CITY OF SEBASTOPOL
CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM
Meeting Date: August 2, 2022
To: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
From: Kari Svanstrom, Planning Director
Subject: Presentation on the Draft Housing Element
Recommendation: Receive presentation, provide any direction to staff Funding: Currently Budgeted: __X_____ Yes _______ No _____ N/A Net General Fund Cost: $
Account Code/Costs authorized in City Approved Budget (if applicable) ___AK_____ (verified by Administrative Services Department) INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE:
Receive a presentation and provide comments on the Draft Housing Element, which was released and made available for public review on July 21, 2022 and will remain available for public comment until August 22, 2022.
BACKGROUND:
All cities in the State of California are required to maintain a General Plan and Housing Element, which is one of the required chapters of the General Plan. Unlike other components of the General Plan, which can be adopted within a flexible time frame (and generally occur every 15-20 years), Housing Elements are required to be updated 8 years (or, if a city is non-compliant with state requirements, every 4 years). The City of Sebastopol is eligible for the 8-year cycle. The City’s next housing element is required to be adopted by January 1, 2023 and will cover the years 2023-2031.
DISCUSSION:
The City of Sebastopol kicked-off its Housing Element update process at a special joint City Council – Planning Commission meeting on September 28, 2021. Housing strategies were presented to the Commission on December 14, 2021, and to the Council on March 7, 2022. Input from these meetings, as well as other analysis and technical information, has been incorporated into the public Draft Housing Element. Public participation in the preparation of the 2023 Draft Housing Element is outlined on pages 8 and 9 of the draft document.
The Draft Housing Element consists of four distinct Sections. • Section 1 provides a summary housing needs, and fair housing issues, and a review of the effectiveness of the 2022 Housing Element including the City’s progress in its implementation. • Section 2 provides the City’s Housing Strategy, which is comprised of the Goals, Policies, and Programs that it intends to implement over the next 8-year planning cycle. The City’s Quantified Objectives are also included in Section 2.
• Section 3 presents a detailed Housing Sites Inventory, including development capacity assumptions used and an analysis of recent development in the City.
• Section 4, the Technical Background Report, provides most of the statutorily required data and analysis including an assessment of housing needs & programs, an analysis of constraints to the provision of housing, a discussion of special needs populations, and an Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH). This section Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
also contains appendices, including pre-certified housing and demographic data provided by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG).
GOALS:
This action supports the following City Council Goals and General Plan Actions:
Goal 5 - Provide Open and Responsive Municipal Government Leadership (by providing opportunities for public comment on the draft document)
Goal 7 - Provide and Develop a Plan for the Future for the City of Sebastopol with the Implementation of the new General Plan (by updating the Housing Element of the General Plan) Goal 9 - Enhance housing opportunities in Sebastopol and, when possible, provide assistance to housing projects
PUBLIC COMMENT:
As of the writing of this staff report, the City has not received any public comment. However, if staff receives public comment from interested parties following the publication and distribution of this staff report such comments will be provided to the City Council as supplemental materials before or at the meeting. In addition, public comments may be offered during the “Public Comment” portion of the City Council discussion of this item.
No public comments have been received as of the writing of this staff report. The Draft Housing Element was released and made available for public review on July 21, 2022 and will remain available for public comment until August 22, after which staff and consultants are required to spend a minimum of two weeks incorporating public comments, as appropriate, into the Draft Housing Element. At that point the Draft will be submitted to the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to begin their 90 days review, during which public comments will be accepted by HCD. The Planning Commission and the City Council may not hold public hearings to consider the Housing Element until after the State HCD has reviewed it and provided comments.
One important new component of Housing Elements is the Assessment of Fair Housing, or AFH. The AFH for Sebastopol is contained within the Technical Background Report and is summarized within Section 1 of the Draft Housing Element. It is important for the AFH to be reviewed by individuals and organizations who have local knowledge of fair housing issues. Staff and consultant request the Commission’s assistance in ensuring that the AFH is broadly distributed for review and recommended additions or edits.
PUBLIC NOTICE:
This item was noticed in accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act and was available for public viewing and review at least 72 hours prior to schedule meeting date.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There are no direct fiscal impacts associated with the presentation of the draft Housing Element. Policies that have potential fiscal impacts were discussed at the last Council meeting, and have been integrated in accordance with that input into the draft Housing Element.
RECOMMENDATION:
Receive report and public comment, and provide input to staff.
Attachments:
Draft Housing Element (Section 1-3)
Technical Background Report (Section 4)
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol
Housing Element
Public Review Draft
July 21, 2022
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section I: Introduction & Summary ............................................................1
1.1 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................. 1
1.2 DEFINITION AND PURPOSE.............................................................................................. 1
1.3 CONSISTENCY WITH STATE LAWS AND GENERAL PLAN............................................. 1
1.4 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.................................................................................................... 2
1.5 ORGANIZATION OF THE HOUSING ELEMENT............................................................... 3
1.6 DEFINITION OF TERMS ..................................................................................................... 4
1.7 DATA SOURCES ................................................................................................................... 5
1.8 COMMUNITY PROFILE....................................................................................................... 8
1.9 HOUSING NEEDS AND DEMOGRAPHICS ........................................................................ 9
1.9.1 Population Characteristics and Trends .......................................................................... 9 Age Composition................................................................................................................ 10 Race and Ethnicity............................................................................................................. 10
1.9.2 Household Incomes and Housing Affordability........................................................... 11
1.9.3 Special Needs Populations ........................................................................................... 13 Homeless............................................................................................................................ 13 Disabled ............................................................................................................................. 14 Elderly................................................................................................................................ 15 Female-headed Households .............................................................................................. 16 Farmworkers...................................................................................................................... 17
1.10 CHARACTERISTICS OF HOUSING STOCK.................................................................... 17 Type.................................................................................................................................... 17 Tenure................................................................................................................................ 18 Age and Condition ............................................................................................................. 19 Vacancy .............................................................................................................................. 19 Home Prices and Rents...................................................................................................... 20 Preservation of Assisted Units at Risk of Conversion ....................................................... 21
1.11 SUMMARY OF CONSTRAINTS ....................................................................................... 21
1.12 SUMMARY OF FAIR HOUSING ASSESSMENT ............................................................. 23
1.13 REGIONAL HOUSING NEEDS ALLOCATION ............................................................... 25
1.14 REVIEW OF 2015 HOUSING ELEMENT........................................................................ 26 Progress Implementing Programs......................................................................................... 27 Progress in Achieving RHNA and Quantified Objectives ..................................................... 27 Lessons Learned ................................................................................................................ 27
1.15 Program Changes in 2023 Housing Element.................................................................... 29 Section II: Housing Strategy .....................................................................46
2.1 HOUSING GOALS AND POLICIES.................................................................................... 47 Goal A: Facilitate the Development of Housing.................................................................... 47 Goal B: Remove Governmental Constraints ......................................................................... 47 Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
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Goal C: Housing Conservation .............................................................................................. 48 Goal D: Fair Housing............................................................................................................. 49
2.2 HOUSING ACTION PLAN.................................................................................................. 50
2.3 QUANTIFIED OBJECTIVES .............................................................................................. 65 SECTION III: HOUSING SITES .................................................................67
3.1 CONTEXT ........................................................................................................................... 67
3.2 RHNA CREDITS ................................................................................................................. 68
3.2.1 Accessory Dwelling Units ............................................................................................. 68
3.2.2 Planned, Approved, and Pending Projects................................................................... 69
3.3 HOUSING OPPORTUNITY SITES ..................................................................................... 74
3.3.1 Vacant Sites .................................................................................................................. 75
3.3.2 Nonvacant Sites ............................................................................................................ 79
3.3.3 Lower-Income Suitability Analysis .............................................................................. 81
3.4 DEVELOPMENT TRENDS AND Realistic Capacity Analysis ............................................ 81
3.4.1 Development Trends .................................................................................................... 82
3.4.2 Developer Input............................................................................................................ 83
3.4.3 Likelihood of Non-Residential Uses............................................................................. 86
3.5 SUMMARY OF RHNA STRATEGY..................................................................................... 86
3.5.1 RHNA Surplus Table .................................................................................................... 86
3.5.2 Map of Sites .................................................................................................................. 87
3.6 PROGRAMS TO ENSURE ADEQUATE SITES/MEET RHNA .......................................... 87
3.7 FAIR HOUSING CONSIDERATIONS ................................................................................ 88
3.7.1 Relationship of Sites to Fair Housing Analysis ............................................................ 88
3.7.2 Improved and Exacerbated Conditions........................................................................ 93
3.8 INFRASTRUCTURE CONSIDERATIONS.......................................................................... 93
3.8.1 Water ............................................................................................................................ 94
3.8.2 Sewer ............................................................................................................................ 94
3.8.3 Other Utilities............................................................................................................... 94
3.9 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS .......................................................................... 94
3.9.1 Seismic Hazards ........................................................................................................... 94
3.9.2 Flood Hazards .............................................................................................................. 94
3.9.3 Fire Hazards ................................................................................................................. 95 Conclusion................................................................................................................................. 96 TABLES
Table 1: Income Limits for 2022 for Sonoma County....................................... 12 Table 2: Cost Burden by Income Level.......................................................... 13 Table 3: Cost Burden by Tenure .................................................................. 13 Table 4: Female-Headed Households by Poverty Level.................................... 16 Table 5: Housing Tenure by Housing Type..................................................... 18 Table 6: Sebastopol’s Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) Allocation..... 25 Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
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Table 7: Regional Housing Need Allocation for Sebastopol................................ 26 Table 8: Progress in Achieving 2015 Quantified Objectives by Income Group ...... 27 Table 9: 2015-2023 Housing Element Program Implementation Status .............. 29 Table 10: Quantified Objectives ................................................................... 66 Table 11: Non-Unit Quantified Objectives ...................................................... 66 Table 12: Sebastopol’s Regional Housing Need Allocation (RHNA) ..................... 67 Table 13: Sebastopol RHNA Credits .............................................................. 68 Table 14: ADUs Permitted by Year in Sebastopol ............................................ 69 Table 15: Assumed Affordability for 6th Cycle ADUs ........................................ 69 Table 16: Planned, Approved, and Pending Projects for RHNA Credit.................. 70 Table 17: RHNA and Capacity of Housing Opportunity Sites.............................. 75 Table 18: Vacant Housing Opportunity Site Information................................... 75 Table 19: Examples of Local Deed-Restricted Affordable Development ............... 82 Table 20: Examples of Recent and Pending Residential Development................. 82 Table 21: Developer Panel Site Feedback ...................................................... 83
FIGURES
Figure 1: Location of Sebastopol within Sonoma County .................................... 8 Figure 2: Populations of Sebastopol and Sonoma County over Time..................... 9 Figure 3: Population by Age over Time.......................................................... 10 Figure 4: Race and Ethnicity of Population by Region ...................................... 11 Figure 5: Households by Household Income Level........................................... 12 Figure 6: Disability by Type in Sebastopol ..................................................... 15 Figure 7: Senior Households by Income and Tenure........................................ 16 Figure 8: Housing Tenure by Household Type ................................................ 17 Figure 9: Household Type Trends................................................................. 18 Figure 10: Household Units by Year Structure Built ......................................... 19 Figure 11: Vacant Units by Type .................................................................. 20 Figure 12: Zillow Home Value Index 2000-2020 ............................................. 20 Figure 13: Sebastopol Average Rental Listing Price, 2015-2021 ........................ 21 Figure 14: Planned, Approved, and Pending Projects for RHNA Credit................. 70 Figure 15: Rendering of Woodmark Apartments ............................................. 72 Figure 16: Rendering of Huntley Square Townhomes....................................... 73 Figure 17: Rendering of Habitat for Humanity Townhomes ............................... 74 Figure 18: Housing Opportunity Sites for RHNA.............................................. 75 Figure 19: Barlow Crossings Townhomes....................................................... 83 Figure 20: Housing Sites ............................................................................ 87 Figure 21: Housing Sites and Percent Nonwhite Population............................... 89 Figure 22: Housing Sites and Population with a Disability................................. 90 Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
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Figure 23: Housing Sites and LMI Population ................................................. 90 Figure 24: Housing Sites and Urban Displacement Typology ............................. 91 Figure 26: Site Distribution by 2022 HCD/TCAC Resource Level ........................ 92 Figure 27: Unit Distribution by 2022 HCD/TCAC Resource Level........................ 92 Figure 28: Housing Sites and 2022 HCD/TCAC Resource Level.......................... 93 Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 1 Section I: Introduction & Summary
1.1 INTRODUCTION
The Housing Element of the Sebastopol General Plan presents goals, policies, programs, and supporting information related to the provision of housing for existing and future residents of the City. The purpose of the Housing Element is twofold:
1. to present specific policies and actions for housing development to meet Sebastopol’s specific, identified housing needs; and
2. to meet regional standards and achieve State certification, pursuant to statutory requirements.
1.2 DEFINITION AND PURPOSE
The Housing Element of the General Plan is a detailed statement of the housing goals, policies, programs, and quantified objectives for the City. The Element is based on a comprehensive technical assessment of existing housing policies and programs; current and projected housing needs, especially related to low-income households and special needs populations; an analysis of market, environmental, governmental, and other factors which constrain housing production; an assessment of fair housing; an inventory of sites available for housing development; and programs and policies that can enhance housing production and access to housing.
The purpose of the Housing Element is to guide decision-making by elected and appointed officials. Specifically, the Housing Element sets forth how the City will address the need for housing, especially by low- and moderate-income families, and special needs families and individuals. The Housing Element also provides housingrelated data and information to the public.
1.3 CONSISTENCY WITH STATE LAWS AND GENERAL PLAN
State law requires that the General Plan include an integrated, consistent set of goals and policies. The City of Sebastopol’s General Plan contains elements relating to land use, circulation, community services and facilities, conservation and open space, noise, community design, safety, economic vitality, community health and wellness, and housing. The 2022 Housing Element provides goals, policies, and implementation measures that are consistent with all other elements of the General Plan. As the General Plan is amended in the future, the City will ensure the Housing Element remains consistent with the General Plan.
New State law requires that the Safety Element be updated to address climate adaptation upon revision of the Housing Element. The City updated its Local Hazard Mitigation Plan in 2021 to address climate adaptation and incorporates this into the Safety Element by reference to ensure compliance with this requirement. The City will provide a copy of the Housing Element to the water and sewer service providers and has coordinated with these agencies regarding the State-mandated water and sewer service priority for housing projects that will help Sebastopol in meeting its Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
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City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 2 regional housing need for lower-income households (Government Code Section 65589.7).
1.4 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Housing issues affect the entire community and can be confusing and contentious.
State requirements about what Housing Elements must allow may seem at odds with long-standing community values. The public participation requirement of Housing Element law presents an opportunity to engage constituents in defining housing issues, and in creating solutions that both meet the needs of the community and the requirements of state law.
The 6th Cycle Housing Element Update has been undertaken during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Public outreach, which is the cornerstone of the preparation process, had to be adjusted to allow and encourage meaningful public participation and input without requiring community members to meet or gather in-person. Staff and consultants made use of multiple in-person and digital platforms to facilitate public input throughout the update process and carefully considered community input in the development of the Housing Element.
Through this outreach, City staff received nearly 300 survey participants, written and verbal public comments, and engaged in-person with local residents. Most agree that housing affordability, traffic, and homelessness are urgent concerns that need to be addressed and that strategies to solving these issues is to encourage a variety of types of housing focusing on creating affordable and senior housing downtown, and infrastructure improvements to address the traffic issues. Public participation opportunities were provided as outlined below:
The City conducted a series of public presentations to the Planning Commission discussing new housing laws and the Regional Housing Need Allocation process on the following dates:
• April 28, 2020: Housing Law Presentation, providing context and information on new laws.
• October 13, 2020: Regional Housing Need Allocation Update • December 8, 2020: Regional Housing Need Allocation Update The City conducted workshops with housing developers as part of a series of presentations on innovative housing models and new housing development. These presentations included the following:
• April 13, 2021: EAH, a non-profit affordable housing developer based in Marin County
• April 27, 2021: Burbank Housing, a non-profit affordable housing developer based in Sonoma County, with two housing communities in Sebastopol • May 11, 2021: MidPen Housing, the developer for the San Francisco Sunset District teacher housing project
• May 25, 2021: Eden Housing, an affordable housing developer and operator based in Hayward, CA, that has partnered with several Sonoma County communities.
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City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 3 The City conducted two virtual community workshop meetings open to the public:
• September 28, 2021: where major elements of the Housing Element Update process, updates to Housing Element law, and the City’s current Regional Housing Need Allocation were presented via a PowerPoint presentation. The public was invited to provide initial comments regarding the Housing Element Update process and general housing needs in the City.
• March 7, 2022: workshop at the City Council meeting to discuss the draft housing strategy where the Planning Director and the consultant presented information about the Draft Housing Strategy and state laws, the public had an opportunity to provide comments and feedback.
Stakeholder interviews were conducted in January with separate meetings for representatives of educational employees, health services, and developers.
Surveys were conducted for the public and stakeholders to participate:
• October 22 through December 27, 2021: Community survey on housing needs, 179 respondents.
• December 6 through January 17, 2022: Stakeholder survey on housing and development needs. 24 respondents.
• March 30 through April 15, 2022: Policies and Community Input survey. 94 respondents.
Outreach to equitably promote the Housing Element update surveys, stakeholder interviews, and public meetings included:
• Email contact lists provided by the City, plus survey respondents • Social media postings on City of Sebastopol Facebook and Nextdoor pages in English and Spanish
• Housing Element Update webpage which provides information and links to active surveys and upcoming meetings, information about past update activities, and the Housing 101 video with versions in English and Spanish • Bilingual flyers, with short URLs and QR codes posted at a variety of businesses and organizations in the city
• Tabling event at the Sebastopol Farmers Market on November 21, 2021 A detailed accounting of community outreach efforts and their incorporation into the Housing Element are included in Appendix A and Appendix B of the Housing Element.
1.5 ORGANIZATION OF THE HOUSING ELEMENT
The Housing Element is organized into four main sections:
• Section 1 introduces the overall Housing Element update effort, a summary of housing needs and constraints, a Fair Housing summary, and a review of the effectiveness of the 2022 Housing Element and the City’s progress in its implementation.
• Section 2 sets forth the City’s Housing Strategy, which is comprised of the Goals, Policies, and Programs that it intends to implement over the next 8- Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
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City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 4 year planning cycle. The City’s Quantified Objectives are also included in Section 2.
• Section 3 presents a detailed Housing Sites Inventory, including development capacity assumptions used and an analysis of recent development in the City, and compares this inventory to the City’s projected housing needs. • Section 4, the Technical Background Report, provides statutorily required data including an assessment of housing needs & programs, an analysis of nongovernmental, governmental, and environmental constraints to affordable housing provision, a discussion of special needs populations, and an assessment of fair housing. This section also contains 4 appendices that include detailed information on public engagement and community input and. pre-certified housing and demographic data provided by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG)
1.6 DEFINITION OF TERMS
Throughout the Housing Element, a variety of technical terms related to income levels are used in describing and quantifying conditions and objectives. The definitions of these terms follow:
• Above Moderate-Income Households – Households earning over 120 percent of the County AMI, adjusted for household size.
• Affordable Housing – Housing which costs no more than 30 percent of a low-, very low-, or extremely low-income household’s gross monthly income. For rental housing, the residents may pay up to 30 percent of gross income on rent plus tenant-paid utilities. For homeownership, residents can pay up to 30 percent on the combination of mortgage payments, taxes, insurance, and Homeowners' dues.
• Area Median Income (AMI) – The income figure representing the middle point of County household incomes, adjusted for household size. Fifty percent of households earn more than or equal to this figure and 50 percent earn less than or equal to this figure. The AMI varies according to the size of the household. For the year 2022, the AMI for a four-person household in County of Sonoma was $112,800.
• Extremely Low-Income Households (ELI) – households earning not more than 30 percent of the County AMI, adjusted for household size. • Federal Poverty Threshold – issued by the Census Bureau and varies by family size, number of children, elderly. There is no geographic variation. For 2021, the poverty threshold for a single person under age 65 was 14,097, for a three-family unit with two children, it was $21,831. (Note: this differs from the Federal Poverty Guidelines issued by Health & Human Services). • Low-income Households – households earning between 51 and 80 percent of the County AMI, adjusted for household size.
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City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 5 • Missing-Middle Housing – a range of house-scale buildings with multiple units compatible in scale and form with detached single-family homes1. • Moderate-income Households – households earning 81 to 120 percent of the County AMI, adjusted for household size.
• Low Barrier Navigation Center - a "Housing First," low barrier, temporary, service-enriched shelter that helps homeless individuals and families to quickly obtain permanent housing.
• Plexes – a single structure that contains more than one dwelling unit. The units share common walls, and each typically has an outside entrance.
Examples include duplex, triplex, quadruplex, etc.
• Supportive Housing - permanent housing that is paired with comprehensive services and case management
• Very Low-Income Households (VLI) – Households earning between 31 and 50 percent of the County AMI, adjusted for household size.
1.7 DATA SOURCES
The 2021 Housing Element Update makes full use of the pre-certified data package provided by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), which is contained in its entirety in the Section 4 Technical Background Report. In addition to the ABAG dataset, the following sources of data were used to help identify historic patterns of segregation, assess constraints to housing and the market conditions in Sebastopol, and to better identify specific housing needs:
• U.S. Census Bureau, Decennial Census; 2010, 2019, 2020 • U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data, 2015- 2019
• U.S. Census Bureau, Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics, Workplace Area Characteristics (WAC) files (Jobs); Residence Area Characteristics (RAC) files (Employed Residents), 2010-2018 • U.S. Department of Agriculture, Census of Farmworkers; 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), 2020 first-quarter industry employment
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Consolidated Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS), 2013-2017 release • U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) ACS tabulation, 2013-2017 release
1 (Source: MissingMiddleHousing.com).
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City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 6 • U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Section 202/811 Supportive Housing Programs, 2010 Program Fact Sheet
• U.S. House of Representatives, US Code Low-Income Housing Preservation and Resident Homeownership, accessed January 1, 2022 • U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Continuum of Care (CoC) Homeless Populations and Subpopulations Reports (2019) • California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, Opportunity Area Index, 2020 • California Department of Finance, E-5 Population and Housing Estimates for Cities, Counties, and the State, 2020-2022
• California Employment Development Department, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), Sub-county areas monthly updates, 2010-2021.
