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  1. TopTop #31
    Kai Strom
    Guest

    Re: Encouraging more affordable housing in Sebastopol

    I have wondered why tiny homes and granny pods haven't been implemented? I myself have difficulty finding safe and affordable housing here. It is difficult to find places to live within an hour of intensive medical care when one's family needs it and also be in a safe environment. Some family members are more than uncomfortable in a city. The rural areas in Sonoma county seem to be calmer options.

    Tiny homes with composting toilets and solar panels might be a start to help traveling workers, college students, aging out foster youth, homeless teens, Veterans, persons with disabilities, elders, and ecologically minded persons and young couples. It would also be a start for persons who lost homes in fires and to foreclosure. They can be moved if they are on a frame.

    Could we think about it?
    Last edited by Barry; 03-22-2016 at 02:47 PM.
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  3. TopTop #32
    rossmen
     

    Re: Encouraging more affordable housing in Sebastopol

    This article is pie in the sky thinking. Trying to be gentle because Tom [Lynch] is the most realistic politico in the run. Who cleaned up the scat spread in sr? Sr and then they cleaned up the sewer plant, now state of the art. Mr MM [Manure Man] was essential in initiating this transformation, we all owe him.

    Housing prices are about supply and demand. Government regs (most of which are about protecting wealth), determine supply. Demand is about economics. And a significant economic driver in West county is indoor growing. Legalize weed so the price drops and there will be thousands more rental units available in Sonoma county, instead of being used for covert energy intensive environmentally unsustainable agriculture. This is the only significant political change on the horizon which will provide some relief.

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by terijane: View Post
    I'm following this thread with avid interest as a future tiny house owner. I appologize if this has been referrenced before, but don't miss Lynda McDaniel's excellent article https://www.sonomaindependent.org/ca...sonoma-county/
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  5. TopTop #33
    tommy's Avatar
    tommy
     

    Re: Encouraging more affordable housing in Sebastopol

    3/20/16 Press Democrat
    Close to Home: Why $42 million for affordable housing in Santa Rosa is missing
    https://www.pressdemocrat.com/opinion/5399126-181/close-to-home-why-42?ref=menu&artslide=0

    By HUGH FUTRELL
    HUGH FUTRELL IS A SANTA ROSA-BASED DEVELOPER. | March 20, 2016


    On Oct. 16, 1990, the Santa Rosa City Council, faced then as now with a housing affordability crisis, took courageous action.

    To fund affordable housing the council tripled the tax paid when real property is sold. (As a result, a median-priced home now pays $1,700 in tax at close of escrow instead of $600.) I was there that evening. I had chaired the committee that developed the recommendation. As with others, I saw this funding as critical to protecting struggling families. That night we heard Mayor Jack Healy answer opponents’ criticism with a ringing statement of accountability: “I was elected to serve the public interest. The need is real. We need to do this now — not later. Now!” (Paraphrase from memory.)

    Since then, $42 million has flowed into the city treasury from the tax increase, enough leveraged subsidy to have built 1,000 affordable-housing units. That’s $42 million that would have housed 1,000 families at affordable rents — $42 million that would have reduced rents for thousands of others, due to greater housing supply. The operative phrase is “would have.” The commitment made that evening was broken. The 1,000 units don’t exist.The $42 million was stolen — diverted by the city to other purposes. Why was it stolen? Because it could be. The tax increase in 1990 was technically not a specific tax for a restricted purpose. That would have required a public referendum. Without a separate referendum, the council action effectively put the new revenue into the general fund where it could be spent on anything. Everyone understood that the funds were for affordable housing. That was the whole point. (For clarity, 10 percent was to be used to pay county jail booking fees, a last minute tack-on.)

    Continues here
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  7. TopTop #34
    ChefJayTay's Avatar
    ChefJayTay
     

    Re: Encouraging more affordable housing in Sebastopol

    I suspect there are wannabe airbnb hoteliers behind some of these suggestions (not anyone in particular).
    We need solutions that actually provide housing.
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  8. TopTop #35
    rossmen
     

    Re: Encouraging more affordable housing in Sebastopol

    I don't know about such motives on this thread but yes, the ease of airbnb has taken units out of the rental market. And it might be politically possible to do something about it, people are certainly trying. It would be a good question for Supervisor candidates.

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by ChefJayTay: View Post
    I suspect there are wannabe airbnb hoteliers behind some of these suggestions (not anyone in particular).
    We need solutions that actually provide housing.
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  9. TopTop #36
    tommy's Avatar
    tommy
     

    Re: Encouraging more affordable housing in Sebastopol

    I'd say Mr Manure Man owes us - we're the ones - the public - who paid for cleaning up his publicity stunt. I don't understand - he's run against Noreen several times, & lost. There is no reason to conclude this time will be any different.

