Last night’s meeting on Sonoma County’s Housing Element felt like a turning point, a YES ON HOUSING moment.

The turnout showed what true cross-community collaboration can do, on an issue that affects every aspect of our community—affordable homes.

About 25 members of the Sonoma Valley Citizens Advisory Commission, Springs Municipal Advisory Council, and North Sonoma Valley Municipal Advisory Council met jointly to give Sonoma County planners input on the draft Sonoma County Housing Element, an eight-year plan for housing all segments of the population.

Two community members and four Sonoma Valley Collaborative members, including Sonoma Valley Hospital, Greenbelt Alliance, La Luz Center, and Sonoma Valley Housing Group, gave statements asking for a better Housing Element, supporting Sonoma Valley Collaborative’s platform, and describing the painful housing challenges faced by seniors, employers, first-responders, low-income, and Latinos in Sonoma Valley. 

Nidia Figueroa of La Luz Center said, “Our clients and community members are being driven out of their homes and communities [by] increasing rent prices and the continuous threat of eviction.” “This is why we are asking for improvements in the draft for stronger protections for existing lower-cost rentals, deed-restricted or not, and more of a focus on homes for people with low or very low incomes.”

Celia Kruse de la Rosa, a Director from Sonoma Valley Hospital, said, “The hospital sees housing insecurity in both our patients and our staff. It contributes to health issues in our community, rent vs prescriptions. It is even an impediment to [hiring] new graduates and early career physicians. Currently, 70% of staff does not live in the health care district; this number is unfortunately growing.” She said Sonoma Valley is struggling to be a “live-here, work-here” community.

Ahead of the meeting, Sonoma Valley Collaborative provided 14 personal statements collected through its housing advocacy workshops, including from teens at Teen Services Sonoma.

Esme, a 10th grader at Sonoma Valley High School, wrote, “Living in a household of 6 in a small trailer home, … I don't have privacy. That limits my ability to study and have a place to do my school work without interruptions.”

Litzy, a 12th grader, wrote, “I don’t think decision makers understand how not having a stable home can mess with a young person’s mental health and well-being.”

Jay, an 11th grader, wrote: “I live in a one bedroom apartment that can't hold a family of five. Our rent has gone up, and it is far from school. I am always late.”

The response from the Sonoma Valley Citizens Advisory Commission, Springs Municipal Advisory Council, North Sonoma Valley Municipal Advisory Council was promising. Almost all members echoed the desire for a Housing Element that charts a new direction for housing in Sonoma Valley. They expressed an understanding of the damage the current housing situation is causing and of the cross-sector benefits to the community from having more abundant, affordable, infill housing. 

Many commission and council members agreed with Celeste Winders, member of the Springs MAC, who said housing costs are causing “the rapid and extreme decline in school enrollment” and great difficulty retaining Sonoma Valley Unified School District staff. Winders was “moved” by the teen comments submitted by Sonoma Valley Collaborative. Unless the Housing Element is strong, Winders warned, “You are about to become a town without children.” Springs MAC member Iris Lombard said she did not see “the urgency [of the housing crisis] reflected in the draft Housing Element.” 

Many commission and council members called for “bold action” in the Housing Element, including new policies such as a tax on vacant homes, banning almost all vacation rentals, government and nonprofit ownership of land for housing, rent stabilization, and more.

Sonoma Valley Collaborative has reached out to the chairs of the three governmental bodies to offer assistance in developing actionable policy recommendations to improve the draft Housing Element, putting to work the Collaborative’s three years of consensus-based, expert-informed housing strategy.