• California Department of Housing and Community Development, 5th Cycle Annual Progress Report Permit Summary, 2020
• California Department of Developmental Services, Consumer Count by California ZIP Code and Residence Type, 2020)
• California Department of Education, California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS), Cumulative Enrollment Data, Academic Years 2016-2017, 2017-2018, 2018-2019, 2019-2020 • Association of Bay Area Governments, 2021
• UC Berkeley, Urban Displacement Project
• County of Sonoma, Sonoma County Affordable Housing Inventory, 2022 • County of Sonoma, Homeless Census Comprehensive Report, 2020 • County of Sonoma, Sonoma County Housing Authority Programs, 2022 • County of Sonoma, Income and Rent Limits, 2022
• County of Sonoma, Sebastopol City Profile and Projection Report, 2019 • County of Sonoma, Grand Jury Report, 2022
• City of Sebastopol, Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, 2021 • City of Sebastopol, Pay Rates & Ranges, 2021
• City of Sebastopol, Municipal Code, 2022
• City of Sebastopol, Master Planning Fee Schedule, 2020 • City of Sebastopol, Affordable Housing Complexes by Household Type, 2021
• City of Sebastopol, Development Impact Fee Program, 2021 • De Novo Planning Group, Sebastopol General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report, 2014
• De Novo Planning Group, Final Environmental Impact Report for the Sebastopol 2016 General Plan Update, 2016
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City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 7 • Harris & Associates, City of Sebastopol Affordable Housing In-Lieu Fee Nexus Study, 2021
• California Forward, 2016
• Terner Center, “Making It Pencil: The Math Behind Housing Development”, 2019
• FHL Bank San Francisco, Affordable Housing Program General Fund, 2022 • Realtor.com, accessed January 18, 2022
• Coldwell Banker, accessed January 18, 2022
• Redfin, accessed January 18, 2022
• Zillow, accessed January 18, 2022
• Property Shark, Vacant Lands, 2021
• CoStar Group, 2022
• Burbank Housing, 2022
• CoreLogic, 2022
• GoBridgit.com, 2022
• 24/7 Wall Street, Cost of Living in Sebastopol, California by Comen, E., & Stebbins, S.
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City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 8 1.8 COMMUNITY PROFILE
Figure 1: Location of Sebastopol within Sonoma County
Source: County of Sonoma
The City of Sebastopol is located approximately 5 miles southwest of Santa Rosa and approximately 15 miles away from Bodega Bay and the Sonoma County coast. It is 1,197 acres in land area and is largely built out. Sebastopol is located on the edge of the coastal foothills and is considered part of Western Sonoma County.
At the time of its incorporation in 1902, Sebastopol was primarily built up around the local apple industry. These origins can be seen today in the City’s historical neighborhoods, in the outlying agricultural lands, and in the importance of local community agriculture. Throughout the twentieth century, the local apple industry experienced an economic decline and the City continued evolving into what it is today: the artistic and creative hub of Sonoma County, a vibrant community with involved citizens in a beautiful region, and a semi-rural town with deep connections to surrounding agricultural lands and the nearby Pacific Coast.
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City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 9 Sebastopol strives to keep its small-town charm, unique character, and strong sense of community. The city is a member of Cittaslow which translates to “slow town,” an international nonprofit membership organization and movement employed by small cities to preserve the identity of their cultural values. For example, the Formula Business Ordinance, established in 2018, prohibits formula businesses, defined as those with 25 or more establishments, in the downtown area. Sebastopol’s downtown businesses are primarily locally owned and provide a unique shopping experience.
Sebastopol has established an Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) to prevent sprawl, ensure adequate infrastructure is available for development, and to protect the natural environment. This UGB was approved by Sebastopol voters in 1996, and in 2016, the urban growth boundary was reaffirmed for an additional 25 years.
1.9 HOUSING NEEDS AND DEMOGRAPHICS
As the City ages and demographics change, different housing needs have arisen, and new programs are needed to meet changing demands. This section explores the characteristics and the housing needs of Sebastopol residents and helps to provide direction in updating the goals, policies, and programs found within this Housing Element. A full analysis of housing needs and demographics is contained in the Technical Background Report, within Section 4.2
1.9.1 Population Characteristics and Trends
Sebastopol’s population increased 10.5% between 1990 and 2020, from a population of 7,008 to 7,745. In comparison, the populations of Sonoma County and the Bay Area grew 27.0% and 29.4% respectively during the same period. The City’s population generally increased from 1990 through 1999, decreased from 1999 through 2010, and increased from 2010 through 2019. The population of Sebastopol makes up 1.6% of Sonoma County.
Figure 2: Populations of Sebastopol and Sonoma County over Time 0 100,000
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1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020
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Sebastopol Sonoma County
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City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 10 Age Composition
The median age in Sebastopol in 2000 was 40.6; by 2019, this figure had increased to around 47 years. From 2010 to 2019, the share of the population younger than 15 years decreased from 18.6% to 14.0% while the share of the population aged 65 or greater increased from 16.5% to 22.3%. The lack of housing available and affordable for young families, combined with a naturally aging population base, has resulted in a nearly 30 percent decrease in the number of households with children (under age 18) since the peak in 2000. This reflects a local need for stable and affordable housing available to the aging population and young families.
Figure 3: Population by Age over Time
Race and Ethnicity
The U.S. Census Bureau collects information on residents’ race and ethnicity. As of 2019, the most prevalent racial and ethnic category was White, Non-Hispanic, at
79.1% of Sebastopol’s population. That percentage represents a decrease since 2000, while the percentage of residents of all other races and ethnicities has increased. Sebastopol has a smaller share of Hispanic or Latinx residents than Sonoma County or the Bay Area, and a larger share of Non-Hispanic residents identifying with Other or Multiple races. Racial and ethnic composition among Sebastopol residents varies widely among different age groups, with non-White 0 200
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2000 2010 2019
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City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 11 residents making up 28.0% of young under 18 and 2.4% of senior age 65 and above.
Additional discussion of Sebastopol’s racial and ethnic composition is included in Section 4.
Figure 4: Race and Ethnicity of Population by Region
1.9.2 Household Incomes and Housing Affordability
Sebastopol has a median annual household income of $83,856, which is lower than the Sonoma County median annual household income of $86,1732. To calculate housing affordability, household incomes are compared to the “Area Median Income” (AMI), which is the median income of households in the County, adjusted for household size. A household is considered low-income with an annual income that is 80% or less than the AMI. In Sonoma County, the AMI is $78,950 for a one-person household and $112,800 for a four-person household as of 20223. Based on this definition, about 41% of Sebastopol's households are considered low-income4. 2 US Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020 5-year Estimate 3 HCD, State Income Limits, 2022
4 HUD Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy, 2017 4%
27%
6%
79%
63%
39%
7%
4%
5%
9%
27% 24%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Sebastopol Sonoma County Bay Area
Percent of Population
Hispanic or Latinx
Other Race or Multiple
Races, Non-Hispanic
White, Non-Hispanic
Black or African
American, Non-Hispanic
Asian / API, NonHispanic
American Indian or
Alaska Native, NonHispanic
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 12 Table 1: Income Limits for 2022 for Sonoma County
# of Persons in
Household
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Sonoma
County
Area
Median
Income:
$112,800
Acutely
Low
11850 13500 15200 16900 18250 19600 20950 22300
Extremely
Low
25000 28550 32100 35650 38550 41400 44250 47100
Very Low
Income
41600 47550 53500 59400 64200 68950 73700 78450
Low
Income
66550 76050 85550 95050 102700 110300 117900 125500
Median
Income
78950 90250 101500 112800 121800 130850 139850 148900
Moderate
Income
94750 108300 121800 135350 146200 157000 167850 178650
Source: HCD, May 13, 2022, Memorandum - State Income Limits for 2022 Figure 5: Households by Household Income Level
Source: HUD, CHAS ACS tabulation, 2013-2017 release
There are 253 deed-restricted low-income units in Sebastopol. Additional “de facto” affordable units can be found through private rental agreements, but the need for low-income units far exceeds the existence of available housing. The City continues 15% 11% 15%
12%
10%
11%
14%
16% 13%
9% 10% 9%
50% 54% 52%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
90.0%
100.0%
Sebastopol Sonoma County Bay Area
Percent of Households
0%-30% of AMI 31%-50% of AMI
51%-80% of AMI 81%-100% of AMI
Greater than 100% of AMI
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 13 to work with Burbank Housing and other affordable housing developers to develop more deed-restricted affordable housing units.
When housing prices are very high, many households must “overpay” for housing.
Households are considered housing cost-burdened when their total housing costs exceed 30% of their gross monthly income, and to be severely cost-burdened when their total housing costs exceed 50% of their gross monthly income. Very- and extremely low-income households are disproportionately burdened by housing cost.
In Sebastopol, 50% of very low-income households and 55% of extremely lowincome households are severely cost-burdened.
Table 2: Cost Burden by Income Level
Income Group 0%-30% of
Income Used for
Housing
30%-50% of
Income Used for
Housing
50%+ of Income Used for
Housing
0%-30% of AMI 200 10 260
31%-50% of AMI 85 124 209
51%-80% of AMI 144 125 200
81%-100% of AMI 170 119 10
Greater than 100%
of AMI
1,519 180 10
Totals 2,118 558 689
Source: HUD, CHAS, 2013-2017 Release
Renters are often more cost-burdened than owners. While the housing market has resulted in home prices increasing dramatically, homeowners often have mortgages with fixed rates, whereas renters are more likely to be impacted by market increases.
When looking at the cost burden across tenure in Sebastopol, 40% of renters spend over 30% of their income on housing compared to 32% of those that own.
Table 3: Cost Burden by Tenure
Tenure
0%-30% of
Income Used for
Housing
30%-50% of
Income Used for
Housing
50%+ of Income
Used for Housing
Not
Computed
Owner Occupied 1,125 230 306 0
Renter Occupied 884 332 334 122
Totals 2,009 562 640 122
1.9.3 Special Needs Populations
Homeless
The County of Sonoma participates in the Point-in-Time Census, which conducts a survey of local homeless populations. In 2020, 129 people were reportedly Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 14 experiencing homelessness in Sebastopol, a 20 percent increase from 20195. City council members created an ad hoc committee in 2021 to address the declared homelessness emergency in the city.
Stakeholders indicate a greater need for services and safe sheltering for the homeless population and share the same concerns and frustrations as many county residents about homelessness. There are programs and shelters throughout the County to provide assistance and services, but not enough to address the number of homeless in the region. The City itself has dedicated significant resources to this issue and is currently served by transitional and supportive housing that is managed by the City of Sebastopol and West County Community Services (WCCS). Resources and services for this community include the following:
• Park Village Mobile Home Park, Transitional Housing and Services • Elderberry Commons (formerly Sebastopol Inn), Permanent Supportive Housing
• Horizon Shine, a 24-7 RV Temporary Homeless Shelter
• Safe Overnight Parking
• Homeless Services Coordinator
Disabled
People with disabilities experience disproportionate rates of poverty and are the most likely population to experience homelessness, be rent burdened or unable to afford housing, and face the highest rates of housing discrimination. In California, 54 percent of discrimination complaints received by the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development were related to disability status.
Census data from the American Community Survey 2019 indicate that there are 329 Sebastopol residents with an independent living disability, 255 with a self-care disability, 391 with an ambulatory disability, 145 with a vision disability, 420 with a cognitive disability, and 218 with a hearing disability. These numbers are not exclusive, as some residents have more than one type of disability and some disability types are not recorded for children below a certain age.
The most commonly occurring disabilities among seniors 65 and older were ambulatory (9.66%) and independent living (8.50%). These needs can be addressed through programs and housing strategies that include accessibility and universal design in new construction. Junior Accessory Dwelling Units (JADUs) that are universally designed are an inexpensive way to address many needs of disabled residents while also providing integration of this population into high resource neighborhoods.
5 2020 Sonoma County Point-in-Time Census
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 15 Figure 6: Disability by Type in Sebastopol
Elderly
Elderly persons often have fixed incomes and may have additional special needs related to access and care that may require physical improvements to their homes such as ramps, handrails, lower cupboards and counters, creation of a downstairs bedroom, or other modifications to enable them to remain in their homes. They may also need assistance in the form of a part-time or live-in caretaker.
According to the American Community Survey 2019, nearly 35 percent of Sebastopol’s population is aged 65 and above (Figure 3). This is much higher than the County share of 20.7%. The number of senior households has grown by 35 percent since 2010 and is anticipated to continue increasing throughout the planning period.
Over 40 percent of total senior households and 62 percent of lower-income senior households in Sebastopol experience some level of cost burden (Figure 7).
According to stakeholder interviews, there are elderly residents living alone in large homes that are too big for them to maintain, and yet they cannot afford to move.
This provides opportunities to create additional, smaller living units within existing homes that can help to provide rental income support for seniors as well as assisting in individual care needs.
Burbank Orchards offers 60 units of subsidized senior apartments in Sebastopol, but the need far outstrips the availability. Additionally, Share Sonoma County is an organization that provides a matching service for low-income individuals who need housing with seniors who need caretaking services in their home. This program Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 16 provides house sharing opportunities and allows seniors to age-in-place with reduced housing costs.
Figure 7: Senior Households by Income and Tenure
Source: ACS 2019 5-year Estimates
Female-headed Households
Single parent households are often female-headed households and generally have lower-incomes and higher living expenses. This makes the search for affordable, decent, and safe housing with adequate bedrooms more difficult. In addition to difficulties faced by these households in finding and maintaining affordable housing, they often have additional special needs relating to access to day care/childcare, health care and other supportive services.
State law requires an analysis of female-headed households to identify whether adequate childcare and job training resources are available. Of Sebastopol’s 1,865 total family households, 390 (21 percent) are female-headed households. Of these, 75 percent are renter households (Figure 8); for those with children at home, 21 percent are living below the Federal poverty level (Table 4).
Table 4: Female-Headed Households by Poverty Level
Group Above Poverty Level Below Poverty Level
with Children 186 49
with No Children 155 0
Source: ACS 2019 5-year Estimates
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 17 Figure 8: Housing Tenure by Household Type
Source: ACS 2019 5-year Estimates
Farmworkers
The 2019 ACS 5-Year Estimate identified approximately 48 Sebastopol residents employed in farming, fishing, and forestry occupations, representing 1.2% of the City workforce and 0.62% of its residents, and 0.65% of Sonoma County farmworkers.
Farmworker income tends to be low relative to the high cost of living in Sonoma County; housing for very low-income, low-income, and moderate-income are needed to meet their needs. Sebastopol plans for farmworker housing of current and future residents through their provision of very- and extremely low-income housing, as well as through targeted housing opportunities, such as a proposed housing project with 48 units reserved for current or retired agricultural workers who meet the income and eligibility requirements.
1.10 CHARACTERISTICS OF HOUSING STOCK
Type
Sebastopol’s housing stock consists mostly of single-family units (73%, most of which are detached units). Between 2000 and 2020, only 155 residential units were added to Sebastopol, most of which were single-family homes. Lack of available housing combined with high costs of living has resulted in a nearly 30 percent decrease in the number of households with children (under age 18) since the peak in 2000.
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 18 Figure 9: Household Type Trends
Source: California Department of Finance, E-5 series
Tenure
Housing security can depend heavily on housing tenure (i.e., whether homes are owned or rented). Sebastopol has a lower rate of owner-occupied homes (49.8%) compared to 56.1% in the ABAG region. The City’s housing stock consists of 3,333 occupied units, including 1,661 owner-occupied and 1,672 renter-occupied units. 82% of Sebastopol households have lived in their current residence since 2014 or earlier, and over 25% have lived in their current residence since before 2000.
Table 5: Housing Tenure by Housing Type
Building Type Owner
Occupied
Renter
Occupied
Total
Detached Single-Family Homes 1,304 533 1,837
Attached Single-Family Homes 164 222 386
Multi-Family Housing 79 917 996
Mobile Homes 105 0 105
Boat, RV, Van, or Other 9 0 9
Totals 1,661 1,672 3,333 329 2,184 383500
69 339
2,227
383
508
69 0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
Single-Family
Home:
Attached
Single-Family
Home:
Detached
Multifamily
Housing: Two
to Four Units
Multifamily
Housing: Fiveplus Units
Mobile Homes
Units
2010 2020
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 19 Age and Condition
The majority of Sebastopol’s housing units are more than 50 years old and rehabilitation needs will increase over the planning period. In the incorporated City, there are an estimated 4 units in need of major rehabilitation or replacement6.
Additionally, there are approximately 100 units in need of seismic safety retrofits.
This need is addressed by Program C-2.1: Rehabilitation Assistance.
Figure 10: Household Units by Year Structure Built7
Source: American Community Services 5-Year Estimates, 2015-2019 Vacancy
Vacancy trends in housing are analyzed using a “vacancy rate” which establishes the relationship between housing supply and demand. For example, if the demand for housing is greater than the available supply, then the vacancy rate is low, and the price of housing will most likely increase. Vacancies occur for several reasons; a home may be listed for sale or being prepared for a rental tenant. Homes can also be held for seasonal or occasional use by their owners. HUD indicates that a vacancy rate of five percent is sufficient to provide choice and mobility; Sebastopol’s vacancy rate is about 4%.
There are more vacant units in Sebastopol compared to other cities in the Bay Area.
Vacant units make up 4.1% of the overall housing stock in Sebastopol compared with
2.6 percent for the ABAG region. Stakeholders expressed concern about the number of residences used for short-term rentals, and feelings of frustration that the City’s rules on vacation rentals are not being enforced.
6 Based on housing condition, CoreLogic 2022
7This data does not include units built after 2019
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 20 Figure 11: Vacant Units by Type8
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019) Home Prices and Rents
Sebastopol’s median home sales prices and trends generally match those of the larger region. In April 2022, the median home sale price in Sebastopol was $1,170,761.009.
Figure 12: Zillow Home Value Index 2000-2020
8 Note: Other Vacant refers to reasons other than listed and include foreclosure, preparing to rent/sell, needs repairs, being renovated, personal/family reasons, and more.
9Zillow, Sebastopol Market Overview, April 2022
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 21 The median monthly rent paid in Sebastopol’s renter-occupied housing units in 2019 was $1,547, which was lower than Sonoma County’s median rent of $1,743 monthly.
In 2021, the average listing price for rental units in Sebastopol was $1,860 for a 1- bedroom unit, $2,145 for a 2-bedroom unit, $3,738 for a 3-bedroom unit, and $3,617 for a 4-bedroom unit (See Figure 13).
Figure 13: Sebastopol Average Rental Listing Price, 2015-202110 Source: Zumper Rental Data, 2022
Preservation of Assisted Units at Risk of Conversion
There are no units at risk of conversion during the next 10 years. Sebastopol contains a total of 253 low-income units, none of which are at high risk of being converted to market rate units before 2033.
1.11 SUMMARY OF CONSTRAINTS
Governmental and non-governmental constraints directly affect the and availability of housing and access to housing. Significant constraints to the production of housing in Sebastopol include the high cost of land and construction, the limited supply of vacant land, and community resistance. These constraints have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Shortages of both labor and materials made housing development a challenge, leading to a temporary decrease in housing construction and permitting. As Sebastopol and the region return to typical patterns of development activity and developer interest, this Housing Element includes policies and programs to mitigate constraints and increase production and access to housing. 10 Note: Due to the small number of units available for rent, the sample size may be limited $-
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
$5,000
$6,000
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
1 Bedroom 2 Bedroom 3 Bedroom 4 Bedroom
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 22 The unpredictably of development costs and timelines can pose a constraint to the development of housing, especially affordable housing. Accessing financing is a highly competitive and complex process. Proposals are subjected to scrutiny and analysis before consideration, with a lengthy approval process. Projects typically need several forms of financing, such as loans, grants, and tax credits, each of which has its own application procedures, regulations, and timetable11. This process adds additional time and administrative burden to housing projects, constraining development.
Likewise, local governmental constraints such as application requirements, design and development standards, and the time and uncertainty associated with obtaining permits can affect the price and availability of housing. Input from stakeholders indicates that the City's approval processes could be streamlined to better facilitate development projects, and that continued learning opportunities are needed to decrease constraints and uncertainty related to implementation of new housing laws and programs. The Housing Element includes programs to help the city overcome these constraints.
Community opposition can play a significant role in the review and approval of development projects, including residential projects. Sebastopol residents value its unique, small-town character and environmental awareness, and many are outspoken about their preferences.
Availability and affordability are the main constraints to accessing housing in Sebastopol. Although financing is readily available for qualified buyers, home purchases may be difficult for lower and moderate-income buyers with limited down payments. Affordability is the primary unmet need, especially for first time homebuyers who must come up with at least three percent down payment. 12 This is
also impacted by the market nature of real estate transactions. Buyers generally prefer offers with higher down payments, higher offers, and those with less restricted lending sources.
The most significant constraint to housing development in Sebastopol, as with the surrounding areas, is the cost of development. Specifically, the availability and cost of land and materials are significant non-governmental constraints that continue to play a major role in the City’s ability to provide housing for all of its citizens.
These constraints and other potential constraints are further discussed and analyzed in the Technical Background Report, within Section 4.4.
Despite these constraints, Sebastopol has used several innovative techniques to ensure housing for its most vulnerable populations. The City has renovated and expanded Park Village Mobile Home Park. housing site. This site is a City-purchased site that now provides a stable mobile home park environment for long-time residents who own their mobile homes and now have a stable land lease/rental environment.
Additionally, the City, in collaboration with local non-profit service provider West 11 Sonoma County Grand Jury Report, June 2022
12 Based on a maximum 97% loan to value with Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae first-time home buyer programs Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 23 County Community Services (WCCS), has added permanent supportive housing units at some of the mobile home plots, renovated two vacant units to provide low-income family apartments, and added RV pads/hookups. The site provides wrap-around housing and services to low-income individuals, individuals exiting homelessness, and the existing residents.
Additionally, the City collaborated with the County to purchase and convert a hotel building into permanent supportive housing using Project Homekey funds at an adjacent site now known as Elderberry Commons.