    Rossman... you tend to focus on one of many parts of the housing picture - last week it was Tiny Houses, this week it's growers - as being the major causal factor. Airbnb & other vacation rentals are constraining supply much more than growers. A holistic view of the housing demand would include Sonoma Co economic growth, the desirability of the area, the regional economic drivers of SF and Silicon Valley, vacation rentals, etc. The main driver of housing demand is the availability of employment.

    The drivers of supply include the economy (low interest rates, available funding), govt rules (zoning, building codes, funding for affordable housing), availability of developers and workers, etc.

    It takes a few years at least to build housing. Changing one law - whether permitting Tiny Houses or legalizing weed - will have only a minor effect - because there are bigger forces at work.
    Last edited by Barry; 03-24-2016 at 09:46 PM.
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  11. TopTop #37
    arthunter's Avatar
    arthunter
     

    Re: Encouraging more affordable housing in Sebastopol

    I just came across these two related stories and thought that they were worth sharing ... it would be nice if these problems lead us to an increased sense of "community" where we actually watch out for our most vulnerable residents ....

    https://money.cnn.com/2016/03/11/rea...inkId=22170385

    https://libertyblitzkrieg.com/2016/0...ing-subsidies/
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  13. TopTop #38
    rossmen
     

    Re: Encouraging more affordable housing in Sebastopol

    I remember from an early grade that an act of civil disobedience (which had property impacts), was important in the creation of our nation. The wastewater violations were on growing and getting massive. SR was content to pay the fines, so much less than the investment needed to upgrade, trying to keep cost down. Maybe you would have a different attitude if turds were floating by your house?

    The devil lies in the details, what would you change and how possible is it? I know many people who grow and some who rent to travelers. The changes I say are possible would be a very difficult disruption to families with children. Would legalizing pot or restricting airbnb free up more long term rentals? Probably either and certainly both would mean more than the 42 mill futrell says would have created 1000 units in sr. When the world is working for you/I it is difficult to challenge the status quo... :. (

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by tommy: View Post
    I'd say Mr Manure Man owes us - we're the ones - the public - who paid for cleaning up his publicity stunt. ....
    Last edited by Barry; 03-25-2016 at 09:40 PM.
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  15. TopTop #39
    Ted Pole's Avatar
    Ted Pole
     

    Re: Encouraging more affordable housing in Sebastopol

    A couple of points regarding the efficiency of tiny houses:

    In doing some research over the past couple of years, we have found that a great many tiny house designs utilize sleeping lofts. The steep steps required to get to your bedroom can be quite problematic for those with mobility issues. Imagine climbing up a ladder to get into bed.

    The designs that keep the bedroom on the ground floor have a larger footprint, and point up the zoning difference between a Park RV residence (no more than 400 square feet) and the mobile home, which in most cases requires standardized hookups i.e.: sewage/septic.

    There are exceptions to everything, and your comfort level may be more flexible, but those of us in advancing years must consider whether we can actually reside in these types of structures.

    The other point is that of composting toilets versus incinerating toilets. We found the incinerating toilet to be much more desirable from a maintenance and residue issue. Especially in high population situations, a cup of ash every two weeks seems better than pounds of compost. And while there is an electricity aspect to the incinerating version, if it ran on solar panels I think many of us would be okay with it.

    The problem with any of this, as we are all aware, is the glacial pace of the regulatory agencies in analyzing and approving new procedures (perhaps influenced by real estate interests?).


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  17. TopTop #40
    arthunter's Avatar
    arthunter
     

    Re: Encouraging more affordable housing in Sebastopol

    I woke up to this news ...
    HUD Wants to Make Living in a Tiny House or RV Illegal

    one has to wonder about this ... I can understand safety concerns, etc., but are they not seeing the homeless problem in this country? ... would they rather that people are out on the streets? ... what's going on in our country? ... first, ridiculous laws passed about feeding the homeless and now this ... oh, and I also heard that it's illegal to live off of the grid in some places ... now how "sustainable" is that?

    https://www.theorganicprepper.ca/hud...legal-03312016
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  19. TopTop #41
    Shandi's Avatar
    Shandi
     

    Re: Encouraging more affordable housing in Sebastopol

    This information comes just after I read in Sonoma Seniors Today about a Tiny House being constructed for a raffle on June 1, 2016. Tickets are $200 each, and will benefit COA's Meals on Wheels.

    Tumbleweed Tiny House Co. donated the plans for the "Linden 20 Equator" model, which features a one bedroom, sleeping loft, a bathroom, a fully equipped kitchen, a great room, a storage loft and porch. And mounted on wheels.

