From: Fred Allebach
To: _CityCouncilListPublic
Subject: [EXTERNAL] NAACP SR-SoCo Housing Committee public comment on Agenda Item 16.1 Public Hearing on Fiscal Year 2026-27 Budget Priorities
Date: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 8:55:35 AM
1/27/26
NAACP - Santa Rosa | Sonoma County Housing Committee
RE: 1/27/26 Santa Rosa City Council Meeting Agenda Item 16.1 Public Hearing on Fiscal Year 2026-27 Budget Priorities
Dear Mayor Staff, Councilmembers, and staff:
The NAACP - Santa Rosa | Sonoma County Housing Committee appreciates the opportunity to provide input on the 2026-27 Budget Priorities. In the face of strong federal winds and anti- civil rights rhetoric, we remain confident that Santa Rosa can continue leading the charge in the North Bay towards creating a more equitable and prosperous future for all.
As always, we advocate for meaningful and intentional efforts to reverse the enduring impacts of racialized redlining in our region and to advance equitable policies that foster greater inclusivity while reducing the risk of gentrification in our community.
In line with this vision, we offer two key recommendations for your consideration:
Ensure the South Santa Rosa Specific Plan includes concrete, enforceable anti- gentrification strategies that protect low-income residents, BIPOC communities, and seniors–implemented with the same level of specificity, accountability, and measurement as the Plan’s economic-growth actions
Adopt a triple-bottom-line, full-cost accounting approach to ensure budget decisions reflect economic, environmental, and social sustainability–especially during periods of fiscal austerity
These requests align with the 2023-31 Housing Element Goals, Policies, and Programs. In particular, we highlight Program H-30 (Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing – Anti- Displacement Strategies) and Program H-31 (Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing – Place- Based Revitalization Strategies). The City has explicitly committed to remedying discriminatory housing practices, expanding fair housing access, and prioritizing the needs of low-income residents, communities of color, seniors, immigrants, and other vulnerable groups.
We appreciate your continued leadership towards creating a more equitable Santa Rosa for all. As you deliberate on Budget Priorities, we encourage you to center these commitments so the City can meet its financial goals without compromising efforts to reverse decades-old policies rooted in racism.
Thank you again for your leadership. We welcome the opportunity to engage further with Council or staff upon request.