Healdsburg praised for affordable housing stock

Housing costs are lower than they’ve been in years, the rental
market has stabilized, yet there is still a shortage of affordable
housing for many lower income residents, states a report from the
Sonoma County Housing Coalition.
The 2011 Sonoma County Housing Progress Report, released Monday,
shows how many “approved and newly permitted” affordable units –
for sale and for rent – exist in each income category (very low,
low, moderate and above moderate) as specified by the California
Department of Housing and Community Development in its requirements
for Housing Elements (part of the mandated General Plan).
Each city is required to offer a certain number of affordable
housing units, based on its population, job creation, commute
pattern, and other criteria. The report shows how each city is
doing at meeting its share of housing needs, and how close it is to
making its goal.
For example, the city of Healdsburg was successful in getting 85
percent of the units targeted to very low-income people approved
with building permits. That is 85 percent of the goal set out for
them by the Department of Housing and Community Development to be
met by 2014. Cumulatively (which includes very low, low and
moderate income) for affordable housing, Healdsburg has met 50
percent of its goal, according to the report.
“It’s notable that Healdsburg has met 85 percent of the very low
income goal which is hard to develop, and we are only 53 percent
through the progress period,” said Gale Brownell of the Sonoma
County Housing Coalition. “Kudos to Healdsburg,” she said.
Sebastopol has not only met, but has exceeded its very
low-income goal, at 116 percent. Cumulatively for affordable
housing Sebastopol has met 76 percent of its goal.
The Town of Windsor has met 32 percent of its very low and
low-income goal, and 23 percent of its cumulative goal for
affordable housing. There’s a goal but no progress in moderate
housing, which is why the cumulative number is lower than the very
low and low-income number, Brownell said, reading from the
report.
Sonoma County’s Affordable Rental Housing Inventory for 2011 –
which shows how many affordable housing rental units there are in
each jurisdiction in Sonoma County per 1,000 population – was also
released Monday. The Affordable Rental Housing Inventory report
looks at how many affordable rentals are available in each
community. It does not count for sale units. It also shows a
picture over time, while the Housing Progress report shows a more
current status.
The Affordable Rental Housing Inventory showed Sebastopol with
42 affordable housing rental units per 1,000 people, which is the
highest number of affordable rentals of any jurisdiction in Sonoma
County.
Healdsburg’s numbers were better than the county average, with
27 affordable housing units per 1,000 people.
Windsor didn’t make the county average, and has the second
lowest number of affordable housing rental units, according to the
report. The unincorporated areas of the county have the lowest
number of units. Windsor has 12 affordable rental units per 1,000
people, the report states.
“Windsor does not have a lot of money,” Kevin Thompson, senior
planner at Windsor’s Planning and Building Department said when
asked about the number of affordable housing units in Windsor.
The Town of Windsor has about $750,000 per year to help with
affordable housing projects, he said. “We just helped a 65-unit
project that is opening this week and we gave them $3.1 million. So
that kind of wiped us out,” he said. “Right now we are offering
$1.5 million (redevelopment money) to one of several affordable
housing projects that can make it work with that money,” he said,
noting once that $1.5 million is used up, that’s it until next
fall.
“One thing that makes Windsor look bad when these reports come
out, is every city gets a certain number of units that they are
suppose to provide within a time period. Windsor always gets
assigned a high housing allocation, which makes it difficult to
reach our goals,” Thompson said. The Town of Windsor is allocated
719 affordable housing units. Healdsburg’s allocation is 331 units;
Sebastopol, 176. Santa Rosa has been allocated 6,534 units.
Also, Thompson said, the Manzanita Affordable Housing Project –
consisting of 22 low-income for sale units in northeast Windsor is
currently under construction and – isn’t shown in the current
Housing Progress report.
Laura McCutcheon can be reached at [email protected].