After 18 years of home ownership in Sebastopol, my husband and I divorced. I immediately started searching for a long term rental for my teenage daughters and me in our community. I was open to any and all options; but the odds were stacked against us. When I typed our zip code into Craigslist, it brought up only 17 available rentals, including houses, apartments, condos and ADUs. When I typed the same zip code into the Vacation Rental By Owner (VRBO) website, it offered me 917 houses, apartments, condos and SDUs for short-term vacation rental. In this environment, it is almost impossible for residents to find new housing in our own communities, let alone affordable housing. Only through a tremendous stroke of luck, and an extensive network of friends, were we finally able to find a place to live. I am grateful and relieved of course, but know too many friends and neighbors who have had to move away, simply because they could not find a place to land.
