Housing strategy underway

Local leaders weigh in on housing values

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People have strong feelings about homes, housing, subsidies, land use planning, poverty, and justice. So last week, the Sustainable Sonoma Council clarified their diverse views of housing-related values, in order to guide our team of housing experts to recommend housing strategies that will advance Sonoma Valley's environment, economy, and equity.

A set of 26 values related to housing—generated by community leaders across health, local business, social justice, environment, faith, law enforcement, and youth—were rated on a scale of "must have" to "deal breaker." Some example values are:

  • Maintain or increase the number of existing homes that are affordable, including mobile home parks.

  • Housing should support diversity and integration across ethnicity, age, socioeconomic status, household size, and LGBTQ+ communities.

  • Apportion new growth across City of Sonoma and Eldridge, not just in the Springs.

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Sustainable Sonoma is working with an incredible team of housing experts: Cassandra Benjamin, CSB Philanthropic Solutions; Libby Seifel, Seifel Consulting Inc.; Joshua Abrams, Baird + Driskell; Alicia Gaylord, MidPen Housing Corporation; Walter Keiser, Economic & Planning Systems; and Margaret Van Vliet, Trillium Advisors. Each is providing expertise in one or more solution domains: Actions for Government, Community Based Solutions, and Market or Private Sector Approaches.

Working with the housing-related values expressed by Sustainable Sonoma's Council, and the community at large during 2018's listening sessions, these experts will recommend a menu of actionable housing strategies during a convening in early December, customized for Sonoma Valley's particular assets, trends, and challenges.

In January, the Sustainable Sonoma Council will evaluate the proposed strategies based on its sustainability values filter. The final report, expected in early 2020, is tentatively titled "Homes for a Sustainable Sonoma Valley: Strategic Recommendations for Our Community".

Kim JonesComment