There’s a lot of news and circumstances behind Sonoma County’s record-low rate of unemployment, which this week stands at just 2.8 percent. As always, the news is a mix of good and bad.
Besides just getting the news here at the Healdsburg Tribune, this is also a good place to find a job, hire a worker, shop locally or volunteer and be part of keeping our hometown economy strong and growing.
Low unemployment is very good news. The statistic means that workers who need jobs right now probably have one. But the other side to this story is that Healdsburg and all of Sonoma County lacks workers.
Go anywhere in town and you will notice all the help wanted signs in business windows. We can’t grow our economy without enough workers. It takes workers to make things and to staff our shops, inns and stores. Local workers also spend their paychecks here, don’t forget.
This lack of a workforce is not a short-term problem. It is part of an out-of-balance local economy. Because the cost of living is so high here, lots of capable workers are moving elsewhere to find both jobs and less expensive housing. They’re taking their paychecks with them.
Our local farmers and winegrape growers have faced labor shortages for several years now and the picture is not expected to get any better soon. This is partly due to the Trump Administration’s “get tough” immigration threats.
On top of that, Sonoma County now needs tens of thousands of workers to rebuild houses, businesses and infrastructure after the historical wildfires of last October. This, too, will be a multi-year challenge, if not decades.
What can be done about this “chicken and egg” puzzle? What is being mentioned most right now is we need to build as many houses as possible for our missing workers. These need to be affordable, which means local housing laws and zoning might need to be changed.
Based on local, regional and state housing studies, Healdsburg has built only one-half (196 units) of the 331 homes needed in the last eight years to keep pace with needs and demands.
We know the city fathers (and mothers) of the city of Healdsburg are working on this problem. The answer will come as a mix of adding more second units, increased affordable housing fees and subsidies and encouragement for more in-fill projects. Current residents of some neighborhoods must accept new units and higher densities in some places. Ask yourself, when you say “not in my backyard” (NIMBY), are you saying no to a house or to a needed local worker?
The goal is not to have all Healdsburg workers live in a house within Healdsburg city limits. Our local economy and land use does not work that way. Many Healdsburg residents commute to jobs as far away as San Francisco.
We have local business managers who commute here every day from up and down Highway 101. But all current housing plans say Healdsburg needs to build at least 150 more housing units. And that’s just a start before we calculate the next decades’ needs.
Besides needing more worker housing, we also need housing for the new business owners we hope to attract to town. Our arts center, museum and school volunteers all need housing and we’d like to have homes for more local doctors and health care providers.
We get it. No one wants to see Healdsburg grow too big or too fast. But apparently we’re too small right now, because we don’t have room for all the workers and their families we need.
All this makes for a great discussion and debate we hope to continue with our Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce, local elected officials, local homebuilders and regional housing officials.
