Big news! We’ve added new housing program data - check them out under “Housing Programs” on each city page.
Housing programs are the strategies that cities and counties legally have at their disposal to produce more and preserve existing affordable housing, as well as protect existing residents from getting displaced from their homes and communities.
Local housing programs, as part of a housing element, have significant impacts on a city or county reaching its affordable housing goals. Each additional housing policy has a significant impact on the residents who are most in need of affordable housing. However, the number of programs that a jurisdiction includes in their housing element is not meant to imply how well a city or county is addressing local housing needs since the quality and impact of each will need to be determined as well.
Use the below data to explore this jurisdiction’s approaches to affirmatively furthering fair housing for the 6th element cycle, and review the actions, deliverables, and deadlines committed to for each program.
PROGRAM NUMBER | ACTIONS | DELIVERABLE | DELIVERABLE DATE |
---|---|---|---|
1a | Program Description: The County and the Sonoma County Community Development
Commission (CDC) provides funding assistance to affordable housing developments using CDBG,
HOME, PLHA, CFH, and LMIHAF funds. These funding programs are administered by the CDC),
which provide financing to developers who are then able to provide safe, affordable housing to
households in a range of income groups. These funds can be used to construct new affordable
housing as well as to rehabilitate existing units, which can be added to the permanent affordable
stock through affordability restrictions. Overall, the County will strive to provide 30% of funding
to projects in RCAAs, moderate-, and high-resource areas.
1a The County will continue its support of the CDC's activities and strategies outlined in the
Consolidated Plan, including provision of staff and funding resources, and will support the
Dept. of Health Services' Continuum of Care work to ensure that existing production levels
are maintained and will continue to require that all rental units assisted with County Fund
for Housing (CFH) funds be affordable to very low-income households.
| : Ongoing | |
1b | 1b The County will continue providing loans from CFH funds to housing projects located
within cities. However, given the 654% increase in the County's RHNA, the CDC will
prioritize these funds to units within the Unincorporated County to help the County meet
its RHNA unless transfer agreements have been negotiated with the cities.
| : Ongoing | |
1c | 1c The County currently dedicates a portion of its Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) and
"boomerang" funds toward affordable housing on an annual basis. The County will
continue using these funds for affordable housing and will consider establishing an annual
minimum percentage of these funds.
| : Ongoing | |
1d | 1d Provide adequate staffing resources for the CDC and Permit Sonoma to allow full
implementation of the Housing Element, especially within the first three years of the
planning period.
| : 20% increase in staff hours dedicated to Housing Element Implementation
including fair housing programs
| : Ongoing |
2a | Program Description: Currently the Unincorporated County has 5 affordable units that may be
lost from the affordable housing supply within the next ten years due to expiring affordability
restrictions. There are no publicly assisted units at risk for conversion.
2a The Community Development Commission will continue to maintain an inventory of all
units at risk of conversion to market-rate (''at -risk units'1 in the next 10 years. This list
will be updated annually as needed during the County's Annual Progress Report process.
| : Annual | |
2b | 2b Owners will be contacted at least three years before expiration of affordability covenants
to inform them of State preservation notice law requirements (Gov. Code §§ 65863.10,
65863.11, 65863.13) and to gauge interest in continuing affordability restrictions. The
County will work with tenants of at-risk units and provide them with education regarding
tenant rights and conversion procedures. The County will continue to assist qualified
entities and developers with the acquisition of these properties or the extension of
affordability restrictions using CDBG, HOME, LMIHAF, and CFH funds. The County will
strive to preserve as many "at -risk" units as feasible, subject to the availability of funds.
| : Review annually. Contact at least three years before expiration of affordability covenants | |
3a | Program Description: The County will continue to protect its mobilehome parks and its
mobilehome park residents by undertaking the following actions:
3a Continue to implement the mobile home rent stabilization ordinance (Sonoma County
Code Chapter 2, Article XIX) and update as necessary to ensure ongoing affordability of
this unique form of housing.
| : Ongoing; consider updating by end of 2025 | |
3b | 3b Continue regulating closure or conversion of mobilehome parks to other uses by requiring
a use permit and relocation (Zoning Code Section 26-92-090 or successor ordinance).
| : Ongoing | |
3c | 3c Consider re-adoption of requirements for owner-initiated conversions of mobile home
parks (MHPs) to resident ownership to ensure that residents are in favor of such
conversions. Until such time that a new ordinance is adopted, continue to implement state
law related to the conversion of MHPs to resident ownership imposed by Senate Bill 510
in 2013 (Gov. Code § 66427.5). Where conversions are initiated by residents, assist with
the conversion process via (Gov. Code § 66428). (Existing; 2 previous programs
combined, and a new action added to consider re-adoption of MHP conversion
regulations).
| : Consider ordinance by 2026 | |
4: | Program Description: As part of the Housing Element update, the County will rezone sufficient
sites and take other actions to demonstrate an adequate inventory of sites to meet its Regional
Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) Allocations. These sites shall meet the standards set forth in
Government Code § 65583.2, including subsections (i) and (h), have sufficient infrastructure
capacity and access, and will be sufficient to address the shortfall of 1,129 units, including 535
lower-income units.