Additional programs are included in Housing Element to further decrease constraints and meet local housing needs. These include the following:
• Program A-3.1: Adopt Objective Design Standards
• Program A-3.2: Support Affordable Housing Developers through funding, project extensions, deferred fee collection, and technical assistance • Program A-4.3: Partner with the Sonoma County Community Development Commission to identify additional funding mechanisms
• Program B-1.2: Review and revise Reasonable Accommodation procedures • Program B-2.1: Expedite Processing for Affordable Housing Projects • Program B-3.1: Establish ongoing educational procedures for new housing laws and policy issues
1.12 SUMMARY OF FAIR HOUSING ASSESSMENT
Assembly Bill 686 (Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing, or AFFH) requires state and local agencies to take proactive measures to correct any housing inequalities related to race, national origin, color, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religion, or other protected characteristics. All Housing Elements due on or after January 1, 2021, must contain an Assessment of Fair Housing. Agencies must ensure that their laws and programs affirmatively further fair housing, and that they take no actions that counter those goals.
Under State law, Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing means “taking meaningful actions, in addition to combatting discrimination, that overcome patterns of segregation and foster inclusive communities free from barriers that restrict access to opportunity based on protected characteristics.” Agencies must include in their Housing Elements a program or programs that promote fair housing opportunities while identifying areas of racial/ethnic concentration across the socioeconomic spectrum. In the context of a community’s housing needs, AFFH is not just about the number of housing units needed, but also about where the units are located and who has access to them.
Based on HCD Guidance, the assessment addresses fair housing enforcement and outreach capacity, segregation and integration patterns, disparities in access to opportunity, disproportionate housing needs including displacement, and concentrated areas of poverty and affluence across racial/ethnic groups. Through Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 24 analysis of data and local knowledge, the Assessment of Fair Housing has identified the following factors that contribute to fair housing issues in Sebastopol:
High Priority - These factors have been identified as impactful local fair housing issues and are able to be readily addressed by actions taken in conjunction with policies and programs.
• Community Opposition
• Access to financing for small sites
• Risk of becoming exclusive and/or displacement of residents due to rising housing costs
Lower Priority - These factors are more difficult to address through actions taken in conjunction with policies and programs, may be universal issues in the region, or may not be in the purview at the City-level of government. • Lack of language access
• Lack of resources for fair housing agencies and organizations • Capacity for assistance
• The availability of affordable units in a range of sizes The full Assessment of Fair Housing is contained in the Technical Background Report, within Section 4.5. Section 2 includes specific policies, programs, and actions to be undertaken by the City to address local contributing factors to fair housing issues.
Section 3 contains the housing sites location information and maps and analyze the distribution of sites related to each area of the Assessment of Fair Housing.
Meaningful Actions to Overcome Fair Housing Issues
The 2023 Housing Element addresses past exclusionary zoning practices and affirmatively furthers fair housing by carefully considering the location of potential housing sites through an equity lens, and by including programs to promote the development of missing middle houses, duplexes, triplexes, ADUs, and affordable JADUs in the City’s single-family residential neighborhoods.
Additional programs are included in Housing Element to further address fair housing issues. These include the following:
• Program B-1.1: Develop a proactive reasonable code enforcement program that protects vulnerable and special needs populations
• Program B-1.2: Review and revise Reasonable Accommodation procedures • Program B-3.1: Establish ongoing educational procedures for new housing laws and policy issues Program C-2.1 Pursue grant funding for residential rehabilitation
• Program D-1.1: Expand tenant outreach and education efforts for fair housing resources
• Program D-2.1: Develop a landlord outreach and education program • Program D-3.1: Establish a First Time Homebuyer program Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 25 1.13 REGIONAL HOUSING NEEDS ALLOCATION
The Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) is a requirement of State housing law and is a determination of projected and existing housing needs for all jurisdictions in California. The Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) conducts the RHNA process every eight years. Every jurisdiction must plan for its RHNA allocation in its Housing Element by ensuring there are enough sites with appropriate zoning to accommodate their RHNA. The goal is to ensure that local plans have enough appropriately zoned land to accommodate their existing and projected housing needs for all income levels for the entire 8-year planning period. Jurisdictions are not expected to build the housing, but they must plan for it and zone for it.
The RHNA methodology applies several factors to further the objectives of State law and meet the goals of the region’s Plan Bay Area plan. After a RHNA total is calculated, a social equity adjustment is applied to determine the four income categories. The social equity adjustment is based on household income and access to resources. One of the five objectives of State housing law is to ensure that there is not an overconcentration of households by income group in comparison to the county or regional average. To ensure that the RHNA methodology does not overburden low-income jurisdictions with more low-income households, a social equity adjustment is applied during the Income Group process. The result is that higher income jurisdictions are required to plan for fewer market rate units and more affordable units, while lower income jurisdictions plan for more market rate units and fewer affordable units.
Sebastopol’s RHNA for the period 2023 – 2031 is 213 units, divided between the income groups shown in Table 6.
Table 6: Sebastopol’s Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) Allocation Very Low
Income (VLI)
Low
Income (LI)
Moderate
Income (MI)
Above Moderate
Income (AMI) Total
RHNA Allocation 55 31 35 92 213
While the RHNA is assigned based on the four income categories above, the law also requires that communities plan for the needs of extremely low-income households, defined as those making less than 30% of the County AMI. The housing need for the extremely low-income group is considered to be one-half of the very low-income need. Section 3 provides an analysis of the sites available to meet Sebastopol’s assigned RHNA, the Sites Inventory, and any constraints to development of the listed housing sites.
As shown in Table 7, the City has identified enough units through RHNA Credits (Projected ADU development and pending, approved, or permitted projects) to meet its 6th Cycle RHNA for each category except for moderate-income. To identify enough sites for its moderate-income RHNA, and to provide an additional buffer of lowerincome units to address No Net Loss requirements, the Housing Element has prepared an inventory of suitable sites for housing development. Section 3 provides the Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
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City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 26 required sites information, development assumptions, and the housing sites inventory.
Table 7: Regional Housing Need Allocation for Sebastopol Very Low
Income
Low
Income
Moderate
Income
Above
Moderate
Income
Total
RHNA Allocation 55 31 35 92 213
RHNA Credits 75 38 30 122 265
Remaining RHNA After Credits -20 -7 5 -30 -52
Capacity of
Inventory
Sites
Vacant 0 0 9 9 18
Nonvacant 0 6 22 21 49
Total 0 6 31 30 67
Total Units (Credits + Sites) 75 44 61 152 332
RHNA Surplus 20 13 26 60 119
% Buffer 36% 42% 74% 65% 56%
1.14 REVIEW OF 2015 HOUSING ELEMENT
The City of Sebastopol has a variety of programs which have been implemented in the previous Housing Element, some of which were achieved successfully. An evaluation of the City’s progress toward achieving these programs, including an analysis of the differences between what was projected and what was achieved, provides useful data to determine any new or revised policies and programs for this current Housing Element.
During the 2015-2023 Housing Element cycle, the City planned to address their housing needs through infill development as well as maintenance and improvement of the existing housing stock. Implementation programs included:
• Continuing to monitor and maintain inventory of developable sites for affordable housing for extremely low, very low, low, moderate, and above moderate income as well as special needs households;
• Removal of governmental and non-governmental constraints to housing production by encouraging affordable housing opportunities through collaboration with public and private entities, enforcing housing codes and regulations, and preserving older neighborhoods through the Capital Improvement Program;
• Encouraging mixed use development, multi-family and special needs housing through density bonuses, parking requirement reductions, reduction in permit processing times, and enhanced design review guidelines; • Continuing to administer the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance and financial incentives and other local resources to promote development of affordable and special needs housing types;
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
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City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 27 • Elimination of housing discrimination by disseminating fair housing education materials and enforcing nondiscrimination clauses in deed restrictions and rental agreements; and
• Promotion of energy and natural resources conversation through energyefficient design guidelines in residential development and collaboration with public entities to facilitate solid waste reduction and energy conservation outreach.
Progress Implementing Programs
The City was successful in implementing many of the programs in its 2015 Housing Element and is implementing others with the adoption of this 2023 Housing Element Update. See Table 9 at the end of this section for full program implementation status.
Progress in Achieving RHNA and Quantified Objectives
The City was partially successful in reaching their 5th cycle quantified objectives, as shown in Table 8 below and anticipates meeting these objectives by the end of the 5 th Cycle Planning Period. 123 total housing units ranging from extremely low to above moderate income were constructed from 2015 to 2021. The City’s quantified objectives (QO) represent the number of units that were to be constructed or rehabilitated over the planning period of 2015 to 2023. Unmet RHNA/QO indicates the number of units short of the 2015 RHNA and quantified objectives.
Table 8: Progress in Achieving 2015 Quantified Objectives by Income Group New Construction Rehabilitation
Income
Group RHNA Quantified Objectives Actual Unmet RHNA
Unmet
Quantified
Objectives
Quantified
Objectives Actual
Unmet
Quantified
Objectives
Extremely
Low 22 22 37 - -
4 0 4
Very Low 6 0 6
Low 17 28 12 5 16 6 0 6
Moderate 19 12 20 - - 16 0 16
Above
Moderate 62 100 54 8 46 24 0 24
Total 120 156 123 13 62 56 0 56
Lessons Learned
The City was successful in implementing many of their programs, including Zoning Code amendments, changes to inclusionary housing requirements, updated ADU standards, and modified fees for proportionality to unit size. The City was able to access CDBG funding, a HEAP grant, and Homekey funding (through the County for a City site) to support their housing goals, in addition to dedicated funding from the City’s Affordable Housing fund and Capital Improvement Program and the Sonoma Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
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City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 28 County HOME program. Using this funding, the City was able to support the rehabilitation and development of housing. The City was particularly successful in taking measures to address special housing needs through the renovation, retrofit, and expansion of Park Village and the provision of 31 units through the Project Home Key Elderberry Commons, which rehabilitated a former hotel (the Sebastopol Inn) for extremely low- and low-income residency.
Not all the programs were successful, as shown in Table 9. Some 5 th Cycle programs
that were less successful due to staff capacity constraints, both at the City and County level. Regionally, the Sonoma County Community Development Commission (CDC) experienced suddenly expanded workloads responding to increased emergency shelter and long-term housing needs resulting from local natural disasters, particularly the major 2017 fires, in which 5,000 housing units were lost in the Sonoma County area, and the COVID pandemic. The CDC’s ability to complete the increased workload was made more difficult as the agency also experienced turnovers in leadership and departures of key staff to other agencies. As a result, the CDC was temporarily unable to fulfill some of its obligations related to monitoring, administering local programs, and more.
The CDC leadership believes that staffing and functionality have now been restored with key recent hires and that and the CDC is again positioned to assist Sebastopol.
Locally, the City is striving to increase staff capacity and assess capacity requirements for Housing Element programs.
Additionally, Sebastopol is subject to the same market forces that affect the broader Bay Area: The market drives the cost of development and due to the high cost of construction and land in Sebastopol, it can be challenging for developers and investors to procure land, build units, and then sell or lease them at an affordable rate. Additionally, as North Bay housing contractors and subcontractors have been engaged in the fire rebuild efforts in Santa Rosa and Sonoma and Napa Counties have greatly impacted the availability and thus cost of construction. These pressures are in addition to the supply chain issues caused by Covid and other international events.
These non-governmental factors had the largest effect on the success of the City’s housing policies and programs. The City took steps to mitigate development constraints during the 5th Cycle, through Zoning Code amendments and procedural changes. However, many of these changes occurred halfway through the planning period, followed by the COVID-19 pandemic and shortages of both labor and materials that decreased development nationwide. Development activity has begun to increase, and the City strives to meet their RHNA targets and quantified objectives during the 6th Cycle.
Sebastopol’s greatest successes during the previous planning period are those addressing special housing needs, especially those of extremely-low income populations and homeless populations through transitional and supportive housing.
Specific programs and lessons learned are identified in Table 9.
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 29 1.15 PROGRAM CHANGES IN 2023 HOUSING ELEMENT
The 2023 Housing Element update is not a comprehensive "new" Housing Element, but rather an update of the 2015 Housing Element. The focus of the update process has been to keep the programs that are working, adding new policies and programs where community needs have changed or where necessary to comply with new State laws. The overall goals of the existing 2015 Housing Element have been maintained, with new or revised policies and programs proposed to meet changing needs and legal requirements. Most ongoing policies and programs are successful and are continued in the Housing Element update; limited-term programs that have already been accomplished have not been carried forward.
Table 9 provides an evaluation of the programs from the 5th Cycle Housing Element and the City’s level of success in achieving them, including a description of the program’s outcome, the effectiveness of the program’s accomplishments, and how the updated programs have been changed or adjusted to incorporate lessons learned in the previous cycle. Programs that address housing needs of special needs populations are identified with a star ().
Table 9: 2015-2023 Housing Element Program Implementation Status Program Progress Lesson Learned
A-1: Continue to monitor land
supply inventory for singlefamily and multi-family
residential development
including accommodation for
special needs populations and
accommodation affordable to
extremely low, very low, and
low income households.
Successful. Inventory of land
is monitored using a
spreadsheet. Available sites
were identified during the
planning period.
Continue to monitor inventory
of land. This action is
continued as Program A-1.3
and works in conjunction with
Programs A-1.1, A-1.2, and A2.1 to maintain an adequate inventory and address new
“No Net Loss” requirements.
A-2: Continue to monitor the
supply of additional
multifamily sites at densities
to facilitate production of
housing affordable to
extremely low, very low, and
low income households.
Successful. City maintains
affordable housing complex
inventory. Zoning ordinance
updated in 2018 to include
reductions of minimum lot
sizes and additional density
allowances.
Continue to monitor inventory
of land. This action is
continued as Program A-1.3
and works in conjunction with
Programs A-1.1, A-1.2, and A2.1 to maintain an adequate inventory and address new
“No Net Loss” requirements.
A-3: Maintain an inventory of
sites that are readily or
already served by
infrastructure. This inventory
is to be provided on the City’s
website and updated
periodically.
Successful. City maintains
the GIS Mapping website
that makes inventory of sites
publicly available.
Continue to maintain
inventory of land. This action
is continued as Program A-1.3
and works in conjunction with
Programs A-1.1, A-1.2, and A2.1 to maintain an adequate inventory and address new
“No Net Loss” requirements.
A-4 Assess City-owned parking
lots for possible use as
Program not achieved. City
reviewed in 2017-2018 and
When considering
development feasibility and
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 30 affordable housing and mixeduse sites while maintaining adequate parking.
determined that possible use
was not feasible.
equitable placement, housing
development on City-owned
sites would not further the
City’s housing goals, nor the
obligation to affirmatively
further fair housing. This
program will not be continued
and will instead be replaced
by a sites inventory with a
buffer, working in conjunction
with policies and programs to
mitigate constraints and
facilitate development on
more appropriate sites.
A-5: Consider land use
redesignations, if they are
needed.
Zoning Ordinance update
completed in 2018 to that
redesignates low density
residential and industrial
uses for high density
multifamily residences.
Program complete. This
program has been removed,
but programs that increase
allowed residential uses or
densities in different areas of
the City, including Program A4.1 to explore a local density bonus ordinance, Program A3.4 to adopt a Workforce
Housing Overlay, and Program
D-2.2 to allow Permanent
Supportive Housing and Low
Barrier Navigation Centers by
right in certain zones.
B-1: Continue to enforce its
existing codes utilizing all
available authorities to compel
property owners to correct
code violations.
Successful, ongoing Continue to implement code
enforcement regarding
substandard building
conditions, nuisances, zoning
and building violations
utilizing new SB2-funded
permit/parcel tracking system.
New system will be able to
track and monitor code
enforcement issues that sets
standards and removes
constraints.
Additionally, Program B-1.1 is
included to address equity
considerations in code
enforcement.
B-2 Rehabilitation and
Preservation of Affordable
Housing: Encourage HOME and
CDBG programs to assist
Partially successful. CDBG
grant money received to
retrofit a two-unit
apartment building at Park
As there is a limited supply of
suitable developable land in
the City for new housing,
rehabilitation and preservation
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 31 agencies such as Rebuilding
Together to preserve and
increase affordable housing
opportunities such as Fircrest
Mobile Home Park.
Village, available to Very
Low-Income families.
Contractor bid occurred in
end of 2020. Renovation is
almost complete.
continues to be a priority in
meeting local housing needs.
These actions are continued
and expanded through
Program C-2.1 to pursue
rehabilitation funding and
Program C-1.1 to preserve the
existing affordable housing
inventory.
B-3 Capital Improvement
Program: Consider
infrastructure needs of older
neighborhoods.
Successful. 5-year CIP for FY
2021-22 assessed for
Bodega Avenue crosswalk
and safety improvements by
rehabilitating pavement and
adding bicycle lanes.
Approved projects include
upgrades to sewer/
wastewater, stormwater,
and water systems in
Zimpher Creek, Florence
Avenue, Parquet Street,
Morris Street, and Calder
Creek.
Successful program to be
continued.
B-4 Safeguard affordable
housing inventory: Monitor
and protect affordable units
that are at risk of conversion
to market rate within the
2015-2023 Housing Element
cycle.
Successful. Burbank Heights
at Bodega Avenue and
Gravenstein North II
Apartments affordability
status expires within 2015-
2023 Housing Element cycle.
City is collaborating with
Burbank Housing and other
affordable housing
developers to maintain and
develop affordable housing
opportunities.
This action is continued in
Program C-1.1 to safeguard
the existing affordable housing
inventory and expanded to
include additional actionable
implementation details.
B-5 Mobile Home Conversion
Ordinance: Consider an
ordinance that would protect
privately-owned mobile homes
in Park Village.
Highly successful. Alternate
Program Completed (City
purchased Park Village)
Completed. The City instead
purchased Park Village Mobile
Home Park, and now contracts
with a non-profit to operate
the park, including provision
of wrap-around services and
case management services to
tenants. Program is no longer
needed and is removed.
B-6 Short-term Rental
Ordinance: Consider
regulations for short-term
Successful. Short-term
rental moratorium ended on
May 21, 2021 on non-hosted
Completed. Additional
measures are being
considered to further reduce
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 32 rentals that address potential
impacts and establish permit
process to ensure costrecovery and ability to enforce
regulations.
whole-house short-term
rentals. Vacation rental
codified in Sebastopol
Municipal Code 17.260.060
and processed as
administrative permit.
conversion of residences to
full-time, non-hosted shortterm rentals, and will be
included as relevant in
Program B-3.1 to monitor
housing trends, laws, and
issues.
C-1: Continue to implement
the Five-Year Capital
Improvement Program. As
resources become available,
develop public facilities to
address new residential
demand and to increase the
viability of infill and reuse
sites.
Successful. Capital
Improvement Program
assesses infrastructure
upgrades for FY 2021-22.
Successful program to be
continued.
C-2 Inclusionary Housing
Ordinance: Continue to
administer, review, and
update the ordinance per case
law and stakeholder
participation that fully
considers impacts and
benefits to housing
development.
Successful. Inclusionary
Housing Ordinance updated
in 2018 to include case law
and stakeholder input.
Completed. New Inclusionary
Housing Ordinance provides
flexibility to developers (they
can select 5% at VL, 10% at
Low, or 15% at Moderate). We
have received good feedback
from developers thus far.
Program is completed and
removed.
C-3 Affordable Housing Funds:
Identify additional potential
mechanisms to assist with
City funding of permanently
affordable housing. Determine
if the program should be
codified in the City’s Municipal
Code.
Successful. City conducted
an affordable housing in-lieu
fee nexus study on March
1 st, 2021. Affordable housing
linkage fee program pending
per County update.
Completed. This program is
continued as Program A-4.3 to
partner with the Sonoma
County Community
Development Commission and
continue identifying funding
mechanisms.
D-1: Provide planning
assistance to affordable
housing developers and
developers
City staff coordinates with
Burbank Housing, EAH,
MidPen Housing, Eden
Housing and other
affordable housing
developers during Spring
2021 informational session.
This action is continued within
Program A-3.2 to support the
efforts of affordable housing
developers and includes
additional actionable
implementation details.
D-2: Continue to support
affordable housing
development by encouraging
developers to apply for
funding through the Sonoma
County-administered Urban
County HOME and CDBG
program and using other
City has utilized the City’s
Affordable housing fund to
support rehabilitation and
development of housing at
Park Village, including
renovating 2 apartments
into family apartments with
CDBG funding, and
This action is continued within
Program A-3.2 to support the
efforts of affordable housing
developers and includes
additional actionable
implementation details.
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 33 available resources when
available, such as in-lieu
payments, to finance
affordable housing.
installation of two
permanent RV pads and
utilities using HEAP reward.
Additionally, Sonoma County
applied for and received
Project Homekey funding to
purchase the 31-room
Sebastopol Inn, which will
provide 31 units of
Permanent Supportive
Housing, (PSH) (currently
providing Covid-vulnerable
housing in these units), with
the support of the
Sebastopol City Council.
D-3: Consider deferring
payment of impact fees until
affordable housing units are
sold, ready for occupancy or
for rentals, or when
permanent financing is
obtained.
City reviews these requests
on a case-by-case basis.
This action is continued within
Program A-3.2 to support the
efforts of affordable housing
developers to allow deferred
collection of development fees
and establish consistency with
State law.
D-4: Continue to submit
applications for CDBG funding
and support applications for
additional public funds, such
as those provided by the
HOME Program, the Joe Serna
Program, and the Low-Income
Housing Tax Credit Program.
City reviews these requests
on a case-by-case basis. The
City has been successful in
receiving CDBG funding.
This action is continued within
Program A-3.2 to support the
efforts of affordable housing
developers and includes
additional actionable
implementation details.
D-5 Develop local financial
resources methods to assist
affordable and special needs
housing types such as impact
fees, real estate transfer
taxes, allocation from General
Fund and other sources.
Successful. FY 20/21
Development Impact Fee
study conducted including
review of Inclusionary
Housing fees and ADU
impact fees. ADU Ordinance
adopted in 2019 to comply
with State legislation
regarding ADU impact fees.
This action is continued within
Program A-3.2 to support the
efforts of affordable housing
developers and includes
additional actionable
implementation details.
D-6: To encourage
affordable housing developers
to preserve and provide units
for extremely low-income
households, the City will
encourage these developers to
apply for Project Based
Section 8 assistance. In
addition, the City will provide
Successful. This action is continued within
Program A-3.2 to support the
efforts of affordable housing
developers, and prioritizing
funding to projects with
extremely low-income units.
Additionally, Program B-2.1
expands priority processing
procedures to housing for
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 34 its housing funds, when
available, to help subsidize
development costs to build
housing units affordable to
extremely low- households.
