“In addition, the report finds that about 1 of every 2 renters in the county spends more than 30% of their income on rent — a burden that Latino and Black renters were more likely to have than their white or Asian counterparts.
Jen Klose, the executive director for Generation Housing, a local housing advocacy nonprofit, said that data made sense given that the construction of homes in Sonoma County has long failed to keep pace with local demand.
In order to improve the situation, local leaders should prioritize polices that make it quicker and cheaper to build housing in Sonoma County, Klose said. Changing exclusionary zoning policies to allow property owners to build more homes on their lots could also be another remedy, she added.
“We have a great imbalance of folks who are working hard jobs for low wages,” Klose said. “But we don’t have enough homes at an affordable level.””
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