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Press Release

February 11, 2003

Contact:
Kelly Brown, Sonoma-Marin Field Representative, 707-575-3661

Consortium of groups unite for action on Sonoma County Housing

Report calls for implementation of jobs-housing linkage fee and forum on March 22nd to lead to new affordable housing initiatives

Santa Rosa—Calling the delay in implementing the County-wide jobs-housing linkage fee scandalous, a consortium of labor, ecumenical, environmental, housing advocate, business, minority and social justice groups today announced they would release a detailed report, "Affordable Housing for Everyone," written by Nari Rhee, Urban Planner and Ph.D. candidate, U. C., Berkeley, and set the date for a Housing Action Forum, March 22, 2003. The purpose of the forum is to present the report to the community and to develop a common agenda for action amongst participants.

The Housing Action Forum will be held at the Santa Rosa Junior College Faculty Lounge/Doyle Student Center at Elliott and Mendocino Streets, Saturday, March 22 from 9:00 a.m. until noon. Councilman Larry Barnett from the town of Sonoma will speak about efforts at the municipal level to address the housing crisis and Supervisor Mike Reilly will discuss possible new county initiatives. The admission is free and the facility is wheel chair accessible.

Service Employees International Local 707 (SEIU) and New Economy, Working Solutions (NEWS) sponsored the report, which outlines comprehensive solutions to Sonoma County's housing crisis. The report recommends implementation of the jobs-housing linkage fee, increasing the amount of redevelopment funding set aside for affordable housing, passing stronger inclusionary zoning ordinances, and establishing a permanent, public financing mechanism for a county housing trust fund. This report is the latest study indicating the magnitude of the crisis, and it is the most comprehensive analysis of potential solutions. Affordable housing advocates hope the report will alert elected officials to the consequences of ignoring the crisis and will lead to meaningful action by local government.

The Housing Action Forum is sponsored by SEIU, NEWS, The Faith Based Coalition, The Housing Advocacy Group, Greenbelt Alliance, the Leadership Institute for Ecology and Economy, the Living Wage Coalition and the Sonoma County Latino Democratic Club and Petaluma Tomorrow. Following the event on March 22nd the new Consortium will take action to demand solutions, including the immediate implementation of the jobs-housing linkage fee all of the County's jurisdictions.

"We must fill the tool kit," said Paul Carroll of Service Employees International Union. "There is absolutely no excuse for the continued study of solutions to our deepening housing crisis. It is time for our elected officials to take immediate action to assist working people to be able to afford to live in the community where they work."

The report, funded by the UC Berkeley Institute for Labor and Employment, surveys other Bay Area counties and municipalities which have taken housing initiatives that many jurisdictions in Sonoma County have supported in theory, but not in practice.

"This report demonstrates that the solutions to our housing crisis are readily available. All that is necessary is the political will to implement them," said Ernie Carpenter, former Sonoma County Supervisor. "In fact, two Sonoma County cities, Sonoma and Sebastopol, will be considering and likely implementing a jobs-housing linkage fee in the near future. We want Santa Rosa and the County to follow their lead."

"We have known of these policies for years," said Kelly Brown of Greenbelt Alliance. "Environmental groups have long supported the adoption of a job-housing linkage fees and we look forward to forming an action plan. We have the tools to provide housing without hurting our local economy or threatening agricultural land and open space."

"As a broad based action group on affordable housing issues, we will press our current elected officials on implementing the recently updated housing elements in all of the jurisdictions. We will continue to make providing affordable housing an issue in future elections," said Margo Merck of the Housing Advocacy Group.

"The time has come. Future studies are unnecessary. Instead of burying these solutions in committee meetings, we plan to help our elected officials to take action, or explain why they will not provide housing for working people, seniors, and those unable to get into housing in the community where they live," said Stephen Harper, President of the Faith Based Coalition. "The Forum on Housing will be our jumping off point. Either our elected officials want to be part of the solution or part of the problem."

To download a copy of the executive summary or full report after March 1, 2003 go to www.seiulocal707.org.

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