1 2020 Legislative Principles
The formation of the Renewal Enterprise District (RED) Joint Powers Authority by the County of Sonoma and City of Santa Rosa provides the opportunity to address persistent housing challenges in new ways, including piloting new financing vehicles that may be available through state and federal sources.
Goal: Support policies aimed at increasing production of housing and increasing funding to produce and preserve affordable and mixed income housing and associated infrastructure to help build complete communities.
Action: Sponsor or support legislation that would:
1. Preserve or expand existing funding sources, or create new sources that further the purposes identified in the RED’s Joint Powers of Exercise Agreement, including:
a. Achieving the Founding Members’ disaster recovery goals and meeting current and previously unmet regional housing needs
b. Honoring community separators and urban growth boundaries, and implementing existing and future general plans and specific plans c. Incentivizing higher density, infill and transit-oriented housing in Priority Development Areas, Transit Priority Areas, Designated Opportunity Zones, Rural Community Investment Areas, and Employment Investment Areas d. Promoting zero net energy development and advancing climate resilience at the regional, neighborhood, and homeowner scale
e. Ensuring affordability and equity in housing development f. Improving opportunities for local employers to recruit and retain a skilled workforce
g. Ensuring transparency and accountability regarding achievement of housing goals
2020 Legislative Principles, continued
2 2. Incentivize jurisdictional cooperation and regional housing planning.
3. Prioritize projects and reward jurisdictions that focus local resources to meet highest climate readiness and resilience criteria, and to areas impacted by natural disaster.
4. Address disparities in housing.
5. Ensure that disaster recovery resources reach all impacted households, including those with the lowest incomes who are often the hardest hit by disasters and have the fewest resources to recover.
6. Support local government planning, coordination and delivery of a broad array of programs to improve health, human, housing, energy and transportation services that could stabilize and transition underserved communities to sustainable and secure communities.
7. Support incentives for jurisdictions that provide opportunities for more infill housing, including affordable and transit-oriented developments and encourage the siting of these developments near transit rich areas.
8. Increase funding available for affordable housing and other supportive infrastructure while also reducing the cost of housing production.
9. Support upzoning near public transit and jobs-rich areas with reasonable levels of flexibility.