News Release

For Immediate Release Date: April 28, 2009

For more information, contact:
Affordable Housing Sonoma County
Terry or Yale Abrams at 526-3532 or [email protected]




AFFORDABLE HOUSING WEEK 2009 - MAY 10TH TO 16TH

Santa Rosa, CA. The Sonoma County Housing Coalition has announced that Affordable Housing Week in Sonoma County will be held from Sunday, May 10th to Saturday, May 16th this year. Affordable Housing Week’s purpose is to strengthen the vision that affordable housing is key to healthy, integrated communities. The AHW theme, “It’s All Our Home”, reflects the importance of creating sustainable communities where there is housing for a variety of income levels. The week is recognized on a county by county basis throughout the Bay Area.

Sonoma County’s Affordable Housing Week will kick off with a Leadership Breakfast on Monday, May 11th. The event will feature an address by Erik Sten, 2008/2009 Living Cities Distinguished Urban Fellow, the latest reports on affordable housing and affordable rental properties, and presentation of the Housing Hero award. Some of the other events during the week will include affordable housing grand openings, tours, workshops and more. In addition, The Sonoma County Housing Coalition will hold its Annual Meeting and Luncheon on Friday, May 15th.

On Tuesday, May 12th, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors will be presented with the Year Two Report of the Homeless Action Plan and the 2009 Homeless County Report. The supervisors will also consider authorization to apply for $1.3 million in Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing monies under the Federal Stimulus Package.

The County of Sonoma and all nine Sonoma County cities are issuing proclamations in support of Affordable Housing Week. There will be affordable housing displays at the Sonoma County Administration building from May 8th through May 18th and at the City of Santa Rosa City Council Chambers from May 5th through May 15th.

Sponsoring Affordable Housing Week 2009 are The North Bay Business Journal, The Press Democrat and Celebrate Community, Exchange Bank, First Community Bank, Luther Burbank Savings, North Bay Association of Realtors, NVB Business Bank, Oakmont Senior Living, Redwood Credit Union, Sonoma Bank, Sonoma State University, Summit State Bank, and Westamerica Bank. There are also 21 partner individuals, businesses and organizations helping to underwrite the week’s activities.

The Sonoma County Housing Coalition is a broad-based group of more than 100 housing interests working to provide housing for people of all income levels in Sonoma County. The Coalition’s members include representatives from business, unions, faith-based organizations, nonprofit and for-profit developers, environmental groups and housing advocates. Since it was founded in 2001, the Coalition has advocated for 600 affordable housing units in Sonoma County.