City funds for this purpose
include linkage fees and
inclusionary housing fees. In
addition, the City will work
with non-profit developers to
compete for Sonoma Countyadministered CDBG and HOME
fund
extremely low-income
households.
D-7: Continue to consider
relaxing development
standards, such as setbacks
and parking requirements,
and increasing densities on a
project-by-project basis as a
means to reduce development
costs of units affordable to
extremely low-income
households.
Successful. Zoning ordinance
includes “small lot
subdivision” and “planned
community” provisions
which allow for variation
from the zoning standards.
Additional zoning regulations
reduced parking for deedrestricted affordable
housing, senior housing,
studio units, and SROs. The
Planning Commission can
also approve parking
reductions on a project-byproject basis. R5 zoning
district created to allow for
smaller lot single family and
duplex zone.
This provision was recently
utilized for a 10-unit project
(Huntley Square) on a small lot
with small units (less than 500
SF each) to be approved with
smaller lot sizes, reduced
setbacks, and additional
density .
The City will continue its
current practices. This
program is not continued.
D-8: Regularly update in-lieu
and linkage fees or adopt an
ordinance that annually
updates in-lieu and linkage
fees in accordance with an
accepted cost index, to ensure
that they accurately reflect
current development costs.
Successful. Impact and
Annexation Fee schedule
updated on July 17th, 2021
for housing projects.
Development Impact Fee
Program report published
03/2021 and is city planning
website including updated
fee schedule City discounts
for less than full size units
for SFR consistent with State
law.
The City will continue its
current practice. This action
has been replaced by Program
A-4.2 for fee mitigation and
transparency actions.
D-9 Density bonus incentives:
Update City’s density bonus
ordinance requirements per
State law and encourage
affordable housing developers
Continue. Ordinance updated
in 2017.
Developers use relaxed zoning
provisions or Planned
Community designation/ small
lot subdivision more than
density bonus provisions.
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 35 to request density bonuses
and incentives to increase
affordable units available.
This action is continued and
expanded in Program A-4.1 to
continue promotion of the
current Density Bonus law and
explore the feasibility of
additional provisions.
D-10 City Employee Assistance
Program: Consider the
feasibility of providing loans to
low- and moderate-income
teachers and volunteer
firefighters to purchase
affordable housing. Further
assess feasibility of assisting
in the recruitment and
retention of teachers and
firefighters. If sufficient
funding is available, program
should be expanded to other
City employees.
Not successful. Program
feasibility assessment has
not been initiated due to
lack of capacity.
This program is replaced by
Program D-3.1 for first time
homebuyers, that focuses on
low- and moderate-income
households.
D-11 Homeless Facilities
and Support: Encourage the
Urban County to provide
financial support to homeless
facilities and services through
ESG and other available
funding sources. Encourage
the Sonoma County
Community Development
Commission. Urban County to
monitor homeless population
needs.
Successful. City applied to
SCCDC for HEAP funding to
add two Recreational
Vehicles sites at Park Village
Mobile Home park. Sites will
be used for homeless
families and individuals.
Sites are anticipated to be
constructed and occupied in
early 2021. City in
partnership with WCCS
secured PHS and CDBG funds
to make habitable two 2-
bedroom apartments on
City’s Park Village property
as well.
Additionally, Sonoma County
purchased the Sebastopol
Inn (31 rooms) through
Project Homekey which
provides housing to formerly
homeless, Covid-vulnerable
populations. The City also
supports West County
Community Services (WCCS)
in their application for Rapid
Rehousing funding, and in
FY 21-22 provided funding
Although programs have been
successful, this continues to
be a local need. This is
addressed through Program
D-1.1 for housing services,
education, and outreach,
Program D-2.2 allowing by
right permanent supportive
housing and low barrier
navigation centers in certain
zones, and through programs
seeking funding sources.
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 36 from General Fund for a
homeless outreach
coordinator hired by WCCS.
City funded a Homeless
Outreach Coordinator, who
has leveraged funds and
services to Sebastopol
homeless including shelter
services and hotel stays
funded by County funding
resources.
Lastly, the City worked with
local non-profit to provide a
20-22 vehicle ‘safe parking’
program at a private site
owned by St Vincent de Paul
in 2022 for homeless living
in their vehicles (1-year
program).
D-12: Encourage the
Sonoma County CDCadministered Urban County to
CDBG and/or HOME funds to
Rebuilding Together and/or
other local nonprofits to assist
disabled residents with home
retrofits.
Not initiated at this time. This action is continued in Program C-3.1, to provide
information and utilize
funding for home retrofits.
This need is also addressed
through Program C-2.1 to
pursue funding for
rehabilitation and Program B1.2 to decrease barriers to obtaining Reasonable
Accommodations.
D-13 Special Needs
population: Work with housing
developers to encourage
housing units and
developments which address
the requirements of special
needs populations.
Successful. The City has
initiated its own zoning
regulations to support
special needs populations,
such as allowing staff-level
approval of reduction of
parking to increase ADA
parking/accessible housing
units. We had one developer
(Burbank Housing) take
advantage of this program
to increase the number of
accessible housing units by
converting regular units to
accessible in a major
renovation, without
requiring a Variance or
Density Bonus.
This action will be continued,
but the program will be
removed from the Housing
Element as it reflects an
ongoing practice.
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 37 D-14: Enforce Title 24 of
the California Building Code,
the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA), and Municipal Code
Chapter 15.80 when reviewing
proposed development plans.
Successful. Permit
applications for proposed
plans include Title 24
compliance for approval.
This action will be continued,
but the program will be
removed from the Housing
Element as it reflects an
ongoing practice.
D-15: Assist disabled
residents with information on
housing resources and
suitable housing opportunities
in the community.
The City refers residents to
the County Community
Development Commission
and provides services
through West County
Community Services.
This action is continued and
expanded in Program D1.1 to
administer housing services
and provide outreach and
information.
D-16: Develop an information
sheet describing the City's
affordable housing needs and
include this information in
public noticing for project
hearings.
Memorandum in 2017
provides publicly available
information regarding
housing stock data, local
demographics, affordable
housing projects, housing
development, and housing
policy.
This action has been replaced
by Program B-3.1 to monitor
housing trends, laws, and
issues.
D-17: Facilitate the
development of farmworker
housing by encouraging
employers to provide housing,
encouraging a countywide
linkage fee to cover
agricultural land uses,
encouraging with housing
developers to expand the
supply of migrant and
permanent farmworker
housing, and providing
planning assistance to
interested developers.
Partially completed. City
does not have does not have
a specific linkage fee for
farmworker housing, but the
Affordable Housing linkage
fee could be used for
income-eligible farmworker
housing.
This action is addressed within
Program A-3.2 to support the
efforts of affordable housing
developers, which includes
actions to support
developments that meet
special housing needs and to
support funding applications,
including Joe Serna, Jr.
Farmworker Housing Grant
funds, and to give priority to
permit processing for
farmworker housing.
D-18: Encourage the
development of housing for
day laborers and
undocumented workers by
encouraging housing
developers to expand the
supply of housing for this
population and providing
planning assistance to
interested developers.
Partially completed. City has
a project in the approval
process that provided
housing to income-eligible
farmworkers.
This action is addressed within
Program A-3.2 to support the
efforts of affordable housing
developers, which includes
actions to support
developments that meet
special housing needs and to
support funding applications,
including Joe Serna, Jr.
Farmworker Housing Grant
funds, and to give priority to
permit processing for
farmworker housing.
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 38 D-19: In order to encourage
the provision of housing for
developmentally disabled
persons, coordinate with the
North Bay Regional Center,
North Bay Housing Coalition,
and other groups that serve
the developmentally disabled
population and encourage
housing providers and
landlords to provide a
percentage of housing
developments for persons with
developmental disabilities.
Incomplete, due to a lack of
jurisdiction capacity.
This action will be replaced by
actions in Program B-2.1 to
expand priority permit
processing to projects
providing housing for persons
with developmental disabilities
and through actions in
Program B-3.1 to participate
in regional planning efforts.
D-20: Encourage the
development of housing
designed to accommodate
persons with EMF sensitivity.
Incomplete. Need addressed
through Reasonable
Accommodation ordinance.
This action is removed and
will be addressed under
Program B-1.1 and B-1/2 to
ensure code enforcement and
Reasonable Accommodation
procedures sufficiently
address disabilities and
medical needs.
E-1 Fair Housing: Facilitate
equal housing opportunities by
continuing to designate an
equal housing coordinator,
distributing fair housing law
educational materials, and
referring related concerns to
Fair Housing Sonoma County
and Fair Housing of Marin.
Continue. City funded WCCS
outreach and management
refer to Fair Housing
Sonoma County and Fair
Housing of Marin as
appropriate.
This action is continued under
Program D-1.1 to administer
housing services and provide
outreach and education.
E-2: Continue to provide
nondiscrimination clauses in
rental agreements and deed
restrictions for housing
constructed with City
agreements.
Successful. Continued. This action is continued under
Program D-2.1
E-3: Continue to address fair
housing issues through
participation, through the
Urban County or other
sources, in Fair Housing
Sonoma County and Fair
Housing of Marin
(organizations that provide
assistance in response to
housing discrimination
City funded WCCS outreach
and management refer to
Fair Housing Sonoma County
and Fair Housing of Marin as
appropriate.
This action is continued under
Program D-2.1.
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 39 complaints and well as
tenant/landlord mediation).
F-1: Continue to provide
outreach and information
about energy conservation
and sustainability programs
PG&E’s Partners Program.
City provides energy
independence program
information, outage
procedures, and solar
program information for
energy conservation efforts.
This action is continued under
Program C-3.1.
F-2: Consider design features
in future developments to
reduce heat island effects,
including narrower streets,
increased landscaping, green
roofs, cool roofs, and cool
pavements.
City municipal code
16.40.080 and green
building code promotes
energy conservation through
building methods and solar
panel ordinance.
This action is addressed under
Program C-3.1.
F-3: Continue to encourage
the incorporation of energysaving principles in the design and planning of new
residential developments by
providing information to
developers and property
owners about available energy
conservation programs.
Recently started program
with BayREN for water
conservation. The City of
Sebastopol is adopting the
new BayREN Water Upgrades
$ave program after a vote
by the Sebastopol City
Council in 2021. Sebastopol
was the first Bay Area City
to enroll in the program. The
new regional water
efficiency finance service
from the Bay Area Regional
Energy Network (BayREN)
with fiscal sponsorship from
the Metropolitan
Transportation Commission
(MTC) and Association of Bay
Area Governments (ABAG)
provides benefits and
savings to both municipal
water customers and to the
municipalities that
administer water service.
Through this program,
Sebastopol municipal water
customers can install indoor
and outdoor water efficiency
upgrades, such as
showerheads, aerators, and
high-efficiency toilets.
Participants have upgrades
installed through vetted
This action is continued under
Program C-3.1.
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 40 contractors with no up-front
costs. Upgrade costs will be
part of a monthly on-bill
charge that is significantly
lower than the estimated
savings, so water customers
will start saving money right
away.
F-4: Continue to support
education programs related to
solid waste reduction, reuse,
and recycling opportunities.
Successful. City participates
in Sonoma County/ City Solid
Waste Advisory Group to
assess long-term waste
management methods and
utilizes Sonoma County
recycling guide. Educational
programs available through
“Recology”.
This action is continued under
Program C-3.1.
F-5: Continue to encourage
improvements that result in
conservation of energy, water,
and other natural resources in
existing residential
development, particularly in
renter-occupied units.
Successful. The City of
Sebastopol is adopting the
new BayREN Water Upgrades
$ave program after a vote
by the Sebastopol City
Council in 2021. (See F-3)
This action is continued under
Program C-3.1.
F-6 Consider adoption of a
construction site waste
reduction and recycling
ordinance that would be
applicable to new residential
or mixed use developments
over a certain size.
Successful. City has adopted
Cal Green Tier 1 in 2016 that
includes Construction Waste
Reduction, Disposal and
Recycling Requirements for
residential projects.
Continue to apply CalGreen
Tier 1 ordinance to new
residential or mixed-use
development projects. City has
new Climate Action Committee
who is looking into various
actions the city can take, some
include REACH Codes This
program is completed and will
not be continued in the
Housing Element.
F-7 Continue to seek funding
through Urban County CDBG
and HOME programs and
other funding sources for
retrofit of existing affordable
units that result in
conservation of energy, water,
or other natural resources.
Successful. City received
CDBG funding to retrofit a
two-unit apartment building
at Park Village that
incorporate energy, water,
and other natural resources
conservation methods.
This action is continued under
Program C-3.1.
F-8 Support project applicants
in incorporating cost-effective
energy efficiency standards
that exceed State standards.
Successful. City adopted SMC
15.72 Photovoltaic
Ordinance for new
construction to incorporate
solar panels in the design.
This action is continued under
Program C-3.1.
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 41 F-9: Promote the use of straw
bale, rammed-earth, and
other energy-efficient types of
construction and materials.
Successful. 2016 CalGreen +
Tier 1 checklist includes
provisions for material
conservation and resource
efficiency.
This action is addressed under
Program C-3.1.
G-1 Modify zoning ordinance
to permit farmworker housing
consistent with State law
requirements with no
discretionary actions required.
Revisions include permit
employee housing and singlefamily housing in residential zones, consisting of up to 36
beds in a group quarter or 12
units designated for single
family use.
Successful. Zoning ordinance
updated in 2017.
This program is completed
and will not be continued in
the Housing Element.
G-2: Modify the Zoning
Ordinance so that homeless
shelters proposed for the
General Commercial (CG)
District are only subject to
Administrative Review as a
condition of approval.
Successful Zoning ordinance
updated in 2017 to allow
homeless shelters as a
“permitted” use in the CG
District.
This action is modified and is
addressed through Program
D-2.2, to allow permanent
supportive housing and low
barrier navigation centers by
right in certain zones in
compliance with State law.
G-3: Modify the Zoning
Ordinance to include
definitions of Transitional and
Supportive Housing which are
consistent with State law. The
following definitions will be
used, based on language
provided in the Government
Code.
Successful. Zoning ordinance
updated in conjunction with
adoption of Housing
Element.
This action is modified and is
addressed through Program
D-2.2, to allow permanent
supportive housing and low
barrier navigation centers by
right in certain zones in
compliance with State law.
G-4: Review and revise the
Zoning Ordinance to establish
development standards and
identify appropriate zoning
districts to accommodate tiny
houses. Revisions should
include a clear definition of
tiny houses.
Completed. Tiny house
ordinance update was
assessed by City on March
28th, 2017. City has no
minimum size (outside of
state bldg. codes) for houses
but does require permanent
foundations.
This program is completed
and is not continued within
the Housing Element
G-5: Review the Zoning
Ordinance to determine if
modifications should be made
to accommodate land trusts.
Complete. Update to
Inclusionary Housing
ordinance in 2018 included
provisions for HLT to
steward inclusionary units.
This program is complete and
is not continued within the
Housing Element.
The new Program D-3.1
includes the establishment of
a First Time Homebuyer
program in partnership with
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 42 the Housing Land Trust of
Sonoma County.
G-6 ADU Ordinance: Modify
zoning ordinance to allow
secondary units as a
permitted use consistent with
State law including increased
size allowance, and consider
an update to existing ADU
ordinance, including height,
setbacks, and other relevant
development standards.
Successful. ADU ordinance
updated on January 16th,
2020 to comply with 2019
State law changes.
Educational material such as
ADU/JADU primer for
homeowners include
updated design standards
such as height, setbacks,
floor area, and
infrastructure.
Complete. The new Program
A-3.5 further encourages and
facilitates the development of
Accessory Dwelling Units.
G-7: Study changes in its
Subdivision Ordinance to
reduce land requirements for
new housing development.
Successful. City's Zoning
Ordinance includes "small lot
subdivision" and "planned
community" provisions
which allow for variation
from the zoning standards.
This program is completed
and is not continued within
this Housing Element.
G-8 Housing Impact Fees:
Reduce fees for smaller
housing types, including
secondary units, and review
fee structures for housing
based on square footage,
number of bedrooms, or
valuation to ensure equitable
fee structure.
Successful. Resolution 6173
adopted on February 20,
2018 to modify Housing
Impact Fees to reduce fees
for smaller housing types.
This program is completed
and is not continued within
this housing element. Program
A-4.2 addresses fee mitigation
further ensures equitable fee
structures are maintained.
G-9: Continue to offer reduced
setback requirements for
detached one-story second
units.
Completed. City used to do
half of main house setback
side/rear.
However, requirements
under new State laws are
lower, so this program is no
longer needed.
Program is no longer needed
and is not continued within
the Housing Element.
G-10: Continue to evaluate
implementation of the Growth
Management Program on an
annual basis, including
requested allocations by types
of units (single family,
multifamily, and mobile
homes) and allocations by
affordability level, as well as
the impact of procedural
requirements, including the
allocation roll-over policy.
Successful. Municipal code
Chapter 17.500 is City
Growth Management
Program (GMP).
GMP is implemented with
exemptions for a variety of
types of units (including
affordable units, ADUs,
senior housing, anything in
the downtown core). The
GMP is voter-approved and
meets requirements of
SB330 to remain.
This action will be continued,
but the program will be
removed from the Housing
Element as it reflects an
ongoing practice.
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 43 Exemptions and carryover
allowances will allow City to
meet current and new RHNA.
G-11 Growth Management
Program: Update the growth
management ordinance to
reflect anticipated growth
accommodated under the
General Plan and known public
services and infrastructure
constraints. Revise program, if
necessary, if annual review
identifies issues with the
program that may adversely
affect the City’s housing
obligations.
Successful. Update to
General Plan completed in
2017 and update to zoning
ordinance in 2018.
This program is completed
and is not continued in the
Housing Element.
G-12: The City will continue to
monitor all housing
developments to determine
whether City regulations and
procedures, such as Growth
Management and Design
Review, result in higher
development costs or limit the
availability of new units
affordable to middle,
moderate, and lower income
residents.
Incomplete. City/DRB will
continue to hear and
consider community input
while balancing other cost
factors in the area, such as
fires, inflation and
development costs
increases.
Continue. This action will be
addressed as relevant in
Program B-3.1 to monitor
housing trends, laws, and
issues.
G-13: Review Sebastopol’s
current approval process to
determine whether it is
possible to make the Planning
Commission the final authority
for subdivisions of four or
fewer parcels.
Successful. 2018 Zoning
ordinance update completed
this change.
This program is completed
and is not continued in the
Housing Element.
G-14 Assess alternative
methods to reducing the
amount of time to approve
projects.
Successful. City applied for
SB2 funding in 2019 for
initiatives to reduce project
approval timelines and
updated GIS layers to
provide additional public
access to relevant parcel
information.
Revise and continue. SB 2
grant monies will be used to
support streamlined approval
processing for affordable
housing projects. Including
SB9 and SB35 projects.
G-15: Modify Sebastopol’s
density bonus policy so that it
is consistent with State law,
including reduced parking
requirements for housing
Successful. Density bonus
ordinance updated.
This action is continued and
expanded in Program A-4.1 to
continue promotion of the
current Density Bonus law and
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 44 projects that are eligible to
receive a density bonus.
explore the feasibility of
additional provisions.
G-16: Revise the zoning
ordinance so that architectural
and design review
requirements for
manufactured home will not
exceed those allowed under
Government Code Section
65852.3.
Successful. Design review
ordinance for manufactured
homes updated.
This program is completed
and is not continued in the
Housing Element.
G-17: Revise the Zoning
Ordinance to:
- establish minimum density
requirements for residentialonly projects to ensure
efficient use of land,
- identify criteria and
appropriate locations in nonresidential zones for
residential-only projects,
- increase allowed building
heights and reduce parking
requirements in the
Downtown Core to
accommodate 4 stories/50
feet, and in appropriate
General Commercial districts,
3 stories and 40 feet, to
encourage affordable housing,
higher density housing,
including rental, housing
cooperatives, condominiums,
and other housing
opportunities. Establish
appropriate setback
requirements for increased
number of stories beyond
those currently permitted.
Successful. Title 17 of
Municipal Code has
provisions for updated
density and building
requirements, land use
conversion, and setback
requirements.
This program is completed
and is not continued in the
Housing Element.
G-18: Prepare design
guidelines for multifamily and
mixed-use residential projects
and adopt methods to
streamline the design review
process.
Successful. SMC 17.20.030
includes development
standards for multifamily
residential projects.
Affordable housing projects
are assessed under
ministerial review in an
effort to streamline approval
process per SB 35.
This program is completed
and is not continued in the
Housing Element.
This need will be further
addressed under Program A3.1 to develop Objective
Design Standards
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 45 H-1: Continue the preparation
of annual reports that
summarize progress towards
Housing Element goals,
policies, and programs.
Successful. 2021 APR
submitted and approved by
HCD.
This action will be continued,
but the program will be
removed from the Housing
Element as it reflects an
ongoing practice and
requirement
H-2: Continue to rely on
Sonoma County to assist with
housing related activities,
such as initial certification of
income eligibility.
Partially successful. The City
continues to partner with
Sonoma County and the
Community Development
Commission. Success of
specific activities has varied
depending on staff capacity
of both the City and the
County.
This action is continued in the
implementation of several
programs, including Program
A-4.3 for affordable housing
funding, Program C-2.1 for
rehabilitation assistance, and
Program D-2.1 to develop a
landlord education and
outreach program.
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 46 Section II: Housing Strategy
The Housing Strategy forms the housing policy roadmap for the City of Sebastopol.
The Housing Strategy incorporates data and community input received and analyzed and includes new policies and programs to respond to changing housing needs and to meet new statutory requirements under State Housing Element law. Related to each policy, there are one or more programs that the City will implement over the 2023-2031 planning period.
This section contains the City’s Housing Plan for the 2023-2031 Housing Element planning period. State law recognizes the vital role local governments play in the supply and affordability of housing. Each local government in California is required to adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan for the physical development of the city or county. In order to make adequate provision for the housing needs of all economic segments of the community, the Housing Element must do all of the following.
• Identify the agencies and officials responsible for the implementation of the various actions and the means by which consistency will be achieved with other general plan elements and community goals.
• Identify adequate sites which will be made available through appropriate zoning and development standards and with the public services and facilities needed to meet the needs of all income levels. This shall include rental housing, factory-built housing, mobile homes, emergency shelters, and transitional housing.
• Assist in the development of adequate housing to meet the needs of low- and moderate-income households.