| ||
4a | 4a To address a portion of its RHNA shortfall, the County will rezone sites concurrent with
adoption of the Housing Element update. These sites will either be upzoned to default
density or will be rezoned to add the Workforce Housing Combining District. The County
will rezone at least 86 acres of land within the Unincorporated County, including 50 acres
zoned to allow multifamily development by-right at 20 units per acre and meeting the
standards set forth in Government Code § 65583.2 for sites available to accommodate the
lower-income RHNA. These sites will have a realistic development capacity of 1,557 units,
including 68 units affordable to lower-income households.
| : Rezone sites no later than January 31, 2024 | |
4b | 4b To further address its RHNA shortfall, the County will rezone the 30.32 acres of land within
an unincorporated island within the City of Santa Rosa, located at Guerneville Road and
Lance Drive, to match the City of Santa Rosa's prezoning and the North Santa Rosa Station
Area Specific Plan. These sites have a realistic development capacity of 641 units,
including 163 lower-income units. As these sites are surrounded by incorporated lands,
the County will coordinate site development with the City of Santa Rosa and ensure that
project design is consistent with the City's adopted development standards for the site,
including its objective design standards. Upon annexation of one or more of the parcels
within this island into the City, RHNA responsibility shall be transferred from the County
to the City pursuant to Government Code § 65584.07 (d).
| : Rezone sites no later than January 31, 2024 | |
4c | 4c As an additional strategy to address its RHNA shortfall, the has County identified the
existing County Administrative Center campus in the City of Santa Rosa to accommodate
development of 200 housing units that would be developed consistent with a
governmental purpose of the County, including but not limited to at least 180 units
affordable to lower-income households including special needs populations and County
employees. These units would be developed through an RFP process; sites would be
ground leased and would remain County-owned. City land use and zoning regulations
would not apply. The County would retain authority to approve entitlements and issue
permits on this County-owned site pursuant to the County's sovereign immunity under
Government Code §§ 53090- 53091. The County will monitor progress toward
development of housing on the County Administrative Center campus and will identify and
rezone backup sites for housing if there is inadequate progress to ensure compliance with
no net loss laws and maintain adequate sites to meet the County's RHNA
• Initiate EIR by mid-2024; complete by end of 2025
• Issue RFP by end of 2024
• Select Developer pursuant to RFP, negotiate terms of ground lease by mid-2026
• Issue building permits by end of 2026
• Review of progress and identification of alternative sites, if necessary to meet
RHNA, by mid-2027 if building permits are not issued by end of 2026.
| : Identify and rezone backup sites by mid-2027 if necessary to meet RHNA | |
4d | 4d The County will amend the Zoning Code to allow developments of at least 20 units per
acre as a use by right (as defined in Government Code § 65583.2(i)) on sites identified to
accommodate the lower-income RHNA, when 20 percent or more of the development's
units are affordable to lower-income households.
| : Amend Zoning Code by January 31, 2024 | |
5b | 5b The County will also require replacement housing units subject to the requirements of
Government Code § 65915(c)(3) when any new residential, mixed use, or discretionary
commercial development occurs on a site in an active Priority Development Area (PDA)
designated by ABAG/MTC (as of May 2023, Airport Industrial Specific Plan Area PDA, Santa
Rosa Avenue PDA, Springs PDA).
| : Lower-resource areas (Airport SMART Station Specific Plan Area, Springs
PDA, Santa Rosa Avenue PDA) with a higher displacement risk
| : Ongoing |
5c | 5c Utilize Specific Plans, Master Plans, and other community planning tools to target
investment into areas of most need, focused on improving community assets such as
schools, recreational facilities and programs, social service programs, parks, streets, active
transportation, and infrastructure.
| : Lower Resource Areas (Springs Specific Plan Area, Airport SMART Station
Specific Plan Area
| : 2023 (Sonoma Developmental Center, Springs Specific Plan); 2024 Airport SMART Station Specific Plan; ongoing as new plans are adopted |
5d | 5d Utilize affirmative marketing strategies in marketing plans for subsidized housing projects,
prioritizing existing residents at risk of displacement.
Timing: Beginning in 2024 and ongoing thereafter
| : Countywide
| : Community Development Commission |
5e | 5e Upon settlement of the Vannucci v County of Sonoma case, the County will work
with interested and impacted persons and agencies to address concerns as
needed.
Timing: As determined by court or settlement
| : Permit Sonoma, County Counsel, County Administrator, Community Development Commission | |
6: | Program Description: Instead of relying on ABAG to determine the regional fair share of housing for the county and its cities, the County will support and promote the formation of a subregion, as allowed by State law, for a more equitable RHNA allocation process in subsequent RHNA cycles.
| : Meet with SCTA/RCPA Planners Advisory Committee twice prior to initiation
of 7th cycle RHNA
. Target: : Urban Service Areas Countywide, targeting a larger proportion of lowerincome RHNA in higher resource areas and vice versa
| : End of 2027 |
7: | Programs
Program Description: The County currently administers four density bonus programs, including
the State Density bonus program, the County Supplemental Density Bonus Program, and the
Rental and Ownership Housing Opportunity Area Programs. These programs will be continued.
Additionally, the County will evaluate the programs and determine if they could be expanded or
modified to create additional opportunities for housing.
| : 50 new affordable units during the planning period
. Target: : Concentrated in USAs near transit, amenities, and access to opportunities
| : Ongoing; evaluation by 2026 |