Let’s make the Green New Deal
EDITOR: Climate change is happening here and now – and as a young person, I’m terrified. I’m 36 years old and have a 2-year-old daughter.
The latest climate report from the UN says we have only 12 years to transform our economy to preserve the stable climate human civilization has depended on for millennia. We need a massive mobilization of every sector of society on par with what science and justice demand.
A Green New Deal will keep Americans safe from climate change and create millions of green jobs. It is common sense policy that is overwhelmingly popular with American people, regardless of political party or where they live.
Any presidential candidate who wants to be taken seriously on climate and earn the support of young people needs to support U.S. Rep. Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Ed Markey’s (D-Mass.) resolution.
Kevin Anderson
Santa Rosa
Questioning what Healdsburg values
EDITOR: As a 53-year resident of Healdsburg, I know that we as a community show what we value by where we put our resources.
For instance, we rightfully value tourism, which has brought many positive changes to Healdsburg over the past 37 years. We continue to spend $225,000 per year to promote Healdsburg as a “world class small town.”
We rightfully value our parks and trails. The city is currently planning to spend $1.6 million to extend the Grove Street trail north of town, a wonderful amenity for our residents who have the health, time and energy for long walks.
But do we value all of our residents? Are those with the least resources being given their fair share of attention and resources? Given our current revenue, the city is spending $6,906 per capita on 11,840 residents. How much of that is being allocated to our residents with no or little income? Currently 0.00085 percent.
Many Healdsburg residents with roofs over our heads are comfortable with our lives but unhappy with the lack of compassion and care for those who have no place to call home. Please view our three-minute video, www.NoPlaceToCallHome.org.
According to the most recent report from the county, 84 percent of those who are homeless lived in Sonoma County before becoming homeless. Fears that temporary legal encampment and even transitional and permanent housing, the end goal, act as a “magnet” are unfounded.
According to that same report, 64 percent of our county’s homeless population report living with one or more health conditions.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reported that in 2017-18, of 10 California counties, Sonoma had the largest increase in its homeless population. The aforesaid county report revealed that 72 percent of our homeless cited lack of affordable rent as the primary obstacle in obtaining permanent housing.
A group of residents, acting on their own behalf and independent of organization, find the lack of the city’s attention to our shelterless population unacceptable. And we are trying to do something about it. Won’t you join us?
Gail Jonas
Healdsburg
New Piper St. owners share their side
EDITOR: My wife and I are the new owners of the Healdsburg apartment building that was the subject of a Feb. 7 article (“Vanishing neighborhood seeks help” Page 1). I would like to provide our perspective.
First, I want to make it clear that we support the community’s goal of providing affordable housing for working families. In addition to our regular jobs, we buy and rehabilitate smaller homes and apartments. We take pride providing clean, code-compliant dwellings that are typically rented by working folks. We acquired the Piper Street property with the same intent.
We knew the property had not been improved since it was built in 1977 but were dismayed and disheartened by the neglect found during our pre-closing inspection. Most units were in very poor condition. At that juncture, it became clear to us that the building needed prompt, extensive rehabilitation, instead of the phased approach we were initially planning.
Preliminary estimates show that it will cost $500,000 to do the necessary work. Unfortunately, we don’t have the ability to absorb that kind of cost. In fact, early on we went to city hall to explore possible funding assistance for the rehabilitation, but the city’s Rental Unit Rehabilitation Loan Program would only provide a loan to us of up to $4,000 per unit for a maximum of three units. That said, we are in active discussions with the city to, hopefully, find a creative solution that will allow us to quickly welcome tenants back into these apartments. We plan to offer the first opportunity to rent these rehabilitated units to the same tenants who are moving out for the work to be done. We are very interested in finding creative solutions and do our part to help with affordable housing.
Vikram and Juhi Dutt
Greenbrae