• Address and, where appropriate and legally possible, remove governmental constraints to the maintenance, improvement, and development of housing. • Conserve and improve the condition of the existing affordable housing stock. • Promote housing opportunities for all persons regardless of race, religion, sex, marital status, ancestry, national origin, or color. • Affirmatively further fair housing.
The collective programs and policies administered by the City of Sebastopol and set forth in this Housing Element comply with and further the requirements and goals of Government Code Section 8899.50(b). As demonstrated through the policies and programs in Goal D, the City is committed to taking meaningful actions to fulfill its obligation to affirmatively further fair housing and will take no actions that would be materially inconsistent with that goal. Consistent with State requirements, each program identifies specific metrics and milestones, the implementing agency or agencies, and funding. Finally, the Housing Strategy sets forth quantified objectives for housing construction, rehabilitation, and conservation within the 2023-2031 planning period.
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 47 2.1 HOUSING GOALS AND POLICIES
Goal A: Facilitate the Development of Housing
Facilitate the development of a variety of housing types by maintaining adequate sites for housing and encouraging the production of housing to meet diverse needs for all economic segments of the population.
Policy A-1 Maintain a sufficient inventory of suitably zoned sites at all income levels throughout the planning period
Implementing Programs: Program A-1.1 No Net Loss of Residential Capacity to Accommodate RHNA, Program A-1.2 No Reduction of Density without Replacement Sites, Program A-1.3 Inventory Monitoring
Policy A-2 Maintain an administrative list of additional sites with appropriate zoning that can be added to the City’s sites inventory if and when an analysis provided through the Annual Planning Report indicates that sufficient sites may not exist to accommodate the City’s remaining RHNA, by income level, for the planning period.
Implementing Programs: Program A-2.1 Administrative List of Additional Sites
Policy A-3 Encourage a variety of housing types such as multi-family units, mixed use housing, ADU and JADUs, single-family attached (townhouses), and other typologies that make housing more affordable.
Implementing Programs: Program A-3.1 Objective Design Standards Program, Program A-3.3 Missing Middle Housing, Program A-3.4 Workforce Housing Overlay Zone, Program A-3.5 Encourage the Development of Accessory Dwelling Units
Policy A-4 Promote the development of new housing units affordable to extremely low, very low-, low-, and moderate-income households and housing units that are affordable to and appropriate for special needs households, including seniors, extremely low-income households, disabled persons, developmentally disabled persons, farmworkers, large families, and persons experiencing homelessness.
Implementing Programs: Program A-4.1 Density Bonus Incentives, Program A-4.2 Fee Mitigation and Transparency, Program A-4.3 Affordable Housing Funding
Goal B: Remove Governmental Constraints
Mitigate governmental constraints to the development, improvement, and maintenance of housing.
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 48 Policy B-1 Continually monitor the City’s codes, procedures, and practices to ensure they do not pose a constraint to the development and retention of housing.
Implementing Programs: Program B-1.1 Monitor and review the effectiveness of the Housing Element Programs and other City activities in addressing the City’s housing needs in a manner that does not discriminate, Program B-1.2 Revise Reasonable Accommodation Procedures to Streamline and Reduce Barriers
Policy B-2 Expedite application review, permitting, and inspection procedures for affordable housing projects.
Implementing Programs: Program B-2.1 Expedite Processing for Affordable Housing Projects
Policy B-3 Take all efforts to ensure City staff and decision-makers have the most up-to-date knowledge about housing trends, laws, and issues.
Implementing Programs: Program B-3.1 Monitor Housing Trends, Laws, and Issues
Policy B-4 Ensure easy access to and transparency of housing development information on the City’s website pursuant to Government Code 65940.1(a)(1).
Implementing Programs: Program A-4.2 Fee Mitigation and Transparency Goal C: Housing Conservation
Sustain and preserve existing housing units at all income levels
Policy C-1 Monitor the status of at-risk units throughout the planning period to identify units that are at risk of imminent conversion to market-rate units and work with non-profit housing organizations to preserve at-risk units.
Implementing Programs: Program C-1.1 Safeguard Affordable Housing Inventory
Policy C-2 Ensure safe, decent housing by enforcing habitability standards that do not discriminate and that protect the occupant’s cultural, socio-economic, and/or accessibility needs.
Implementing Programs: Program B-1.1 Monitor and review the effectiveness of the Housing Element Programs and other City activities in addressing the City’s housing needs in a manner that does not discriminate
Policy C-3 Provide rehabilitation assistance to income-eligible homeowners for repairs related to safety, habitability, and/or accessibility standards to reduce the likelihood of substandard housing in the City.
Implementing Programs: Program C-2.1 Rehabilitation Assistance
Policy C-4 Promote energy efficiency in all new and existing structures.
Implementing Programs: Program C-3.1 Provide Information and Promote Energy Conservation
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 49 Goal D: Fair Housing
Ensure Fair Access to Quality Housing and Services for All Members of the Community, including those with Special Needs.
Policy D-1 To ensure all residents have access to adequate housing, the City will work to promote and affirmatively further fair housing opportunities throughout the community for all persons regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, marital or familial status, ethnic background, disability, medical condition, or characteristics protected by the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, and any other State and Federal fair housing and planning law.
Implementing Programs: See Programs A-3.1, B-1.1, D-1.1, D-2.1 for specific actions that support Fair Housing
Policy D-2 The City will encourage long-term and permanent affordability of lower and moderate-income and special needs housing.
Implementing Programs: Program A-4.3 Affordable Housing Funding, Program C-1.1 Safeguard Affordable Housing Inventory
Policy D-3 The City will continue to educate the community about fair and affordable housing.
Implementing Programs: Program D-1.1 Administer Housing Services and Provide Outreach and Education
Policy D-4 The City will continue efforts to improve housing opportunities for special needs households, including seniors, disabled persons, developmentally disabled persons, extremely low-income households, farmworkers, large families, and persons experiencing homelessness.
Implementing Programs: Program D-2.1 Landlord Education, Program D-2.2 By Right Permanent Supportive Housing and Low Barrier Navigation Centers
Policy D-5 The city will promote programs that offer lower- income households pathways to homeownership.
Implementing Programs: Program D-3.1 First Time Homebuyer Program and Affordable Homeownership Resources
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 50 2.2 HOUSING ACTION PLAN
Program A-1.1 No Net Loss of Residential Capacity to Accommodate RHNA (New, responds to SB 166- No Net Loss)
To ensure sufficient residential capacity to accommodate the RHNA for each income category throughout the planning period, staff will develop and implement a formal, ongoing (project-by-project) administrative evaluation procedure pursuant to Government Code section 65863. The evaluation procedure will track the number of lower, moderate-, and above moderate-income units constructed to calculate the remaining unmet RHNA. The evaluation procedure will also track the number of units built on the identified sites to determine the remaining site capacity, by income category, and will be updated as developments are approved. The sites inventory will be updated every year as needed when the Annual Planning Report (APR) is completed, and the APR with the updated inventory will be available on the City’s website.
Timeline: Responsibility: Funding: Statute or Other
Consideration:
Develop procedure
prior to the first 6th
cycle reporting
period; evaluate
annually thereafter
in conjunction with
the APR
Planning
Department,
Planning
Commission, City
Council
Departmental
Budget (General
Fund)
SB 166- No Net
Loss;
ensure adequate
sites to
accommodate the
RHNA throughout
the planning period
Program A-1.2 No Reduction of Density without Replacement Sites (New, responds to SB 166- No Net Loss)
To ensure sufficient residential capacity to accommodate the RHNA for each income category throughout the planning period, no project approval or other action that reduces the density or development capacity of a site shall be undertaken unless sufficient remaining sites are available or additional adequate sites are identified prior to the approval of the development and made available within 180 days of approval of the development. Identification of the replacement sites and the necessary actions to make the site(s) available will be adopted prior to or concurrent with the approval of the development.
Timeline: Responsibility: Funding: Statute or Other
Consideration:
Ongoing as needed Planning
Department,
Planning
Commission, City
Council
Departmental
Budget (General
Fund)
SB 166- No Net Loss
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 51 Program A-1.3 Inventory Monitoring
(Combines previous actions A-1, A-2, A-3)
To ensure sufficient residential capacity to accommodate the RHNA for each income category throughout the planning period, the City will continue to monitor the land supply in inventory including:
• Sites for single-family and multifamily residential development • Sites to accommodate special needs populations including seniors, disabled persons, developmentally disabled persons, extremely-low income households, farmworkers, large families, and homeless persons
• Multifamily sites at densities to facilitate the production of housing affordable to lower income households
• Sites readily served by infrastructure
Timeline: Responsibility: Funding: Statute or Other
Consideration:
Annually, due at
time of and
reported out in
conjunction with
APR;
Publish land supply
in inventory on
City’s website 30
days and update
annually
Planning
Department,
Planning
Commission, City
Council
Departmental
Budget (General
Fund)
SB 166- No Net Loss
Lessons learned
from previous
Housing Element
Program A-2.1 Administrative List of Additional Sites
(New, responds to SB 166- No Net Loss)
To ensure sufficient residential capacity to accommodate the RHNA for each income category throughout the planning period, the City will create and maintain a list of additional sites with appropriate zoning that could be added to the City’s sites inventory when an analysis provided through the Annual Planning Report indicates that sufficient sites may not exist to accommodate the City’s remaining RHNA, by income level, for the planning period.
Timeline: Responsibility: Funding: Statute or Other
Consideration:
Create an
“administrative” list
3-6 months after
adoption of the
Housing Element
Consider adding
sites from this list
Planning
Department,
Planning
Commission, City
Council
Departmental
Budget (General
Fund)
SB 166- No Net
Loss;
Identify adequate
sites to
accommodate the
RHNA
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 52 to inventory as
needed on an
annual basis
Program A-3.1 Objective Design Standards Program
(New, addresses stakeholder feedback and recent State laws) The discretionary review process can act as a constraint to housing development and increase the overall cost housing. To facilitate non-discretionary permitting, the City will adopt Objective Design Standards that involve no personal or subjective judgement by a public official and are uniformly verifiable by reference to external criteria available to the public. (New, addresses stakeholder feedback and governmental constraints)
Timeline: Responsibility: Funding: Statute or Other
Consideration:
Adopt within 12-16
months of Housing
Element Adoption
Planning
Department,
Planning
Commission, City
Council
SB2 Funding and
General Plan
Update fund
Recent State laws
prohibiting
discretionary
reviews;
stakeholder
feedback;
address and
remove
governmental
constraints
Program A-3.2 Support Efforts of Affordable Housing Developers (Revises and combines previous actions D-1, D-2, D-4 D-6, D-13, D-17, D-18) In order to increase the availability of affordable housing, the City will take more robust financial and supportive actions to promote the development, preservation, and provision of housing units affordable to lower and moderate-income households including special needs households.
Financial actions shall include:
• Providing City housing funds, including linkage fees and inclusionary housing fees when available, to help subsidize development costs to build affordable housing units, including funding for projects where 5 percent of units are deed-restricted affordable to extremely-low income households
• Allowing Planning-Director approval of project extensions • Deferring collection of residential development fees until final building inspection or certificate of occupancy (see A-4.2)
• Supporting applications for available and appropriate funding for all projects consistent with the City’s General Plan and funding priorities, such as:
The Home Investment Partnership Program
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 53 Community Development Block Grants
Low Income Housing Tax Credits
The California Housing Accelerator Program
The California Housing Finance Agency
The Golden State Acquisition Fund
The Infill Infrastructure Grant Program
The Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant
The Local Housing Trust Fund
The Multifamily Housing Program
The Predevelopment Loan Program
The Supportive Housing Multifamily Housing Program
The Veterans Housing and Homelessness Prevention Program Project Based Section 8 Assistance
Technical and Non-Financial Supportive Actions shall include:
• Creating an informational page on the City website with information about available sites in the City and available funding resources • Annually contacting a list of known developers provided by the Let’s Talk Housing Napa Sonoma Collaborative
• Contributing to a region-wide project in conjunction with the Let’s Talk Housing Napa Sonoma Collaborative to map all available housing sites with relevant development information and TCAC Opportunity Index Scores
• The City will utilize the above mapping to publish an easy-tounderstand popular summary on the City’s website. The summary shall identify available housing opportunity sites in Sebastopol and will include a map, and site-specific development information • Providing no-cost or low-cost staff assistance to assess development strategies
• Give priority to permit processing for projects providing affordable housing when requested. Expand application of processing priority to projects providing housing for seniors and other special needs groups, including persons with physical and developmental disabilities, large families, extremely- low income households, farmworker housing, and homeless (Program B-2.1)
Timeline: Responsibility: Funding: Statute or Other
Consideration:
Ongoing; report
efforts and
successes in APR
Planning
Department,
Planning
Commission, City
Where feasible,
leverage State and
Federal financing,
including Low
Income Housing
Assist in the
development of
adequate housing
to meet the needs
lower and
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 54 Council, City
Manager
Tax Credits, CalHFA
multifamily housing
assistance
programs, HCD
Multifamily Housing
Loans, CDBG funds,
HOME funds, and
other available
financing
moderate-income
households;
addresses
community input;
addresses
stakeholder input;
lessons learned
from previous
Housing Element
Program A-3.3 Missing Middle Housing
(Revises and combines previous actions D-7, G-4, G-7)
Community input indicated strong support for missing middle housing which can help meet the need for more diverse housing types to meet the needs of shifting demographics in the City. The City will increase opportunities for small lot singlefamily homes, such as tiny homes and cottage court housing developments by either by identifying additional sites for the R-5 zoning designation, or by amending the Code to allow up to 3 units on qualifying single-family parcels, subject to objective design standards as allowed by SB 9.
Timeline: Responsibility: Funding: Statute or Other
Consideration:
The City will
develop SB9 and
ODS regulation by
2024
Planning
Department,
Planning
Commission, City
Council
Departmental
Budget (General
Fund) and/or
General Plan Update
Fund
Addresses
stakeholder
feedback; addresses
demographic data
and trends;
addresses
community input
Program A-3.4 Workforce Housing Overlay Zone
(New, incorporates of previous action A-4)
Infill development is critical to accommodating growth while reducing sprawl.
Stakeholders indicated support for infill and adaptive reuse development to help meet the City’s housing needs. The City will adopt a Workforce Housing Overlay Program as a market-driven way to integrate housing into areas near jobs and transit. The program will allow housing to be added to underutilized commercial sites, empty parking lots, and other parcels near jobs, transit, or both by providing an additional set of development options that landowners can choose to exercise at their discretion through the application process.
Timeline: Responsibility: Funding: Statute or Other
Consideration:
Adopt program into
Code by July 2024
Planning
Department,
Departmental
Budget (General
Lessons learned
from previous
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 55 Planning
Commission, City
Council
Fund) and/or
General Plan Update
Fund
Housing Element,
Stakeholder
feedback.
Program A-3.5 Encourage the Development of Accessory Dwelling Units (New, addresses State law and community input)
Demographic analysis revealed the need for affordable housing options that would be suitable for the aging population, persons with disabilities, and younger people looking for entry-level housing choices. Community input indicated robust support for ADU and JADU development as a way to increase the housing supply. Additionally, ADU and JADU development provides a unique opportunity for homeowners to increase their property value. Based on community input, the City expects a significant increase in the rate of ADU and JADU development. In order to facilitate homeowners who are interested in developing the City shall take the following actions:
a) Promote ADUs and JADUs: The City anticipates developing ADUs in numbers that exceed what it has built, on average, over the last 4 years. To promote development, the City will make builders, property owners and members of the public aware of opportunities to facilitate ADU construction within the city by creating a dedicated ADU/JADU development website, and by featuring ADUs at the annual Housing Expo.
Additionally, the City will streamline processing of applications for conforming ADUs by eliminating the planning entitlement process and relying instead on planning department review and sign-off of the building permit.
b) Legalizing Existing Structures as ADUs: The majority of ADUs within the City to date have been conversions of existing structures into ADUs. Staff have identified a way to facilitate the legalization of existing structures into converted, legal ADUs by reducing the need for qualified conversions to go through the planning commission process for determination of a non-conforming use. Rather, the City would establish a program that would allow this determination to be made at the Staff-level following a site visit, and consultation with the planning and building departments. In certain situations, code enforcement penalties would be reduced or waived.
In its 2024 APR, the City will evaluation its progress in achieving its increased production goals for ADUs and JADUs. If it is determined that the new numbers are not likely to be met, the City will put into place an additional action to better promote and facilitate their production, as follows:
c) Financial Support for ADUs: If the production of ADUs is falling behind projections by the end of the 2nd year on the planning period, the City will dedicate annual funding to the Napa-Sonoma ADU Center for the provision of services to facilitate ADU production to utilize their services beyond what is publicly available on their website Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 56 including the provision of on-site ADU suitability evaluations, development of marketing materials, pre-approved ADU plans and referrals to builders and financing for ADUs.
Timeline: Responsibility: Funding: Statute or Other
Consideration:
Create and publish
ADU/JADU development
webpage by January
2024; Adopt ADU
conversion program
within 6-9 months of
Housing Element
adoption; Annually
monitor and report
progress of production
goals for ADUs and
JADUs, if production
does not meet
projections by end of
2 nd year of planning
period the City will
dedicate annual funding
to the Napa-Sonoma
ADU Center in exchange
for services.
Planning
Department,
Planning
Commission, City
Council
Departmental
Budget (General
Fund)
Government Code
65583(c)(7);
Addresses
stakeholder
feedback; addresses
demographic data
and trends
Program A-4.1 Density Bonus Incentives
(Revision of previous action D-9)
The California State Density Bonus Law incentivizes affordable and other specialized housing production by requiring local agencies to grant an increase to the maximum allowable residential density for eligible projects, and to support the development of eligible projects at greater residential densities by granting incentives, concessions, waivers, or reductions to applicable development regulations.
To increase the amount of lower and moderate- income units created, the City will encourage affordable housing developers to request density bonuses and incentives by promoting them on the City’s website and at the bi-annual housing fair.
The City will also explore the feasibility of adopting a local density bonus ordinance with incentives and bonuses beyond the current statutory requirements.
Timeline: Responsibility: Funding: Statute or Other
Consideration:
Amend Code within
3 years of Housing
Element Adoption
Planning
Department,
Planning
Commission, City
Council
Departmental
Budget (General
Fund) and/or
General Plan Update
Fund
Lessons learned
from previous
Housing Element;
addresses
stakeholder input
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 57 Program A-4.2 Fee Mitigation and Transparency
(Revision of previous action D-8, responds to AB 602 requirements and ensures consistency with State law)
Impact fees are levied on new housing to pay for the services needed to support those developments and to mitigate the impacts of growth however, such fees and exactions can affect the cost and feasibility of developing affordable housing.
In accordance with new with requirements to the Mitigation Fee Act, the City shall take the following actions:
a) Nexus Fee Action: To mitigate the impact of these fees the City currently bases impact fees proportional to the square footage of a new development project per a 2021 nexus study. Per new statutory requirements to Mitigation Fee Act, the City will update its nexus study in 2029.
b) Action of Transparency: The City will make the following information prominently available on the City’s website:
Postings that must be updated within 30 days of any change to the information:
• A current schedule of fees, exactions, and affordability requirements that apply to each parcel
• All zoning ordinances and development standards that apply to each parcel • A list of all requirements for a development project
• The current and five previous annual fee reports covering development impact fees as well as water and sewer connection fees and
• An archive of impact fee nexus studies and cost of service studies conducted by the City since January 1, 2018
Postings that must be updated twice a year:
• Upon the certificate of occupancy or final inspection of a new housing unit, whichever occurs later, the City must request from the developer the total amount of impact fees levied on the project and display that information on the City’s website
c) Public Comment Procedure Action: The City will abide by the new public comment procedure requirements that authorize any member of the public to submit evidence regarding impact fee violations. Additionally, to limit the costs associated with developing housing, the City will defer fee collection for residential developments until final building inspection or issuance of the certificate of occupancy, whichever occurs first, unless the requirements of Government Code 66007(b) have been met.
Timeline: Responsibility: Funding: Statute or Other
Consideration:
Provide easily accessible
fee information on City’s
website by January 2023;
Publish any updates within
30 days of a completed fee
study reflecting any new or
revised fees; update nexus
fee study in 2029
Planning
Department,
City Manager
Departmental
Budget
(General Fund)
AB 602 – Mitigation Fee
Act; review and revise
from previous Housing
Element
California Government
Code Section 66007
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 58 Program A-4.3 Affordable Housing Funding
(Revision of previous action C-3)
Financial constraints represent the most significant non-governmental barrier to developing affordable housing. The City will establish a partnership with the Sonoma County Community Development Commission to identify additional potential mechanisms to assist with City funding of permanently affordable housing.
Timeline: Responsibility: Funding: Statute or Other
Consideration:
Initiate partnership
with Sonoma
County Community
Development
Commission within
18 months of
Housing Element
Adoption; Report
efforts and
successes in APR
annually thereafter
Planning
Department, City
Attorney, Sonoma
County Community
Development
Commission
Departmental
Budget (General
Fund)
Lessons learned
from previous
Housing Element
Program B-1.1 Monitor and review the effectiveness of the Housing Element Programs and other City activities in addressing the City’s housing needs in a manner that does not discriminate
(Revises and combines previous actions B-1, B-2, F-2, G-3, G-10, G-12) It is necessary to establish an ongoing monitoring program to ensure the implemented programs and adopted ordinances continue to meet the needs of residents, conform to State laws, and do not pose as barriers to development as such the City will take the following action:
a) Action to Monitor and Report: The City will continue to monitor the implementation of ordinances, codes, policies, and procedures to ensure that they conform with State laws, promote energy conservation, do not pose an unreasonable barrier to housing access, and that they continue to provide reasonable accommodation for the disabled. Program implementation will be tracked and reported annually in conjunction with the Annual Planning Report (APR) and to the City Council as part of the City’s annual Level of Service report.
Code enforcement is an important government tool designed to keep neighborhoods and the people who live in them safe and healthy. To ensure that standard operating procedures do not penalize or displace vulnerable or special needs populations the City will take the following action:
b) Proactive Code Enforcement Action: The City will develop a proactive and reasonable enforcement program that focuses residential code enforcement activities on situations that pose an imminent threat to public health and safety. Such activities do not include minor alterations made to residences without benefit of permit when such alterations are made to accommodate a special need or disability of the resident(s), or for interior alterations made to allow or honor the residents’ cultural needs or practices, unless those alteration pose an immediate threat to the safety of the residents or neighborhood. Residents requiring alterations to accommodate a Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 59 special need or disability will be guided to the City's Reasonable Accommodations program.
