Hardworking people should be able to afford housing and still have enough money for groceries and basic necessities. Children deserve an opportunity to succeed in school and life as well, which is tied to having a stable home. Housing is a basic human need. To succeed you need a place to call home. For OUR COMMUNITY to be successful, we need you to get activated and let your voice be heard, because Your Voice Matters. Our local families deserve to have access to a diversity of quality homes that meet the needs of all income levels. Because after all, families make the community.
What does it mean to get active and how can you support pro-housing voices?
You have a once in a decade opportunity to shape the future of housing in Sonoma County. This year, all jurisdictions in the North Bay – including cities, towns, and the unincorporated county – are updating the Housing Element, a plan for the housing needed in every community. Public input is ESSENTIAL for Housing Elements! To undo decades of exclusionary housing policies, we need you to show up, speak up, and make your pro-housing voice be heard. Here’s what you can do to get engaged with this process:
- Attend public workshops to learn about the city’s Housing Element update process and strategies;
- Give public comment in writing or hearings to support high quality Housing Elements;
- Report back what you have learned and share with other pro-housing volunteers;
- Reach out to residents and groups in the city to make sure they know about the update process;
- Review drafts of the Housing Element to check for correct methodology and progressive policies.
We need you to help us most effectively meet the needs of all jurisdictions in Sonoma County. You won’t be alone. Generation Housing and other volunteers will be here to help you understand this process, answer questions, and share resources to best enable your advocacy efforts.
To learn more about the Housing Element process, visit our website and sign up to receive updates and action alerts.