ADVOCATING FOR HOUSING FOR A SUSTAINABLE SONOMA VALLEY
INFLUENCING THE SONOMA COUNTY & CITY OF SONOMA HOUSING PLANS .
INFLUENCING THE SONOMA COUNTY & CITY OF SONOMA HOUSING PLANS .
Sonoma Valley Collaborative’s Council, staff, and partners have done extensive research to create a housing platform supported by our broad coalition.
Working Sonoma Valley Collaborative Housing Platform
Rescue expiring subsidies for dozens of affordable homes, to keep people housed.
Ease approvals and reduce costs for projects that meet SVC Housing Declaration standards.
Use community housing trusts and other innovative financing structures to reduce the cost of housing.
Physically and visually integrate households of varying incomes and sizes.
Reduce the number of whole-house vacation rentals over time.
Reduce the number of second or empty homes over time.
Provide protection against involuntary displacement of moderate, low, and very low income residents, including mobilehome residents.
Reduce or eliminate parking requirements for new or redeveloped residential projects. At the least, “unbundle” the cost of parking at multi-unit projects so residents can choose whether to pay for parking space.
Improve the mapping of priority areas for new or redeveloped housing, using the best data sources and science, for example related to fire risk and equity.
Increase requirements for inclusionary units up to the maximum economically feasible, and disincentivize off-site units and in-lieu fees. In-lieu fees should be high enough to actually create homes.
Maximize the percentage of planned housing at SDC that is affordable to households making middle incomes and less.
Of new below-market units built, to balance out past patterns of building, more need to be for extremely low, very low, and low income households, and fewer for moderate income households.
Allow and incentivize small multi-unit buildings in all residential zones.
Allow and incentivize diverse types of homes (mobilehomes, manufactured, prefab, tiny, etc) in all residential zones.
The City of Sonoma should annex land to build 100% affordable homes in the direction of the Springs.
Use thoughtful tenant protections (rent stabilization and just cause eviction policies) to retain low- and middle-income residents, with reasonable protections for small-time, good-behavior landlords.
If you want Sonoma Valley to be more inclusive, more diverse, more affordable for working people and young families, but you don’t know how to speak up for these values, our Housing Advocacy Toolkit below (adapted from YIMBY Action) can help you hone your public comment so it’s effective and personal.
Both Sonoma County and the City of Sonoma have recently approved housing plans for the next 8 years. Sonoma Valley Collaborative joined many people and organizations in shaping these plans, which in turn shape Sonoma Valley’s housing future.
Our advocacy with the united voice of the Sonoma Valley Collaborative Council and community members has been effective and inspiring: The Housing Element adopted by Sonoma’s City Council in January 2023 is by far the most pro-housing plan ever in the City of Sonoma! Sonoma Valley Collaborative advocated for 23 housing affordability policies, in many cases writing proposed language that the City adopted word-for-word in the Housing Element.
Sonoma Valley Collaborative submitted a detailed public comment on the City of Sonoma’s draft Housing Element on September 16, 2022.
An overview of Sonoma Valley Collaborative’s housing values
Sonoma Valley Collaborative finds that virtually the entire Sonoma Valley community aligns around a vision for a whole, sustainable community—a place where people can find meaningful work, affordable homes, a sense of connectedness, access to open space, healthy lifestyles, and the other essential pieces of wellbeing.
Our housing policy platform builds on our expert-informed Homes for a Sustainable Sonoma Valley blueprint, informed by findings and events since its publication. New information and discussion will likely lead to additional refinements in the platform.
We urge Sonoma Valley residents to echo Sonoma Valley Collaborative's platform, which consists of sensible, road-tested solutions to our housing affordability crisis.