Timeline: Responsibility: Funding: Statute or Other
Consideration:
Program will be
developed by
MONTH 202X.
Results of
monitoring
reported annually
in the APR
thereafter
Planning
Department,
Building
Department, Public
Works Department,
City Manager,
Planning
Commission, City
Council
Departmental
Budget (General
Fund)
AB 686- AFFH;
lessons learned
from previous
Housing Element
Program B-1.2 Revise Reasonable Accommodation Procedures to Streamline and Reduce Barriers
(New, addresses identified constraint)
The Federal Fair Housing Act and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (the Acts) require that local agencies provide reasonable accommodation in the application of zoning laws and other land use regulations, policies, and procedures for persons with disabilities who are seeking access to housing of their choice. A request for reasonable accommodation under the Acts may include a modification or exception to the rules, standards, and practices for the siting, development, and use of housing when those regulations would eliminate regulatory barriers and provide the person with a disability equal opportunity to the housing of their choice.
The City has established a Reasonable Accommodations procedure, as required by the Acts, but the procedure and cost have been identified as constraints to the development of housing and the provision of accessible housing. The City will review its current practices and costs to bring them in line with the State’s model ordinance.
Timeline: Responsibility: Funding: Statute or Other
Consideration:
Complete review by
the end of 2024;
revise ordinance or
procedures as
needed by July
2025.
Planning
Department,
Building
Department, City
Manager, Planning
Commission, City
Council
Departmental
Budget (General
Fund) and/or
General Plan Update
Fund
AB 686- AFFH;
addresses
governmental
constraints
Program B-2.1 Expedite Processing for Affordable Housing Projects (Revises and combines previous actions G-14 and policy H-2) Expedited processing moves projects with an affordable component to the front of the line in zoning, planning, and building permit processing. Ideally this can shave months off the entitlement process. Faster processing reduces risk and financing costs while allowing developers to bring projects to market faster. To encourage the Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 60 development of affordable housing the City will continue to expedite processing for affordable housing projects to support the streamlined approval processing for affordable housing projects, including SB9 and SB35 projects.
The City will expand application of processing priority to projects providing housing for seniors and other special needs groups, including persons with physical and developmental disabilities, large families, extremely-low income households, farmworker housing, and homeless. Expedited processing includes one-stop preliminary review, concurrent application review, designation of a primary contact, and prioritizing building permit and grading plan review, permitting and inspection.
To ensure that these services are available throughout the planning period, the City shall maintain adequate staffing levels and, if necessary, utilize outside planning or plan review services to facilitate expedited processing.
Timeline: Responsibility: Funding: Statute or Other
Consideration:
Report efforts and
successes in APR
Planning
Department,
Planning
Commission, City
Council
Application Fees Review and revise
from previous
Housing Element;
addresses
stakeholder input
Program B-3.1 Monitor Housing Trends, Laws, and Issues
(New, addresses stakeholder feedback)
Stakeholder feedback revealed support for ongoing educational procedures for the City’s decision-makers. To ensure both elected and appointed decisionmakers are making educated and informed planning decisions, the City will continue to monitor legislation, trends, and policy issues related to the development and maintenance of affordable housing in the City of Sebastopol. Ongoing efforts include but are not limited to:
• Attending housing and legislative review seminars, conferences, etc. • Attending training workshops
• Training on new legislation, State requirements, policies, and procedures pertaining to housing programs
• Participate in regional planning efforts coordinated by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and interfacing with other local jurisdictions, the County of Sonoma, and the public
Additionally, all future and incumbent members of the Planning Commission shall be required to complete a commissioner training course covering the essentials of citizen planning including planning ethics, comprehensive plans, site plans, approval processes, planning law, zoning, and the essential role of the public in planning.
Timeline: Responsibility: Funding: Statute or Other
Consideration:
Initiate Planning
Commissioner
Training by January
Planning
Department,
Planning
Departmental
Budget (General
Fund)
Housing
Accountability Act
(HAA); addresses
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 61 2023; Report efforts
and successes in
APR annually
thereafter
Commission, City
Attorney/City
Manager, City
Council
stakeholder
feedback
Program C-1.1 Safeguard Affordable Housing Inventory
(Revision of previous action B-4)
State law requires jurisdictions to address the risk of loss of affordable units as their affordable restriction restrictions expire and they convert to market-rate housing.
The City will monitor all properties and make contact with owners and non-profit partners not less than three years before restrictions are set to expire to discuss the City’s desire to preserve complexes as affordable housing. Participation from agencies interested in purchasing and/or managing at-risk units will be sought to identify options to ensure continuing affordability. The City will coordinate with owners of expiring subsidies to ensure tenants receive the required notices at three years, twelve month, and six months prior to the scheduled expiration of rent restrictions, as described in Government Code 65863.10. In addition, the City will reach out property owners of units with expiring affordability covenants that are not subject to the provisions of this code, including units constructed under the City’s Inclusionary Housing Ordinance, and seek to retain affordability. The City will work with tenants to provide education regarding tenant rights and conversion procedures pursuant to California law.
Timeline: Responsibility: Funding: Statute or Other
Consideration:
Annual monitoring
due at time of and
reported in
conjunction with
APR;
Ongoing
discussions with
owners and
partners as needed
based on expiration
of subsidies
Planning
Department
Departmental
Budget (General
Fund)
Review and revise
from previous
Housing Element;
Program C-2.1 Rehabilitation Assistance
(New, responds to findings in fair housing analysis, demographic trends, and community input)
Negative effects of code enforcement can occur when compliance measures are not economically feasible for property owners. To reduce the risk of displacement, the City will pursue grant opportunities to create a residential rehabilitation program for lower income residents. The City will work with the Community Development Commission to apply for HOME, CalHome, and CDBG funds, as well as promote Section 504 Home Repair Program loans and grants to provide housing rehabilitation loans and weatherization services for income-eligible households to improve living Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 62 conditions. The City will also work with and support local non-profits, such as Rebuilding Together Sebastopol, Habitat for Humanity, etc., in these efforts.
Timeline: Responsibility: Funding: Statute or Other
Consideration:
Starting in 202X,
annually apply for
funding as Notices
of Funding
Availability are
released
Planning
Department,
Planning
Commission, City
Council, City
Manager
HOME, CalHOME,
CDBG, Section 504
Grants
AB 686 - AFFH;
address and
remove
governmental
constraints
Continue to sponsor
and support local
non-profits
assisting low
income home
owners with urgent
and other
rehabilitation
efforts
City Council City of Sebastopol
General Fund/
Community Benefit
Grants
Program C-3.1 Provide Information and Promote Energy Conservation (Revises and combines previous actions F-3, F-4, F-5, F-6, F-7, F-8, F-9) Planning to maximize energy efficiency, the incorporation of energy conservation, and green building features can contribute to reduced housing costs for homeowners and renters while promoting sustainable community design. The City of Sebastopol will continue to promote energy efficiency that exceeds State standards in existing residences and new residential development by providing sustainability and conservation information on the City’s website, supporting Recology’s efforts to educate the community about solid waste reduction, and utilizing CDBG and HOME funding to retrofit existing affordable units to increase energy efficiency.
Timeline: Responsibility: Funding: Statute or Other
Consideration:
Adopt CalGreen Tier
1 by 2023.
Ongoing; report
efforts and
successes in APR
Planning
Department,
Building
Department, Public
Works Department,
City Manager,
Planning
Commission, City
Council
Departmental
Budget (General
Fund)
Title 24, CalGREEN;
addresses
community input;
revise and review
from previous
Housing Element
Program D-1.1 Administer Housing Services and Provide Outreach and Education
(Revises and combines previous actions D-11, D-16, E-1, H-3) Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 63 Often, special needs households face barriers to accessing information about affordable and fair housing resource and residents may not be aware of the choices available to them. The City will hold annual fair housing workshops to educate and inform the community about their right to fair housing, how to access resources, and use these workshops as an opportunity to overcome community opposition.
To help overcome barriers to accessing information, the City will develop a Fair Housing section of their website that includes tenants’ rights information, direction to available legal resources, information on how to file a Fair Housing complaint, include a City-wide affordable rental registry, and a multilingual affordable housing fact sheet highlighting the needs of the community. The information will also be made available public noticing for project hearings in addition to posting on the City’s website.
Additionally, the City shall continue to coordinate housing activities with the Sonoma County Housing Authority or other suitable organization to administer the City’s affordable Housing programs for special needs populations. The City will continue to expand upon previous coordinated efforts with local faith-based organizations and community-based organizations to provide services and resources to the unhoused population in Sebastopol. Continued bi-annual meetings with service providers and advocates for the homeless will provide the City an opportunity to identify needs and craft solutions on an ongoing basis.
Timeline: Responsibility: Funding: Statute or Other
Consideration:
Ongoing; report
efforts and
successes in APR
Add Fair Housing
information to City
website by June
2023; Hold BiAnnual workshops
with advocates and
service providers;
Report efforts and
successes in APR
Planning
Department,
Planning
Commission, City
Council
Departmental
Budget (General
Fund)
AB 686- AFFH;
address
demographic data;
addresses
stakeholder input
Program D-2.1 Landlord Education
(Revises and combines previous actions E-2, E-3)
The Fair Employment and Housing Act protects against source of income discrimination. The City will work with the CDC to develop a landlord education and outreach program that will include information on source of income discrimination and Housing Choice Voucher programs. The goal of the program will be to reduce the likelihood of discrimination, ensure that landlords are maintaining Section 8 compliance, and to expand the location of participating Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher properties. This information will be included on the City’s website.
Additionally, the City will continue to require nondiscrimination clauses in rental agreements and deed restrictions for housing constructed with City Funds or City Agreements.
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 64 Timeline: Responsibility: Funding: Statute or Other
Consideration:
Contact CDC about
ongoing efforts to
educate landlords
by end of 2023;
report efforts and
successes in APR
Planning
Department,
Planning
Commission, City
Council, City
Manager
Departmental
Budget (General
Fund)
Fair Employment
and Housing Act;
AB 686 - AFFH;
review and revise
from previous
Housing Element
Program D-2.2 By Right Permanent Supportive Housing and Low Barrier Navigation Centers
(New, responds to AB 2162 Requirements, SB 48 requirements, and community input)
Decades of research show providing people with a stable, affordable place to live that does not limit length of stay, along with services that promote housing stability—the combination known as “supportive housing”—ends homelessness among people with the greatest vulnerabilities, including people experiencing chronic homelessness.
The City will amend the Code to allow permanent supportive housing and low barrier navigation centers by right in zones where multifamily and mixed uses are permitted, including nonresidential zones permitting multifamily uses in compliance with Government Codes 65660 and 65651 as amended by AB 2162 and SB 48, respectively.
Timeline: Responsibility: Funding: Statute or Other
Consideration:
Amend Code within
6-9 months of
Housing Element
Adoption
Planning
Department,
Planning
Commission, City
Manager
Departmental
Budget (General
Fund) and General
Plan Update Fund
SB 48 – Low Barrier
Navigation Centers;
AB 2162 –
Supportive Housing;
AB 686 -
AFFH; addresses
community input
Program D-3.1 First Time Homebuyer Program and Affordable Homeownership Resources
(New, responds to community input and demographic trends) Despite the volatility of the housing market, numerous studies have demonstrated that homeownership leads to greater wealth accumulation when compared with renting. Lower and moderate-income homebuyers may face significant financial barriers when seeking home ownership. The City will seek to establish a First Time Homebuyer Program in coordination with the Housing Land Trust of Sonoma County (HLT) to monitor the development of permanently affordable homeownership opportunities in the City of Sebastopol.
Additionally, The City will publish resources to prospective lower income home buyers on the City website including information about the new First Time Homebuyer Program, Burbank Housing and Habitat for Humanity who provide affordable homeownership through subsidies, and information about CalHOME and CalHFA financing options.
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 65 Timeline: Responsibility: Funding: Statute or Other
Consideration:
Adopt program by
June 2023, and
apply for CDBG or
other funding for
program in FY 22-
23; Add information
to City website by
July 2023
Planning
Department,
Planning
Commission, City
Council, City
Manager
Affordable Housing
Fund, Housing
Linkage Fund, CDBG
funds
AB 686 – AFFH;
addresses
demographic data;
addresses
community input
Program D-4.1 Replacement Housing Requirement
(New, responds to community input and demographic trends) The City will require replacement housing units subject to the requirements of Government Code Section 65915, subdivision (c) (3) on all sites identified in the Sites Inventory when any new development occurs on a site in the housing Sites Inventory if that site meets the following conditions:
1) currently has residential uses or within the past five years has had residential uses that have been vacated or demolished; and 2) was subject to a recorded covenant, ordinance, or law that restricts rents to levels affordable to persons and families of low or very-low income, or 3) subject to any form of rent or price control through a public entity’s valid exercise of its police power, or
4) occupied by low or very-low income households.
Timeline: Responsibility: Funding: Statute or Other
Consideration:
Ongoing Planning
Department
Departmental
Budget (General
Fund) ) and/or
General Plan Update
Fund
AB 1397
2.3 QUANTIFIED OBJECTIVES
One of the requirements of State law (California Government Code Section 65583(b)) is that the Housing Element contain quantified objectives for the maintenance, preservation, improvement, and development of housing. Table 10 summarizes Sebastopol projected new construction of affordable and market rate units during the period 2023 – 2031 based on needs, resources, and constraints. State law recognizes that the total housing needs identified by a community may exceed available resources and the community’s ability to satisfy this need. Under these circumstances the quantified objectives need not be, and are not intended to be, identical to the total housing needs.
The quantified objectives shown represent goals. These estimates are mainly based on experience, anticipated funding levels, and anticipated housing market conditions.
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 66 The preservation goal targets the expiration of Burbank Orchard’s affordability covenants in 2031. The quantified objectives are not designed to be minimum requirements. Rather they are based largely upon implementation programs that have measurable outcomes. However, the Housing Element contains several policies and implementation programs that reduce barriers and create opportunities for affordable housing. These policies and programs are essential in meeting the City’s housing needs but are more qualitative in nature and are difficult to quantify.
Table 10: Quantified Objectives
Income Levels Construction Rehabilitation Preservation of Affordability
Extremely Low 28 22
Very Low 27 22 60
Low 25 20
Moderate 35 20
Above Moderate 92 20
Total 207 104 60
In addition to the "units" anticipated above, the City will strive to produce sufficient shared or community housing types to address the identified needs of extremely lowincome households, the homeless, and those making the transition from homelessness. These shared housing types are expected to include homeless shelters beds, transitional housing beds, safe parking areas, and Single Room Occupancy (SRO) units with shared kitchen facilities.
Table 11: Non-Unit Quantified Objectives
Income Levels Safe Parking SRO beds Other
Acutely Low 6 2 4
Extremely Low 6 2
Very Low 2 6
Total 14 10 4
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 67 SECTION III: HOUSING SITES
3.1 CONTEXT
Under Government Code Section 65583(a)(3), the City must identify suitable adequate sites for with capacity to fulfill fair share of regional housing needs, as determined by ABAG’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA). These sites can include vacant sites zoned for residential use, vacant sites that allow residential development, and underutilized sites that are capable of being redeveloped to increase the number of residential units. These sites must have the realistic potential for new residential development within the Housing Element planning period.
Additionally, jurisdictions may receive credit towards their RHNA for units in planned, approved, and pending residential projects, projected development of accessory dwelling units, and through other adequate alternatives described in Government Code Section 65583.1(c).
Sebastopol has a RHNA of 213 units, divided among the following income categories:
Table 12: Sebastopol’s Regional Housing Need Allocation (RHNA) Very Low
Income (VLI)
Low
Income (LI)
Moderate
Income (MI)
Above Moderate
Income (AMI)
Total
RHNA
Allocation 55 31 35 92 213
Sebastopol is meeting its RHNA through the following means:
• ADU development projections (See Section 3.2.1);
• Planned, approved, and pending projects projected to develop during the planning period (See Section 3.2.2); and
• Adequate sites identified in the Sites Inventory, including sites on vacant and non-vacant land (See Sections 3.3).
Legislation passed since the last Housing Element update has added more stringent requirements for the Sites Inventory. Assembly Bill 1397 addresses standards for the adequacy of inventoried housing sites, including non-vacant sites and sites that were identified in previous housing elements. Senate Bill 166, the “No Net Loss” law, requires a jurisdiction to ensure a Housing Element Sites Inventory with continual capacity to accommodate the RHNA by income group throughout the Housing Element planning period. Because of this requirement, this sites inventory includes a unit buffer of 38% percent for the lower-income category. Additionally, programs are included within the Housing Element to ensure the City complies with new ‘No Net Loss’ requirements and maintains sufficient sites in inventory.
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 68 3.2 RHNA CREDITS
As allowed by statute, Sebastopol is counting the projected development of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and residential projects planned, approved, and pending towards their RHNA. After considering these units, the City is projected to develop sufficient sites to address their lower-income RHNA need without identifying additional sites in inventory. However, there is still an outstanding need for moderate- and above moderate-income units. Housing sites (see Section 3.3) have been identified to meet the capacity for the remaining moderate- and above moderate-income RHNA and to provide a buffer of lower-income unit capacity for No Net Loss considerations (see Section 3.6).
Table 13: Sebastopol RHNA Credits
Very
Low
Income
Low
Income
Moderate
Income Above Moderate Income Total
RHNA Allocation 55 31 35 92 213
RHNA
Credits
Pipeline 60 23 15 107 205
ADUs/JADUs 15 15 15 15 60
Total 75 38 30 122 265
Remaining RHNA After
Credits
-20 -7 5 -30 -52
3.2.1 Accessory Dwelling Units
Jurisdictions may count the potential for ADU development as credits towards their RHNA, based on an analysis that includes recent development trends, local demand, available resources or incentives, and anticipated affordability. Analysis and discussion of local trends, demand, and affordability are contained within this section, and analysis and discussion of resources, incentives, constraints, and development standards for ADUs and JADUs are included within the Technical Background Report (Section 4).
An Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) is a secondary dwelling unit located on residentially zoned property that has an existing single-family or multifamily residence. Due to their small square footage, ADUs can provide affordable housing options for family members, friends, students, the elderly, in-home health care providers, the disabled, and others. In some cases, ADUs are used as short-term rental units, providing supplemental income for property owners. Junior ADUs (JADUs) are even smaller living units that can be built out of existing single-family houses. JADUs have independent cooking facilities and outside access, however they may share sanitation facilities within the primary home.
Recent California legislation has facilitated increased permitting and production of ADUs in many communities, including Sebastopol. The production of ADUs helps to address many of the City’s identified housing needs, including special needs housing.
From 2018 to 2021, the City permitted an average of 7.5 ADUs annually (Table 14).
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 69 Table 14: ADUs Permitted by Year in Sebastopol
Year ADUs Permitted
2018 12
2019 4
2020 8
2021 6
Average 7.5
Source: 2018-2021 APRs
The Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) prepared a report and issued affordability recommendations for projecting ADU development based on a survey of local ADU rental costs. This data was used to generate the regional distribution of ADUs shown in Table 15. Sebastopol is using more conservative affordability assumptions than provided in this report to ensure the distribution of affordability reflects local development trends. This distribution of affordability will be applied to the projection of 7.5 ADUs built annually, for a total of 60 units over the planning period credited towards Sebastopol’s RHNA, at the income levels shown in Table
15. These projections will further be supported by policies and programs included to facilitate ADU development (Program A-3.5).
Table 15: Assumed Affordability for 6th Cycle ADUs
VLI LI MI AMI Total
Regional Distribution of ADUs by
Income Level 30% 30% 30% 10% 100%
Local Distribution of ADUs by Income
Level 25% 25% 25% 25% 100%
Projected ADUs by Income Level for
6th Cycle Projection Period 15 15 15 15 60
3.2.2 Planned, Approved, and Pending Projects
Jurisdictions may also count planned, approved, and pending residential units as credits towards their RHNA. These units can be counted based on affordability and unit count, provided it can be demonstrated that the units can be built within the planning period. Affordability (income category) is based on the actual or projected sales prices, rent levels, or other mechanisms establishing affordability of the units within the project, including affordability requirements achieved through the City’s inclusionary housing program and/or project entitlement negotiations. A map of these sites and a brief description of each project is provided below.
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 70 Table 16: Planned, Approved, and Pending Projects for RHNA Credit Project Information ELI VLI LI MI AMI Total Status Anticipated Occupancy
911 Litchfield Ave
004-134-016 1 1 Approved
2022-23
773 1st St
004-172-017 2 2
In design
review
2023
Woodmark Apartments
7716 and 7760 Bodega Ave
004-211-007
060-230-067 9 51 23 1 84
In SB 35
application
process
2023-24,
other 36 in
2025-2026
7095 Fellers Ln
004-124-001 2 2
Application in
progress
2022-23
Huntley Square
7950 Bodega Ave
004-350-024 10 10
Application in
progress
2023
Habitat for Humanity
Townhomes
333 N Main St
004-063-037 4 4
In Application
review
2023-24
7621 Healdsburg Ave
004-291-019 3 19 22
Formal preapplication
received 2025-2030
City Ventures Project
1009 – 1011 Gravenstein
Hwy North
060-261-026
060-261-028 8 72 80
Formal preapplication
received 2025-2030
RHNA Credits 9 51 23 9 51 143
Figure 14: Planned, Approved, and Pending Projects for RHNA Credit Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 71 7095 Fellers Ln
A single family home with an attached ADU is proposed for this site, with an application in progress. Occupation is expected by 2024. 911 Litchfield Ave
A single family home will be developed on this site. This project received approval from the Design Review Board on April 6, 2022, and is in the process of securing a building permit. Construction is expected to begin in late 2022. 773 1st St
A single family home and a detached ADU are proposed on this site. This project is current undergoing design review. Construction is expected to begin in early 2023.
Woodmark Apartments
Woodmark Apartments is proposed as an 84-unit, 100% affordable housing development. This project is located on a 3.59 acre site at 7716 and 7760 Bodega Avenue (APNs: 004-211-007 and 060-23-067) and will achieve over 23 units per acre, 94% of the maximum allowable density. Units will be made available to households with incomes ranging between 30% and 60% of Area Medium Income (AMI). Forty-eight units will be reserved for employees or retirees of the agricultural sector, while the remaining affordable housing units will be available to anyone who meets the income criteria. This project is expected to begin construction in 2022. The Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 72 first phase (48 units) is anticipated to be available for occupancy in 2023 or 2024, with the second phase (36 units) ready for occupancy in 2025-2026 .
