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Spring 2023, Policy Update

Sonoma County – Things you should know about!

Read below for highlights of important local issues pertaining to housing that will be coming forward for consideration by a local legislative body in the near future. If you know of something coming forward in the near future that isn’t listed, please reach out and let us know! 

Santa Rosa City Council

  • June 6, 2023: Zero Emission Bus Rollout Plan
  • July 11, 2023: Tierra de Rosas Time Extension Appeal

County Board of Supervisors

  • July 18, 2023: 2020 General Plan – Housing Element Update; Housing Element Zoning Code Implementation Part 1

State Legislative Download

We are nearing the half-way mark of the 2023 portion of the two-year Legislative Session. Next week, all bills that have survived the legislative process thus far will be reviewed on the “Floor” of their respective “House of Origin”, whether that be the Senate or the Assembly. This is a critical juncture for all legislation as members of each house prepare to vote on bills proposed by members from their respective legislative body. If approved, the bills will then move to the other legislative body and are assigned to a committee(s) for review. That process kicks off in June – so expect a flurry of updates to our Housing Bill Tracker.

We have endorsed a new bill! Generation Housing is proud to announce our endorsement of Assemblymember Jim Wood’s (AD-2) bill, Assembly Bill 50 (“AB 50”). This bill will require the California Public Utilities Commission (“CPUC”) to establish criteria for timely service for electric customers and energization time periods and to annually collect certain information from each large electrical corporation in the form of a report. AB 50 enjoys broad support in the Assembly, but considerable advocacy may be necessary to get this bill through the State Senate and to the Governor’s desk. 

To learn more about our endorsed state legislation, click here. We update our Housing Bill Tracker on a weekly basis. 

Be certain to check out the comprehensive California Housing Legislation Highlights graphic prepared by Alfred Twu. Click here to view it.

If you have specific questions about state housing legislation, feel free to email our Policy Director Calum Weeks at calum@generationhousing.org.

Sonoma County Housing Element Digest

All jurisdictions in Sonoma County have now either adopted their Housing Element Update or have been fully certified and deemed compliant by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (“HCD”) with the exception of Windsor and the County of Sonoma. The County of Sonoma plans on bringing forward an updated copy of their draft Housing Element to the County Planning Commission during a mid-June meeting time. Stay tuned, and follow our tracker for the most up-to-date information.

Check out our Housing Element tracker, posted on our website here!

  • Cloverdale: The Housing Element Update was adopted by the City Council on April 26, 2023 and the document has since been remitted to HCD for certification.
      • Click here to track Housing Element updates on their website
      • You can submit public comment to the City of Cloverdale by emailing CloverdaleHousingElement@4leafinc.com or mail/deliver to Cloverdale City Hall (124 N. Cloverdale Blvd)
      • Click here to get Cloverdale specific action alerts!
  • Cotati: The Cotati City Council adopted their Housing Element on March 28, 2023 and have since remitted it to HCD for certification. 
  • Healdsburg: The Healdsburg City Council adopted their Housing Element on May 1, 2023 and remitted it to HCD for certification.
  • Windsor: The Town received a letter from HCD requesting additional updates to their revised draft Housing Element. To view their comments, click here. It isn’t immediately clear how they intend to proceed.
  • County of Sonoma: The draft Housing Element is now anticipated to come before the County Planning Commission near the middle of June (previously it was May 30). We will post the updated meeting date to our tracker as soon as that information becomes available.
      • Click here to track Housing Element updates on their website
      • Comment on the draft Housing Element can be submitted via email to PermitSonoma-Housing@sonoma-county.org or by regular mail to Permit Sonoma, Attn: Eric Gage, 2550 Ventura Ave., Santa Rosa, California 95403.
      • Click here to get Unincorporated County of Sonoma specific action alerts!