Healthy and Safe Communities

Objective

Rezone up to 59 unincorporated urban sites suitable for housing development, increasing density allowance from 354 units to 2,975 units, and partner with developers and the community to break ground on as many sites as possible by 2026.

Summary of Objective Implementation Status

The Board selected 34 of the 59 sites outlined in Goal 3.1 for rezoning on 8/22/23 based on recommendations from the Planning Commission and staff. An additional 6 sites will be before the Board for rezoning on 12/5/23 which would bring the total number of rezoned units to 40. With the rezoning of these 40 sites, and the inclusion of ongoing projects and sites already zoned for housing, the Housing Element provides for up to 3,824 units which meets our Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) allocation from the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and exceeds the 2,975 unit target from Goal 3.1. With completion of the rezoning effort we are halfway to completing this goal, the second half will be to partner with developers and the community to break ground on as many sites as possible by 2026.

By investing time and resources in partnering with developers and the community to streamline development of these sites, the County can ensure we can break ground on as many sites as possible by 2026. Partly due to recent state laws such as SB 9 and SB 35, staff will be creating a set of Objective Design and Development Standards, which will be the primary method of evaluating new residential development. By creating a set of objective criteria to process residential development, Permit Sonoma will be streamlining the development of housing throughout its jurisdiction. By working with the community throughout this process, we will ensure an inclusive engagement practice throughout this process.

Key Milestone Update

• Final adoption of a certified Housing Element update by Jan 2023, which will include the rezoning of an adequate number of sites. Completed 12/05/2023
• Final adoption of a set of Objective Design and Development Standards by end of 2025 (Housing Element Program 12b)
• # of housing permits approved annually and # of applications submitted by year until 2026

Key data to collect and/or track to develop good measures and/or indicators:

• Housing development trends
• New permit applications
• New housing units built

Tracking for the metrics listed above will be provided to the Board through the Housing Element Annual Progress Report which is transmitted to the Board and State Department of Housing and Community Development in the spring of each year.

Coordination and Partnership Update

To ensure partnership with Cities and Community members through implementation the project will support the creation of a Housing Element Implementation Group (HEIG) that can help us partner with developers and the community to break ground on as many sites as possible by 2026. Furthermore, the County of Sonoma recently kicked off a new regional collaborative to work with Sonoma and Napa County jurisdictions to work together on addressing housing policy.

Community, Equity and Climate Update

Engaging the public will happen through the update of the County’s Housing Element, which will be done in coordination with community-based organizations, service providers, and developers. Any policy updates that get identified by this implementation plan would need to be reflected in this policy update to the County’s General Plan (specifically its Housing Element).

Success will be measured not just by the amount of engagement, but also on quality and inclusiveness of the approach and plans (e.g., have we included the public in the decision making process, where has the public been able to reflect its needs in the process, etc.).

An equity lens through implementation, i.e., process, engagement, etc., will be applied by working with the community to develop the implementation strategy on how best to achieve our goals.  Geographic equity, equity in service access, through implementation will be ensured by implementing an equity prioritization within the 59 sites for staff in implementation of this goal. By identifying sites near public transportation and easy access to services, the project goal includes consideration of climate impacts. Additional consideration can be adopted by creating new climate policies within the Housing Element update.

The following adopted Housing Element programs direct staff to continue equity and outreach activities throughout the current planning cycle.

Housing Element Program 31: Housing Equity and Action Plan: Sonoma County will expand the responsibilities of its existing multi-departmental staff-level Director’s advisory group, the Housing Element Implementation Group (HEIG) to include evaluation and monitoring of program implementation and equitable outreach, assisting staff with annual progress reporting, and reviewing housing- and equity related issues that arise during the planning period. The HEIG will develop and carry out a Housing Equity and Action Plan (HEAP) and will provide recommendations to the Executive Director of CDC and Director of Permit Sonoma for additional actions that should be taken to address housing and equity issues.

Housing Element Program 32: Proactive Outreach Program: In order to affirmatively further fair housing, increase awareness about housing programs, and address local housing needs, the County will establish and implement a proactive outreach program. Strategies for ongoing outreach will include participation in an annual housing fair and establishing and maintaining connections with community-based organizations, as well as outreach to developers, utility providers, and members of the public.

Funding Narrative

Permit Sonoma was awarded a one-time request for $180,000.00 through the Climate Implementation Fund.  

Planning has 2 FTE allocated to support working with developers and the community on specific sites to redevelop as part of the Housing Element update.

No new revenue streams are expected to be created. 

All expenditures will be one-time funds.