Figure 15: Rendering of Woodmark Apartments
Huntley Square
The Huntley Square Townhome project is a 10-unit development on a 0.39 acre parcel at 7950 Bodega, Ave (APN: 004-350-024). The project achieves over 25 units per acre, over 100% of maximum allowable density. However, as the units meet the definition of studio units, they count as 0.5 units for density calculations, which makes the project considered equivalent to 12.8 units per acre.
The project applicant has requested a zoning amendment to modify the parcel’s zoning from Multifamily Residential to Planned Community. This project was approved by City Council on March 1, 2022, and was then approved by the Design Review Board at their May 18, 2022 meeting. This project is expected to begin construction in late 2022, to be available for occupancy in 2023.
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 73 Figure 16: Rendering of Huntley Square Townhomes
Habitat for Humanity Townhomes
Habitat for Humanity has submitted a formal application to develop four townhome units available to moderate-income households. This project is located on a 0.17 acre parcel at 333 N Main Street (APN: 004-670-022) and achieves 23.5 units per acres, 94% of the maximum allowable density. The units would be made affordable through a 30-year deed restriction that renews upon sale of the unit. The project has been approved by City Council [pending] and is expected to be entitled by the end of 2022 and receive building permits in early 2023.
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 74 Figure 17: Rendering of Habitat for Humanity Townhomes 7621 Healdsburg
The property owner of 7621 Healdsburg has submitted and undergone a formal preapplication meeting for a mixed use with residential development of at least 22 units. Under Sebastopol’s inclusionary housing requirements, 3 of these units would be made available under deed restriction for moderate-income households. The applicant has participated in a preapplication conference with staff and is anticipated to submit an official application during 2022.
City Ventures Project
The applicant, City Ventures, held a community open house, as well as formal Preliminary Review hearings with both Design Review Board/Tree Board and Planning Commission in 2019. The project went on hold during Covid. However, the applicant has indicated to staff that an application is anticipated in the second half of 2022.
The project will include a number of universal design components in response to conversations with the City regarding the need for a variety of housing types for seniors and the need for ADA-accessible/universally accessible units. The project was originally proposed at 85-100 units. Although some modifications are likely, the project is likely to be between 80-85 market rate units, with 10% of the units at Moderate income per the City’s Inclusionary Housing Ordinance.
3.3 HOUSING OPPORTUNITY SITES
As shown in Table 13, the City has identified enough units through RHNA Credits (Projected ADU development and pending, approved, or permitted projects) to meet its 6th Cycle RHNA for each category except for moderate-income. To identify enough sites for its moderate-income RHNA, and to provide an additional buffer of sites that could accommodate lower-income units to address No Net Loss requirements, the Housing Element has prepared an inventory of suitable sites for housing development. Information about these sites is included within this below and pursuant to Chapter 667, Statutes of 2019 (SB 6), the site inventory is also prepared using the standards and electronic forms adopted by HCD. The full sites inventory can be found in Appendix C.
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 75 Table 17: RHNA and Capacity of Housing Opportunity Sites Very Low
Income
Low
Income
Moderate
Income
Above
Moderate
Income
Total
RHNA Allocation 55 31 35 92 213
RHNA Credits 75 38 30 122 265
Remaining RHNA After Credits -20 -7 5 -30 -52
Capacity of
Inventory
Sites
Vacant 0 0 9 38 47
Nonvacant 0 9 26 20 55
Total 75 47 65 180 367
Total Units (Credits + Sites) 75 44 61 152 332
RHNA Surplus 20 16 30 88 154
% Buffer 36% 52% 86% 96% 72%
Figure 18: Housing Opportunity Sites for RHNA
3.3.1 Vacant Sites
Table 18: Vacant Housing Opportunity Site Information
# Site Address APN Zoning Max Density
(units/ac) Acres Units Income Levels
1 7154 Fircrest Ave 004-320-005 R4 8.7 1.11 8 MI, AMI
2 940 Maytum Ave 004-131-014 R4 8.7 0.9 6 MI, AMI
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 76 3 Laguna Park Way 004-041-093 R6 17.4 0.38 4 MI, AMI 004-041-097 4 8086 Bodega Ave 004-350-076 CG 15 0.3 3 AMI
5 359 Johnson St 004-041-094 R6 17.4 0.07 1 AMI
6 586 Harrison St 004-312-027 R4 8.7 0.27 2 AMI
7 7605 Washington Ave 004-222-004 R4 8.7 0.03 1 AMI
8 400 West St 004-251-012 R6 17.4 0.15 2 AMI
9 7860 Brookside Ave 004-330-044 R4 8.7 0.3 2 AMI
10 1st St 004-172-015 R3 5.4 0.43 2 AMI
11 723 Western Ave 004-152-006 R4 8.7 0.09 1 AMI
12 485 Swain Ave 004-181-014 R4 8.7 0.2 1 AMI
13 Springdale St 004-272-052 R4 8.7 0.21 1 AMI
14 Springdale St 004-272-054 R4 8.7 0.23 1 AMI
15 7850 Washington Ave 004-272-055 R4 8.7 0.42 1 AMI
16 7776 Healdsburg Ave 004-480-051 R4 8.7 0.11 1 AMI
17 530 Swain Woods Ter 004-161-029 R4 8.7 0.23 1 AMI
18 561 Swain Woods Ter 004-161-031 R4 8.7 0.25 1 AMI
19 7580 Washington Ave 004-223-030 R4 8.7 0.17 1 AMI
20 7816 Brookside Ave 004-281-021 R4 8.7 0.2 1 AMI
21 7801 Stefenoni Ct 004-400-026 R4 8.7 0.19 1 AMI
22 7429 Giusti Ct 004-660-031 R3 5.4 0.32 1 AMI
23 Robinson Rd 004-410-021 R2 2.5 0.15 1 AMI
24 1209 Jean Dr 004-470-042 R2 2.5 0.47 1 AMI
25 1213 Jean Dr 004-470-043 R2 2.5 0.32 1 AMI
26 1208 Enos Ave 004-470-048 R2 2.5 0.4 1 AMI
Site 1. 7154 Fircrest Ave: The site consists of a vacant lot located on the south end of Sebastopol, within the Medium Density Residential land use designation. The site is surrounded by residential development and within walking distance of amenities, including a grocery store, laundromat, and multiple restaurants. A local developer expressed interest in residential development on this site. Additionally, a developer with experience in the area indicated that this site could be feasible for 100% lower income rental housing (See 3.4.2, Developer Input). This sites inventory uses a more conservative affordability assumption, with units split evenly between moderate- and above moderate-income categories.
• Capacity: (1.11 acres)(8.7 units/acre)(85% realistic capacity) = 8.2 units, rounded down
• RHNA Income Category: 4 Moderate, 4 Above Moderate
• Infrastructure: The site is served by water, sewer, and dry utilities. • Prior Use: Parcel was used in the 5th Cycle Site Inventory.
Site 2. 940 Maytum Ave: The site consists of a vacant lot located on the south end of Sebastopol, within the Medium Density Residential land use designation. The site is surrounded by residential development on three sides and an elementary school site on the other side. This site has similar characteristics to Site 1, and uses the Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 77 same affordability assumptions, with units split evenly between moderate- and above moderate-income categories.
• Capacity: (0.9 acres)(8.7 units/acre)(85% realistic capacity) = 6.7 units, rounded down
• RHNA Income Category: 3 Moderate, 3 Above Moderate
• Infrastructure: The site is served by water, sewer, and dry utilities. • Prior Use: Parcel was used in the 5th Cycle Site Inventory.
Site 3. Laguna Park Way: The site consists of two vacant parcels located in the eastern side of Sebastopol, within the High Density Residential land use designation, and is adjacent to residential development on two sides, with commercial development across the street. The site is located within a Highest Resource area and is within walking distance of Downtown, the Barlow, a park, a high school, and many other shops, employment opportunities, and other amenities. Both parcels are under the same ownership. Three developers with experience in the area indicated that this site could be feasible for mixed-income residential development (See 3.4.2, Developer Input). This site has similar characteristics to Site 1 and 2, and uses the same affordability assumptions, with units split evenly between moderate- and above moderate-income categories. This site is constrained by a floodplain (FEMA Zone AE). • Capacity: (0.38 acres)(17.4 units/acre)(85% realistic capacity)(80% constrained) = 4.5 units, rounded down
• RHNA Income Category: 2 Moderate, 2 Above Moderate
• Infrastructure: The site is served by water, sewer, and dry utilities. • Prior Use: Parcels were used in the 5th Cycle Site Inventory.
Site 4. 8086 Bodega Ave: The site consists of a vacant lot located in Central Sebastopol, within the Commercial Office land use designation and the General Commercial zone. The site is within the Highest Resource area and is surrounded by residential development. This owner of this site has expressed interest in residential development and has discussed plans and options for the site with City staff.
Additionally, two developers with experience in the area indicated that this site could be feasible for mixed-income development (See 3.4.2, Developer Input). This sites inventory uses a more conservative affordability assumption, based on conversations with the property owner, with 3 units in the above moderate-income category. • Capacity: (0.3 acres)(15 units/acre)(85% realistic capacity) = 3.8 units, rounded down
• RHNA Income Category: 3 Above Moderate
• Infrastructure: The site is served by water, sewer, and dry utilities. • Prior Use: Parcel was not used in a previous Site Inventory
Site 5. 359 Johnson St: The site consists of a vacant parcel located in the eastern side of Sebastopol, within the High Density Residential land use designation, and is adjacent to residential development on two sides, with commercial development across the street. The site is located with a Highest Resource area and is within walking distance of Downtown, a park, a high school, and many other shops and Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 78 amenities. This site is constrained by a floodplain (FEMA Zone AE) and assumes only one developable unit.
• Capacity: 1 Dwelling Unit
• RHNA Income Category: 1 Above Moderate
• Infrastructure: The site is served by water, sewer, and dry utilities. • Prior Use: Parcels were used in the 5th Cycle Site Inventory.
Site 6. 586 Harrison St: The site consists of a vacant lot located on the north side of Sebastopol, within the Medium Density Residential land use designation. The site is within the Highest Resource area and is surrounded by residential development on all sides. Three developers with experience in the area indicated that this site could be feasible for for-sale residential development (See 3.4.2, Developer Input). Based on developer input and site characteristics, this site is expected to accommodate above moderate-income units.
• Capacity: (0.27 acres)(8.7 units/acre)(85% realistic capacity)= 2.0 units • RHNA Income Category: 2 Above Moderate
• Infrastructure: The site is served by water, sewer, and dry utilities. • Prior Use: Parcel was not used in a previous Site Inventory
Site 7. 7605 Washington Ave: The site consists of a small vacant lot located in Central Sebastopol, within the Medium Density Residential land use designation. The site is within the Highest Resource area and is surrounded by residential development and a school site. This site has interest from a local architect, who has discussed plans and options for the site with City staff. Additionally, one developer with experience in the area indicated that this site could be feasible for market-rate residential development (See 3.4.2, Developer Input). Based on architect interest, developer input, and site characteristics, this site is expected to accommodate one above moderate-income unit.
• Capacity: 1 Dwelling Unit
• RHNA Income Category: 1 Above Moderate
• Infrastructure: The site is served by water, sewer, and dry utilities. • Prior Use: Parcel was not used in a previous Site Inventory
Sites 8, 9, and 10: These sites are all located within existing residential areas, have a realistic capacity of 2 units, and are expected to accommodate above-moderate units.
• Site 8 Capacity: (0.15 acres)(17.4 units/acre)(85% realistic capacity) = 2.2 units
• Site 9 Capacity: (.3 acres)(8.7 units/acre)(85% realistic capacity) = 2.2 units • Site 10 Capacity: (0.43 acres)(5.4 units/acre)(85% realistic capacity) = 2.0 units
• RHNA Income Category: 2 Above Moderate per site
• Infrastructure: The sites are served by water, sewer, and dry utilities. • Prior Use: Parcels were used in the 5th Cycle Site Inventory.
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 79 Sites 11 through 26: These sites are all located within low- to moderate- density residential areas and are expected to accommodate one above-moderate units each. • Capacity: 1 Unit per site
• RHNA Income Category: 1 Above Moderate per site
• Infrastructure: The sites are served by water, sewer, and dry utilities. • Prior Use: Parcels were used in the 5th Cycle Site Inventory.
3.3.2 Nonvacant Sites
# Site Address APN Zoning
Max
Density
(units/ac)
Acres Units Income
Levels
27 7605 Bodega Ave 004-213-007 R6 17.4 1.2 15 MI, AMI
28 496 Vine Ave 004-182-010 R4 8.7 0.49 3 MI, AMI
29 7765 Healdsburg Ave 004-281-035 CO 15 0.95 12 MI, AMI 30 7765 Bodega Ave 004-400-013 CO 15 0.41 5 MI, AMI
31 845 Gravenstein Hwy N 060-261-030 CG 21.7 0.84 18 LI, MI Site 27. 7605 Bodega Ave: This site is located within the High Density Residential land use designation and currently underutilized, containing a single family dwelling.
The property owner of this site has expressed interest in redeveloping the site with additional residential units. Additionally, four developers with experience in the area indicated that this site could be feasible for residential development at a variety of income levels (See 3.4.2, Developer Input). Based on property owner and developer input, this sites inventory assumes these units will be split between moderate- and above moderate-income categories. This site is constrained by Calder Creek running along the rear of the property, and the realistic capacity calculation incorporates the creek setback required by municipal code.
• Capacity: 1.2 acres – 0.14 acre creek setback = 1.06 acres unconstrained (1.06 acres)(17.4 units/acre)(85% realistic capacity) = 15.7 units, rounded down • RHNA Income Category: 8 Moderate, 7 Above Moderate
• Infrastructure: The site is served by water, sewer, and dry utilities. • Prior Use: Parcel was not used in a previous Site Inventory.
Site 28. 496 Vine St: This site is located within the Medium Density Residential land use designation and is considered to be underutilized, containing only a single family dwelling. Recently, a new second lot was created at the request of the property owner. The property owner of this site has expressed interest in redeveloping the site with additional residential units. Additionally, four developers with experience in the area indicated that this site is feasible for residential development, with three of the developers indicating it could be feasible for 100% affordable residential development. This sites inventory uses a more conservative affordability assumption, with units split between moderate- and above moderate-income categories. • Capacity: (0.49 acres)(8.7 units/acre)(85% realistic capacity) = 3.6 units, rounded down
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 80 • RHNA Income Category: 1 Moderate, 2 Above Moderate • Infrastructure: The site is served by water, sewer, and dry utilities. • Prior Use: Parcel was not used in a previous Site Inventory.
Site 29. 7765 Healdsburg Ave: This site is located within the Commercial Office land use designation and the Office Commercial zone and currently contains a multi-story office building, built in 1974. The property was sold in early 2022 to an organization within the holdings and investment sector. A local developer has expressed interest in developing this site with housing. Additionally, four developers with experience in the area indicated that this site is feasible for residential development at a variety of income levels (See 3.4.2, Developer Input). Based on property owner and developer input, this sites inventory assumes these units will be split between moderate- and above moderate-income categories.
• Capacity: (0.95 acres)(14 units/acre)(85% realistic capacity) = 11.3 units, rounded down
• RHNA Income Category: 5 Moderate, 6 Above Moderate
• Infrastructure: The site is served by water, sewer, and dry utilities. • Prior Use: Parcel was not used in a previous Site Inventory.
Site 30. 7765 Bodega Ave: This site is located within the Commercial Office land use designation and the Office Commercial zone and currently contains a medical office building, built in 1979. The property was sold in 2017 to an organization that focuses on commercial/industrial real estate sales, leasing, and investments. The property owner has expressed interest in developing this site with housing, possible for senior housing or other special needs housing. Based on property owner interest and site characteristics, this sites inventory assumes these units will be split between moderate- and above moderate-income categories.
• Capacity: (0.41 acres)(15 units/acre)(85% realistic capacity) = 5.2 units, rounded down
• RHNA Income Category: 2 Moderate, 3 Above Moderate
• Infrastructure: The site is served by water, sewer, and dry utilities. • Prior Use: Parcel was not used in a previous Site Inventory.
Site 31. 845 Gravenstein Hwy N: This site is located within the Commercial Office land use designation and the General Commercial zone and was formerly used as an AmeriGas site. The site was sold in 2021 to a nonprofit corporation, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. St. Vincent has expressed interest in developing this site with affordable housing. It is being used for a period of one year (2022-23) as an RV safe parking village. Although it is likely this site will be developed with very lowincome housing, this Site Inventory uses more conservative affordability assumptions, with units split between low- and moderate-income categories. • Capacity: (0.84 acres)(21.7 units/acre)(94% realistic capacity for affordable housing) = 18.3 units, rounded down
• RHNA Income Category: 18 Low
• Infrastructure: The site is served by water, sewer, and dry utilities.
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 81 • Prior Use: Parcel was not used in a previous Site Inventory.
3.3.3 Lower-Income Suitability Analysis
Through RHNA Credits, discussed in Section 3.2, the City has identified enough capacity to meet its lower-income RHNA with a buffer. The Site Inventory includes one additional site (Site 31) with capacity to accommodate its lower-income RHNA and increase its site buffer. This section includes additional site analysis justifying the site’s suitability for lower-income uses.
Sites Used in Previous Planning Periods Housing Elements: Site 31 (845 Gravenstein Hwy North) was not included in previous planning periods and is not subject to any additional by right requirements as outlined in Government Code Section 65583.2(c) Zoning Appropriate to Accommodate Low- and Very Low- Income RHNA: Site 31 is located within the CG district, which allows affordable housing projects as a permitted use, and multifamily residential development permitted when part of a mixed-use development, and under a conditional use permit when not part of a mixed-use development. The property owner has indicated interest in developing affordable housing on this site. The CG zone allows residential development at 21.7 units per acre, which is higher than Sebastopol’s default density of 20 units per acre.
Based on the following factors, the density of Site 31 is appropriate to accommodate lower-income RHNA:
• A nonprofit entity purchased this site with the intent to develop lower-income housing
• Local developers provided comments indicating 100% lower-income housing development would be feasible on parcels with densities allowing at lower densities, including the feasibility of several additional sites on Gravenstein Highway North (See Section 3.4.2)
• Sebastopol has experience with development of affordable housing in commercial areas zoned to allow the same density as this site (Petaluma Avenue Homes, see section 3.4.1). Recent and historical development trends indicate that Sebastopol can accommodate lower-income housing at densities below the default density.
• The site has a land-to-improvement ratio of 0.0 (unimproved) and is ripe for redevelopment.
Size of Site: Site 31 is 0.84 acres and is not considered a large or small size and does not require additional analysis.
Nonvacant Sites for Lower-Income RHNA: As discussed above, the existing use on Site 32 is not an impediment to development. As the City has demonstrated sufficient sites to meet its Lower-Income RHNA through RHNA Credits (see Section 3.2), no additional analysis or findings are needed.
3.4 DEVELOPMENT TRENDS AND REALISTIC CAPACITY
ANALYSIS
Realistic capacity assumptions have been calculated based on recent development, developer input, and market trends, and integrate local knowledge.
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 82 3.4.1 Development Trends
Based on the following affordable housing development projects accomplished or ongoing within the City, the Sites Inventory is using a conservative realistic capacity factor of 94% of maximum capacity for projects with lower-income units and 85% for projects without lower-income units.
Table 19: Examples of Local Deed-Restricted Affordable Development Name Address Acres Units Max Density
(units/acre)
Density
Achieved
(units/acre)
% of
Max
Density
Bodega Hills
Apartments
121 W Hills
Circle 1.54 44 N/A (Planned Development) 17.9 N/A
Gravenstein
North
Apartments
699 Gravenstein
Hwy N 3.56 60 N/A (Planned Development) 16.9 N/A
Petaluma
Avenue Homes
501-565
Petaluma Ave 2.46 44 15 17.9 119%
Woodmark
Apartments*
7716 Bodega
Ave 3.59 84 25 23.4 94%
Habitat for
Humanity
Townhomes*
333 N Main St 0.17 4 25 23.5 94%
Average 19.9
units/acre 102%
*Sites marked with an asterisk are included within the City’s Planned, Approved, and Pending projects and are described in more detail in Section 3.2.2)
Table 20: Examples of Recent and Pending Residential Development Name Address Acres Units Max Density
(units/acre)
Density
Achieved
(units/acre)
% of
Max
Density
Barlow
Crossing
Townhomes
6737 Sebastopol
Ave 1.76 18 15 10.2 68%
Huntley
Square*
7950 Bodega
Ave 0.39 10 25 25.6 103%
7621
Healdsburg
Ave
7621
Healdsburg 1.26 22 25 17.5 70%
Woodmark
Apartments*
7716 Bodega
Ave 3.59 84 25 23.4 94%
Habitat for
Humanity
Townhomes*
333 N Main St 0.17 4 25 23.5 94%
Average 20.1
units/acre 86%
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 83 *Sites marked with an asterisk are included within the City’s Planned, Approved, and Pending projects and are described in more detail in Section 3.2.2)
Renderings of planned, approved, and pending residential projects are included in Section 3.2.2. Along with Figure 19, these images demonstrate the style and density of current residential development in Sebastopol and further support development assumptions.
Figure 19: Barlow Crossings Townhomes
3.4.2 Developer Input
The City of Sebastopol received input on the feasibility of residential development on seventeen parcels from local developers, shown in the table below. This feedback was used in assessing the feasibility of developing sites with varying sizes, constraints, and land use allowances. This feedback was used in selecting appropriate sites and in determining realistic affordability assumptions.
Table 21: Developer Panel Site Feedback
Site Address
Which of the following housing types would be
suitable for development on this site? (Check all
that apply)
For
“Other”,
please
explain:
Do you have
experience
on similar
sites?