    Will wheels keep it legal? I do wonder about the feasibility of a "loft" for seniors. I had a bedroom loft in my 40's and it was a hassle to get up to pee in the middle of the night, until I rigged up a rope pull bucket. But most seniors probably can't squat to pee except the very agile ones. And some won't be able to climb the ladder. (As Ted Pole previously pointed out.)

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by arthunter: View Post
    I woke up to this news ...
    HUD Wants to Make Living in a Tiny House or RV Illegal

    one has to wonder about this ... I can understand safety concerns, etc., but are they not seeing the homeless problem in this country? ... would they rather that people are out on the streets? ... what's going on in our country? ... first, ridiculous laws passed about feeding the homeless and now this ... oh, and I also heard that it's illegal to live off of the grid in some places ... now how "sustainable" is that?

    https://www.theorganicprepper.ca/hud...legal-03312016
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  21. TopTop #42
    riverosprey's Avatar
    riverosprey
     

    Re: Encouraging more affordable housing in Sebastopol

    https://tomlynchforsupervisor.com/LI...county-issues/

    I've lived in West County over 36 years and have never seen such a lack of affordable housing; nine years on Russian River Redevelopment (with 20% of the resources toward affordable housing), and last seven years on Sonoma County Planning Commission. The number one problem for affordable housing in Sonoma County is Sonoma County...our government is at cross purposes of the stated goal of creating housing by making it unaffordable and against allowing people to create it.

    With a huge underutilized amount of housing in the West County, we should be allowing homeowners to create "second dwelling units" without $30,000 of impact fees, like they're doing in Novato (www.lilypadhomes.org) . I am in favor of allowing owner occupied homeowners the ability to create a second unit, provided the services are there. Period.

    Last year in all of Sonoma County there were 103 affordable units created (60 alone at The Springs in Boyes Hot Springs), this is not near enough to house young and old alike. We take affordable housing fees to create $400,000 one bedroom apartments in Boyes Springs, why not leverage these resources incentivizing units among homes all over...build 13 units for the price of one.

    https://tomlynchforsupervisor.com/LI...county-issues/
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  23. TopTop #43
    tommy's Avatar
    tommy
     

    Re: Encouraging more affordable housing in Sebastopol

    I think it's naive and simplistic to say the govt of Sonoma Co is the #1 problem for creating more affordable housing. The govt serves at the behest of the County Supervisors, who represent people, and various interests. The needs and wishes of the homeless, tiny house advocates, low income renters, etc ...play out with the needs and wishes of other voters, property owners, real estate interests, developers, etc. Sonoma County is a very beautiful and fragile place, that many want to preserve. I'm not against 2nd units like those permitted in Novato... but there are many who want to do whatever they can get away with ... damned be the laws and practices good for our land.

    I am curious though, Tom, whether there aren't some more significant actions that could be taken to rein in pension costs, beyond your declining to take it?

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by riverosprey: View Post
    https://tomlynchforsupervisor.com/LI...county-issues/

    ...The number one problem for affordable housing in Sonoma County is Sonoma County...our government is at cross purposes of the stated goal of creating housing by making it unaffordable and against allowing people to create it. ...
    Last edited by Barry; 04-03-2016 at 08:22 AM.
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  25. TopTop #44
    spam1's Avatar
    spam1
     

    Re: Encouraging more affordable housing in Sebastopol

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by tommy: View Post
    whether there aren't some more significant actions that could be taken to rein in pension costs,
    When a private company negotiates with a private union, the private company has a goal to save as much money as possible, and deferred costs must be accounted for. So this keeps pensions (and wages) in line with income of a company.

    In the public sector, public unions also fund election campaigns for those they negotiate with, and governments have in the past exempted themselves from having to accrue expenses for future pension costs. In good year they vote raises and in the worst case, pension bumps etc (like what happened in the late 90's). That was the vote, and I believe Noreen Evans was responsible for voting yes, that cast our county into nearly endless deficits, and why we all will soon pay more to people not working (retirees) then to people currently working in the public sector. She should be held accountable for that bad judgement.

    And depending upon high future rates of returns, as public pensions do, is a very dodgy proposition. Almost all companies de-risk now by only providing defined contributions, usually in the form of 401K. Thus the risk is all on the individual.
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  27. TopTop #45
    riverosprey's Avatar
    riverosprey
     

    Re: Encouraging more affordable housing in Sebastopol

    Thank you Joel and Tommy for your comments...

    This is exactly right, as the Press Democrat article states in today's paper, we have seen a five-fold increase in pension costs since 2003. I am saying this was to the benefit of the first wave of retiring Boomers, and to the peril of the thousands of workers who retired before with no increase, and the Gen-xers and Millennials that come after . Noreen Evans on the Santa Rosa City Council and the Board of Supervisors, approved an unfunded, retroactive increase of 50% in retirement benefits. Noreen is the last of a generation of policy makers who voted this in, most everyone else has retired.

