can still submit public comment on the draft by emailing pstreeter@townofwindsor.com. 
• Click here to get Windsor specific action alerts!
• County of Sonoma: The draft Housing Element is now anticipated to come before the County Planning Commission near the middle of June (previously it was May 30). We will post the updated meeting date to our tracker as soon as that information becomes available.
• Click here to track Housing Element updates on their website
• Comment on the draft Housing Element can be submitted via email to PermitSonoma-Housing@sonoma-county.org or by regular mail to Permit Sonoma, Attn: Eric Gage, 2550 Ventura Ave., Santa Rosa, California 95403.
• Click here to get Unincorporated County of Sonoma specific action alerts!

Join Us for Our June House Party!

In early May, in collaboration with data consultants from UC Berkeley, Generation Housing researched & presented a county-wide overview of housing policy at the local level based on the primary criteria developed for the Department of Housing and Community Development’s Prohousing Designation. We offered initial scoring recommendations to each city and town in four areas including (1) zoning & land use; (2) ministerial approval processes; (3) development & impact fees; and (4) parking; the findings were presented as part of Generation Housing’s 2023 Sonoma County State of Housing report. 

This initial feedback was designed to be utilized by jurisdictions to perform internal assessments of their progress towards the Prohousing Designation. In addition, the team is developing resources for model policies in each of these four areas by building a network of practitioners from around the state & country who have advanced policies and practices in pre-approved design plans, affordable by design construction methods, and alternative funding sources for localities. 



Finally, we are excited to announce the inaugural session of Generation Housing’s Community Connectors – the resident-based advisory group who will meet quarterly to provide feedback on the priorities of each community to address the housing shortage. In the first session, Community Connectors assessed the housing and transportation needs of their communities and began to prioritize policy areas. In addition to creating neighborhood surveys and serving as ambassadors between residents and city officials, the 20-member group will advise on the model policies that will reverse decades of underdevelopment. 

We thank all of our Community Connectors including: Ali Soto Anguiano, Alonso Rodriguez Villalobos, Arlo Karpelevitch, Celia Gonzalez, Christopher Presar, Colin Thoma, Cristal Lopez, Elizabeth Escalante, Haley Presar, Iliana Inzunza Madrigal, Jamellen Tabor, Kelly Zamudio, Kenna Lee, Kimberly Zepeda, Kimi Barbosa, Litzy Hernandez, MaDonna Cruz, and Sarah Vetter. We eagerly look forward to our second session in June. If you’d like to learn more about the Community Connectors group, please email Ramon Meraz at ramon@generationhousing.org.

12 Berkeley homeowners are taking advantage of SB9. Here’s what they want to build | Berkeleyside

Interest in one of California’s most controversial housing laws has been tepid so far — but Berkeley is working on a bigger rewrite of zoning laws.

PG&E settlement funds aiding housing construction | Northern California Public Media

Administrators of a multi-million dollar local loan fund established to speed post-wildfire reconstruction say it's starting to pay dividends--327 dwellings under construction, and another 295 in the pipeline.

Windsor forecasts it will meet next affordable housing goals | The Press Democrat

Against the backdrop of a severe affordable housing crunch, Sonoma County’s fourth largest municipality is on track to exceed housing goals set for it to reach by 2031, officials said.

North Bay Housing Market | NorthBay Biz

North Bay real estate market has slowed—but interest rates, housing stock and high prices keep ownership out of reach for many.

This data shows one huge reason California’s housing shortage is at crisis levels | San Francisco Chronicle

California agencies have issued permits for more units in recent years, but many other states saw much larger jumps.

Housing costs a crisis for the region, advocates say | Northern California Public Media

California's housing crisis has no single cause, and according to presenters at a housing conference in Santa Rosa today, it will take a myriad of strategies to restore affordability.

City of Napa to explore local preference ordinance for affordable housing| Napa Valley Register

California’s housing crisis remains arguably the state's most pressing problem, and its effects on Napa are difficult to miss.

State approves plan for parkland | The Press Democrat

California officials have signed off on releasing a 2-mile strip of state-owned land in east Santa Rosa that neighbors have long envisioned transforming into the city’s very own Central Park.

California is losing population and building new houses. When will home prices come down? | CalMatters

When will the law of supply and demand cool California’s housing market? The state is losing population as it builds homes at its fastest clip in more than a decade.

Demystifying Housing Policy:

Four Housing Terms Everyone Should Know

Housing affects all of us, yet the terminology used to discuss housing can be fraught with insider lingo and it can be difficult to fully grasp. So we’ve compiled a brief list of some of the most common terms used in the housing policy world to help everyone better understand and engage in the housing conversation.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Housing is generally considered affordable if the household pays 30% or less of their gross income (before taxes are taken out) towards rent/mortgage payments. There are different kinds of affordable homes, including public housing (owned by the local housing authority), Section 8 vouchers that help people rent privately owned homes, and privately owned housing developments with restricted rents. In the Bay Area, many affordable homes are built and managed by nonprofit organizations.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUND

A subsidy funding program for affordable housing that comes from the Federal Home Loan Bank Board, the governing body that oversees savings and loan institutions.

ENHANCED INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCING DISTRICT

A geographically defined district that uses local property taxes to issue bonds to fund infrastructure projects such as street maintenance, pedestrian safety enhancements, and affordable housing.

HOUSING TRUST FUND

A loosely defined term covering various types of public and nonprofit-controlled funds from which loans and grants are made for affordable housing. These trusts are variously capitalized with public revenue, dedicated taxes, grants, and payments from market-rate developers.