    In turn we have seen a massive loss of new jobs for the next generation, as workers for Santa Rosa and Sonoma County retire, we can't afford to rehire, departments are gutted and we all lack the services once provided for generations. With corresponding cuts in education, homeless and mental health services, roads and infrastructure...and in today's paper Noreen dismisses her role in this debacle with the comment I am using this issue "As a scare tactic, people take that long-term cost and mush it all together.”

    The article is here (https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/5...5th?artslide=3) , please disregard the bad photo of me in a new blue shirt .

    I will respond to Tommy's question with a lot of ideas toward the solution a little later. I'm off to cook my family some chicken marsala .

    kindly,
    Tom Lynch

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by spam1: View Post
    When a private company negotiates with a private union, the private company has a goal to save as much money as possible, and deferred costs must be accounted for. So this keeps pensions (and wages) in line with income of a company.

    In the public sector, ....
    Last edited by Barry; 04-04-2016 at 08:54 AM.
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  29. TopTop #46
    riverosprey's Avatar
    riverosprey
     

    Re: Encouraging more affordable housing in Sebastopol

    Let's revive and dust off this thread regarding affordable housing. At Friday nights debate in Bodega Bay, Noreen Evans said the solution to affordable housing in the Fifth District is "inclusionary housing", making developers create a certain percentage of affordable housing as part of the subdivision. I said a more experienced candidate who understands the demographics of the Fifth District, would know we're not going to have new subdivisions in our rural villages, and this will not bring back the young and old that once were part of our communities.

    Noreen has also said "Junior second dwelling units" won't work and "you can't reduce fees." I used my final comments to propose a realistic way to create hundreds of affordable apartments, with government getting out of the way with zero impact fees, no additional hook-up costs and no affordability covenants.

    We are in the midst of a housing crisis, we need experienced leaders who know the Fifth District and are able to understand what needs to be done to help put a roof over the head of the young and old who were once part of our rural villages. I want the people who work in our communities to be able to live in our communities, for their children to be able to go to school their, and for them to be part of the volunteers at the local fire department and participating in looking after our towns.

    Tom Lynch
    www.tomlynchforsupervisor.com
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  31. TopTop #47
    Jude Iam's Avatar
    Jude Iam
     

    Re: Encouraging more affordable housing in Sebastopol

    hi tom.
    i certainly agree with you about finding every possible way for young and old and in-between-without-major-moolah to stay here in sonoma county. a few years back, when was fighting off foreclosure of my forestville home and looking everywhere for support, i called on you for help. you never got back to me. i called again and you said you were busy and couldn't really do anything anyway… maybe you recall? maybe not. i'd be more likely to attribute more sincerity to your stance if you'd come through with something. something.
    jude
    Last edited by Barry; 04-26-2016 at 10:30 AM.
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  33. TopTop #48
    riverosprey's Avatar
    riverosprey
     

    Re: Encouraging more affordable housing in Sebastopol

    Judith I'm sorry I couldn't do anything to help you avoid losing your house. I remember your house at the end of Ferrell Drive in Forestville. And there was nothing I could do...very frustrating. Hope you are doing well...

    kind regards, Tom Lynch
    Last edited by Barry; 04-26-2016 at 10:31 AM.
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  34. TopTop #49
    Jude Iam's Avatar
    Jude Iam
     

    Re: Encouraging more affordable housing in Sebastopol

    well, thanks for remembering, and your forthright reply.

    at this point, there ARE means (sometimes) by which to avert the banks' "servicers" from foreclosing.
    while it's not a slam-dunk, and the courts are not at all 'level playing fields', the banks' felonious methods are more widely known and sometimes can actually be stopped. i can be contacted for referrals. jude
    Last edited by Barry; 04-26-2016 at 10:31 AM.
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  36. TopTop #50
    Shandi's Avatar
    Shandi
     

    Re: Encouraging more affordable housing in Sebastopol

    Sometimes, people believe that nothing can be done, and once that belief takes over, it becomes reality. It's a standard answer, unless the person asking for help is a "friend" or "relative", or someone needing a favor repaid. Many times, it means that the person being asked for help, must become involved in a way that would take time and effort. Usually not something we want to do for strangers, or if it may put our own benefits on the line. At the very least, a response is expected. Being unresponsive to a request is a clue to future behavior.

    When I've been confronted with this statement "There's nothing we can do." I ask "What if I was your mother, sister, or child?" Even if they don't budge, at least I've planted a seed in their minds. It can pay off to have friends in high places.



    Quote Posted in reply to the post by Jude Iam: View Post
    well, thanks for remembering, and your forthright reply. ...
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