1009 Gravenstein
Hwy N
100% Affordable Housing, Rental Units yes
1009 Gravenstein
Hwy N
Market-Rate Housing, Rental Units, Ownership
Units
yes
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 84 1009 Gravenstein
Hwy N
Market-Rate Housing, Mixed-Income Housing,
100% Affordable Housing, Mixed-Use
Development, Rental Units, Ownership Units
yes
1011 Gravenstein
Hwy N
100% Affordable Housing, Rental Units yes
1011 Gravenstein
Hwy N
Market-Rate Housing, Rental Units, Ownership
Units
yes
1011 Gravenstein
Hwy N
Market-Rate Housing, Mixed-Income Housing,
100% Affordable Housing, Mixed-Use
Development, Rental Units, Ownership Units
yes
1011 Gravenstein
Hwy N
Market-Rate Housing, Mixed-Income Housing,
100% Affordable Housing, Mixed-Use
Development, Rental Units, Ownership Units
yes
332 Petaluma Ave 100% Affordable Housing, Rental Units yes 332 Petaluma Ave Market-Rate Housing, Mixed-Income Housing, 100% Affordable Housing, Mixed-Use
Development, Rental Units, Ownership Units
yes
496 Vine Ave Ownership Units yes
496 Vine Ave 100% Affordable Housing yes
496 Vine Ave 100% Affordable Housing yes
496 Vine Ave Market-Rate Housing, Mixed-Income Housing, 100% Affordable Housing, Rental Units,
Ownership Units
yes
520 First St Market-Rate Housing, Ownership Units yes
520 First St Market-Rate Housing, Mixed-Income Housing, Rental Units, Ownership Units
yes
520 First St Market-Rate Housing, Mixed-Income Housing, Rental Units, Ownership Units
yes
520 First St Market-Rate Housing, Mixed-Income Housing, 100% Affordable Housing, Mixed-Use
Development, Rental Units, Ownership Units
yes
586 Harrison St Ownership Units yes
586 Harrison St Market-Rate Housing, Ownership Units yes 586 Harrison St Market-Rate Housing, Mixed-Income Housing, 100% Affordable Housing, Mixed-Use
Development, Rental Units, Ownership Units,
Other
Retail yes
6781 Sebastopol
Ave
Mixed-Income Housing, Mixed-Use
Development
yes
7154 Fircrest Ave 100% Affordable Housing, Rental Units yes 7605 Bodega Ave Mixed-Income Housing yes
7605 Bodega Ave Market-Rate Housing, Ownership Units yes 7605 Bodega Ave 100% Affordable Housing yes
7605 Bodega Ave Market-Rate Housing, Mixed-Income Housing, 100% Affordable Housing, Mixed-Use
Development, Rental Units, Ownership Units
yes
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City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 85 7605 Washington
Ave
Market-Rate Housing no
7765 Healdsburg
Ave
Mixed-Use Development yes
7765 Healdsburg
Ave
Market-Rate Housing, Mixed-Use Development,
Rental Units
yes
7765 Healdsburg
Ave
Mixed-Income Housing, 100% Affordable
Housing, Mixed-Use Development, Rental Units
yes
7765 Healdsburg
Ave
Mixed-Income Housing, 100% Affordable
Housing, Mixed-Use Development, Rental Units
yes
7850 Washington
Ave
Market-Rate Housing, Rental Units no
7850 Washington
Ave
Market-Rate Housing, Mixed-Income Housing,
100% Affordable Housing, Rental Units,
Ownership Units
yes
8086 Bodega Ave Mixed-Income Housing, Mixed-Use
Development
yes
8086 Bodega Ave Market-Rate Housing, Mixed-Income Housing, 100% Affordable Housing, Mixed-Use
Development, Rental Units, Ownership Units
yes
845 Gravenstein
Hwy N
Mixed-Income Housing yes
845 Gravenstein
Hwy N
Market-Rate Housing, Mixed-Income Housing,
100% Affordable Housing, Mixed-Use
Development, Rental Units, Ownership Units
yes
Laguna Park Way Mixed-Income Housing, Rental Units yes
Laguna Park Way Mixed-Income Housing, Rental Units yes
Laguna Park Way Market-Rate Housing, Mixed-Income Housing, 100% Affordable Housing, Mixed-Use
Development, Rental Units, Ownership Units
yes
Sebastopol Ave Mixed-Income Housing, Mixed-Use
Development
yes
Sebastopol Ave Market-Rate Housing, Rental Units, Ownership Units
yes
Sebastopol Ave 100% Affordable Housing yes
Sebastopol Ave Market-Rate Housing, Mixed-Income Housing, 100% Affordable Housing, Mixed-Use
Development, Rental Units, Ownership Units,
Other
Retail,
Industria
l
yes
Laguna Park Way Market-Rate Housing, Mixed-Income Housing, 100% Affordable Housing, Mixed-Use
Development, Rental Units, Ownership Units
yes
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City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 86 3.4.3 Likelihood of Non-Residential Uses
The Sites Inventory uses several sites within commercial zoning districts that allow for non-residential uses. The City used input from developers and local market trends to select sites that are likely to develop with residential uses.
Only one parcel currently zoned to allow non-residential uses is included to meet the lower-income RHNA. This parcel (Site 31, 845 Gravenstein Hwy North) was purchased by a nonprofit interested in housing development (see 3.3.3). The previous property owner was a private developer interested in residential development. The likelihood of non-residential uses has been considered when developing the inventory and should not inhibit the City’s ability to maintain an adequate inventory or meet its RHNA. As allowed by the development standards for mixed-use development, the entire lot area was used to calculate the maximum allowed residential density.
3.5 SUMMARY OF RHNA STRATEGY
3.5.1 RHNA Surplus Table
Very Low
Income
Low
Income
Moderate
Income
Above Moderate
Income Total
RHNA Allocation 55 31 35 92 213
RHNA Credits 75 38 30 122 265
Housing Site Capacity 0 6 31 30 67
Total Units (Credits + Sites) 75 47 65 180 367
RHNA Surplus 20 16 30 88 154
% Buffer 36% 52% 86% 96% 72%
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City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 87 3.5.2 Map of Sites
Figure 20: Housing Sites
3.6 PROGRAMS TO ENSURE ADEQUATE SITES/MEET RHNA
The programs within this Housing Element strive to address the City’s housing needs and to facilitate the development of housing. Programs have been included to ensure the City maintains an adequate inventory throughout the entire 6th Cycle, meet local needs, and address Housing Element requirements.
No Net Loss: The following programs have been put into place to address the “No Net Loss” requirements imposed by SB 166:
• Program A-1.1: No Net Loss of Residential Capacity to Accommodate RHNA • Program A-1.2: No Reduction of Density without Replacement Sites • Program A-1.3: Inventory Monitoring
• Program A-2.1: Administrative List of Additional Sites
Replacement Housing Requirements: AB 1397 made changes to Housing Element Law, including a requirement to extend the replacement housing requirements of the State Density Bonus Law to sites on inventory. This is implemented through the following program:
• Program D-4.1 Replacement Housing Requirement
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City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 88 Encourage and Incentivize Accessory Dwelling Units: Sebastopol is using projected ADU development to meet their RHNA. In addition, Housing Element Law now requires a program to encourage and incentivize ADUs. This is implemented through the following program:
• Program A-3.5 Encourage the Development of Accessory Dwelling Units
3.7 FAIR HOUSING CONSIDERATIONS
Sites identified within the inventory must be analyzed for their consistency with the obligation to affirmatively further fair housing. This section evaluates the distribution of inventory sites relative to all components of the Fair Housing Assessment and integrates data and local knowledge. The complete Fair Housing Assessment is found within the Technical Background Report.
3.7.1 Relationship of Sites to Fair Housing Analysis
Segregation and Integration
White residents are the most segregated racial group and on average live in neighborhoods that are 74.7% white. Like the Bay Area region, the highest segregation between two races is between Black and white residents. While the City has a majority white population in all Census tracts, some areas have higher levels of segregation or integration, as shown in Error! Reference source not found.. Areas in the City with higher levels of racial diversity contain one site designated to meet the lower-income RHNA and several sites designated to meet the above moderateincome RHNA. Areas in the City with the highest proportion of white residents contain one site with units designated to meet the lower-income RHNA, and another site that includes moderate- and above moderate-income units. The placement of housing sites promotes racial integration and does not exacerbate fair housing issues. Other protected population groups, such as those with a disability (see Error! Reference source not found.) are less segregated than racial groups. The distribution of sites does not exacerbate or improve these conditions.
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City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 89 Figure 21: Housing Sites and Percent Nonwhite Population Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
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City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 90 Figure 22: Housing Sites and Population with a Disability Figure 23: Housing Sites and LMI Population
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City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 91 Racially and Ethnically Concentrated Areas of Poverty No Racially/Ethnically Concentrated Areas of Poverty have been identified in the City of Sebastopol nor in the County of Sonoma. The location of housing sites does not affect these conditions.
Disproportionate Housing Needs Including Displacement
In Sebastopol, 20.5% of households spend 50% or more of their income on housing, which is considered severely cost-burdened. Renters are more cost-burdened than owners and lower-income earners are more cost-burdened than higher-income earners. Sebastopol has lower rates of overcrowded housing compared to Sonoma County and California. The Northern and Western Census tracts are at risk of becoming exclusive, but there are no areas in Sebastopol at high risk of displacement13. The location and distribution of housing sites will likely not exacerbate these conditions and may improve access to housing in areas at risk of becoming exclusive.
Figure 24: Housing Sites and Urban Displacement Typology Disparities in Access to Opportunity
Based on 2022 HCD/TCAC Opportunity Maps, there are no Low Resource areas within Sebastopol. The City is relying on two sites to meet its lower-income RHNA, one located in a Moderate Resource Area and the other located in a High Resource Area 13 Urban Displacement Project Bay Area Model, 2020
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City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 92 (see Figure 25) The site located in the Moderate Resource Area contains 78% of the lower-income unit capacity (see Figure 26). This site was previously designated High Resource and is a pending project funded with TCAC Credits received at the time of that High Resource designation. It is located adjacent to Highest Resource areas of the community and will serve to increase access to opportunity.
Figure 25: Site Distribution by 2022 HCD/TCAC Resource Level Figure 26: Unit Distribution by 2022 HCD/TCAC Resource Level 1 1
1 6
4 7
15 16
0 5 10 15 20 25
Low
Moderate
High
Highest
Units
Resource Level Designation
Lower-Income Moderate-Income Above Moderate-Income
83 9
6 30
14 17
102
48 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Low
Moderate
High
Highest
RHNA Income Category
Resource Level Designation
Lower-Income Moderate-Income Above Moderate-Income
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City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 93 Figure 27: Housing Sites and 2022 HCD/TCAC Resource Level Note: Market Rate developments greater than 5 units will include low- or moderate-income housing on site, in accordance with the City’s Inclusionary Housing Ordinance
3.7.2 Improved and Exacerbated Conditions
Improved Conditions
The location of projects and sites are well-distributed throughout the community.
Sites identified to meet the low-income RHNA are located near amenities and are all in or near high or highest resource areas. The distribution of sites generally improves fair housing conditions within the City.
Exacerbated Conditions
New development could increase risk of displacement. Program D-4.1 will mitigate displacement risk from new development. New development could also exacerbate cost burden. Programs are included to preserve affordable housing and to incentivize additional forms of deed-restricted and naturally occurring affordable housing to address this need.
3.8 INFRASTRUCTURE CONSIDERATIONS
The City has adequate infrastructure to accommodate the development of its RHNA, including water, sewer, and dry utilities. A more detailed discussion of infrastructure Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
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City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 94 constraints and availability is included within the Technical Background Report, in Section 4.4.3.
3.8.1 Water
The City is served by municipal wells and participates in a variety of conservation and planning efforts related to water capacity, including a Groundwater Sustainability Plan. The City’s most recent Water Master Plan demonstrates adequate water capacity for future residential development.
3.8.2 Sewer
The City is served by the Sub-Regional Water Reclamation System Treatment Plant in Santa Rosa and maintains a Sanitary Sewer System Utility Master Plan to plan for future capacity. The City’s most recent Level of Service report demonstrates adequate wastewater capacity for future residential development.
3.8.3 Other Utilities
Electrical and gas infrastructure for the City are provided by Pacific Gas & Electricity (PG&E), with electric services provided by either PG&E or Sonoma Clean Power, a customer-owned public agency operated in the Cities of Cloverdale, Cotati, Fort Bragg, Petaluma, Point Arena, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, Sonoma, Willits and the Town of Windsor, and the Counties of Sonoma and Mendocino. Additionally, the City manages the Solar Sebastopol program and collaborates with the Regional Climate Protection Authority to reduce energy use and decrease greenhouse gas emissions, including partnering on programs through BayRen. Energy infrastructure is adequate for future residential development.
3.9 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS
Development in the City is constrained by environmental conditions. Most notably, floodplains within City limits affect the areas that can be developed, and the type of development that is suitable in those areas. The City prepared a Local Hazard Mitigation Plan which was adopted in 2022 to analyze local hazards and ensure the safety of its residents. Environmental constraints have been considered in the analysis of suitable sites, and adjustment factors have been used where necessary to reflect those constraints. A more detailed discussion of environmental constraints is included within the Technical Background Report, in Section 4.4.3.
3.9.1 Seismic Hazards
There are no seismic hazard zones within the City. Faults in the surrounding area may increase the risk of seismic-related liquefaction, erosion, or earthquake-induced landslides. This risk is not significant and does not affect the City’s ability to accommodate its RHNA.
3.9.2 Flood Hazards
The City contains land within the 100-year floodplain. Areas near the Laguna de Santa Rosa and along Atascadero Creek are at the highest flood risk locally. The City Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
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City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 95 maintains development standards for residential development within flood hazard areas. These measures may contribute to additional costs for developers but are necessary to mitigate risks and preserve life, safety, and property. These considerations have been incorporated into capacity calculations and do not affect the City’s ability to accommodate its RHNA.
3.9.3 Fire Hazards
There are no wildfire hazard areas within the City. Additionally, local fire-safe building codes are implemented to ensure structural security. This risk is not significant and does not affect the City’s ability to accommodate its RHNA.
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City of Sebastopol Public Review Draft Housing Element July 21, 2022 96 CONCLUSION
The City of Sebastopol is a unique and vibrant community with an engaged population. The City has made excellent strides in addressing the community’s housing needs, especially the needs of its most vulnerable populations. The policies and programs in this Housing Element will continue to facilitate the development of all housing types, explore innovative housing solutions, address the needs of its residents, and affirmatively furthering fair housing.
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Appendix A and B Placeholder
Public Input Appendices, to be added following receipt of public input on Draft Housing Element
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HOUSING NEEDS DATA REPORT:
SEBASTOPOL
ABAG/MTC Staff and Baird + Driskell Community Planning
2021-04-02
1. Introduction
The Bay Area continues to see growth in both population and jobs, which means more housing of various types and sizes is needed to ensure that residents across all income levels, ages, and abilities have a place to call home. While the number of people drawn to the region over the past 30 years has steadily increased, housing production has stalled, contributing to the housing shortage that communities are experiencing today. In many cities, this has resulted in residents being priced out, increased traffic congestion caused by longer commutes, and fewer people across incomes being able to purchase homes or meet surging rents.
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The 2023-2031 Housing Element Update provides a roadmap for how to meet our growth and housing challenges. Required by the state, the Housing Element identifies what the existing housing conditions and community needs are, reiterates goals, and creates a plan for more housing. The Housing Element is an integral part of the General Plan, which guides the policies of Sebastopol.
2. Summary of Key Facts
• Population – Generally, the population of the Bay Area continues to grow because of natural growth and because the strong economy draws new residents to the region. The population of Sebastopol decreased by 0.4% from 2000 to 2020, which is below the growth rate of the Bay Area. • Age – In 2019, Sebastopol’s youth population under the age of 18 was 1,299 and senior population 65 and older was 1,729. These age groups represent
16.7% and 22.3%, respectively, of Sebastopol’s population. • Race/Ethnicity – In 2020, 79.1% of Sebastopol’s population was White while 1.6% was African American, 3.0% was Asian, and 9.3% was Latinx.
People of color in Sebastopol comprise a proportion below the overall proportion in the Bay Area as a whole.
1 • Employment – Sebastopol residents most commonly work in the Health & Educational Services industry. From January 2010 to January 2021, the unemployment rate in Sebastopol increased by 0.1 percentage points. Since 2010, the number of jobs located in the jurisdiction increased by 440 (9.8%).
Additionally, the jobs-household ratio in Sebastopol has increased from 1.42 in 2002 to 1.5 jobs per household in 2018.
• Number of Homes – The number of new homes built in the Bay Area has not kept pace with the demand, resulting in longer commutes, increasing prices, and exacerbating issues of displacement and homelessness. The number of homes in Sebastopol increased, 1.8% from 2010 to 2020, which is above the growth rate for Sonoma County and below the growth rate of the region’s housing stock during this time period.
• Home Prices – A diversity of homes at all income levels creates opportunities for all Sebastopol residents to live and thrive in the community. o Ownership - The largest proportion of homes had a value in the range of $500k-$750k in 2019. Home prices increased by 75.2% from 2010 to 2020.
o Rental Prices – The typical contract rent for an apartment in Sebastopol was $1,290 in 2019. Rental prices increased by 30.3% 1 The Census Bureau’s American Community Survey accounts for ethnic origin separate from racial identity. The numbers reported here use an accounting of both such that the racial categories are shown exclusive of Latinx status, to allow for an accounting of the Latinx population regardless of racial identity. The term Hispanic has historically been used to describe people from numerous Central American, South American, and Caribbean countries. In recent years, the term Latino or Latinx has become preferred. This report generally uses Latinx, but occasionally when discussing US Census data, we use Hispanic or Non-Hispanic, to clearly link to the data source.
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from 2009 to 2019. To rent a typical apartment without cost burden, a household would need to make $51,960 per year.2
• Housing Type – It is important to have a variety of housing types to meet the needs of a community today and in the future. In 2020, 63.2% of homes in Sebastopol were single family detached, 9.6% were single family attached,
10.9% were small multifamily (2-4 units), and 14.4% were medium or large multifamily (5+ units). Between 2010 and 2020, the number of single-family units increased more than multi-family units. Generally, in Sebastopol, the share of the housing stock that is detached single family homes is above that of other jurisdictions in the region.
• Cost Burden – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development considers housing to be affordable for a household if the household spends less than 30% of its income on housing costs. A household is considered “cost-burdened” if it spends more than 30% of its monthly income on housing costs, while those who spend more than 50% of their income on housing costs are considered “severely cost-burdened.” In Sebastopol,
16.6% of households spend 30%-50% of their income on housing, while
20.5% of households are severely cost burden and use the majority of their income for housing.
• Displacement/Gentrification – According to research from The University of California, Berkeley, 0.0% of households in Sebastopol live in neighborhoods that are susceptible to or experiencing displacement, and
0.0% live in areas at risk of or undergoing gentrification. 74.2% of households in Sebastopol live in neighborhoods where low-income households are likely excluded due to prohibitive housing costs. There are various ways to address displacement including ensuring new housing at all income levels is built.
• Neighborhood – 0.0% of residents in Sebastopol live in neighborhoods identified as “Highest Resource” or “High Resource” areas by Statecommissioned research, while 0.0% of residents live in areas identified by this research as “Low Resource” or “High Segregation and Poverty” areas.
These neighborhood designations are based on a range of indicators covering areas such as education, poverty, proximity to jobs and economic opportunities, low pollution levels, and other factors. 3 • Special Housing Needs – Some population groups may have special housing needs that require specific program responses, and these groups may experience barriers to accessing stable housing due to their specific housing circumstances. In Sebastopol, 11.1% of residents have a disability of any kind and may require accessible housing. Additionally, 2.4% of 2 Note that contract rents may differ significantly from, and often being lower than, current listing prices. 3 For more information on the “opportunity area” categories developed by HCD and the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, see this website: https://www.treasurer.ca.gov/ctcac/opportunity.asp. The degree to which different jurisdictions and neighborhoods have access to opportunity will likely need to be analyzed as part of new Housing Element requirements related to affirmatively furthering fair housing. ABAG/MTC will be providing jurisdictions with technical assistance on this topic this summer, following the release of additional guidance from HCD.
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Sebastopol households are larger households with five or more people, who likely need larger housing units with three bedrooms or more. 11.7% of households are female-headed families, which are often at greater risk of housing insecurity.
Note on Data
Many of the tables in this report are sourced from data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey or U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) data, both of which are samples and as such, are subject to sampling variability. This means that data is an estimate, and that other estimates could be possible if another set of respondents had been reached. We use the five-year release to get a larger data pool to minimize this “margin of error” but particularly for the smaller cities, the data will be based on fewer responses, and the information should be interpreted accordingly.
Additionally, there may be instances where there is no data available for a jurisdiction for particular data point, or where a value is 0 and the automatically generated text cannot perform a calculation. In these cases, the automatically generated text is “NODATA.” Staff should reword these sentences before using them in the context of the Housing Element or other documents.
Note on Figures
Any figure that does not specify geography in the figure name stands for data for Sebastopol.
3. Looking to the Future: Regional Housing Needs
3.1 Regional Housing Needs Determination
The Plan Bay Area 20504 Final Blueprint forecasts that the nine-county Bay Area will add 1.4 million new households between 2015 and 2050. For the eight-year period covered by this Housing Element Update, the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) has found the region’s housing need as 441,176 units. The total number of housing units assigned by HCD is separated into four income categories that cover housing types for all income levels, from very low-income households to market rate housing.5 This calculation, known as the Regional Housing Needs 4 Plan Bay Area 2050 is a long-range plan charting the course for the future of the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. It covers four key issues: the economy, the environment, housing and transportation 5 HCD divides the RHND into the following four income categories:
Very Low-income: 0-50% of Area Median Income
Low-income: 50-80% of Area Median Income
Moderate-income: 80-120% of Area Median Income
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Determination (RHND), is based on population projections produced by the California Department of Finance as well as adjustments that incorporate the region’s existing housing need. The adjustments result from recent legislation requiring HCD to apply additional adjustment factors to the baseline growth projection from California Department of Finance, in order for the regions to get closer to healthy housing markets. To this end, adjustments focus on the region’s vacancy rate, level of overcrowding and the share of cost burdened households, and seek to bring the region more in line with comparable ones.6 These new laws governing the methodology for how HCD calculates the RHND resulted in a significantly higher number of housing units for which the Bay Area must plan compared to previous RHNA cycles.
3.2 Regional Housing Needs Allocation
A starting point for the Housing Element Update process for every California jurisdiction is the Regional Housing Needs Allocation or RHNA – the share of the RHND assigned to each jurisdiction by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG).
State Housing Element Law requires ABAG to develop a methodology that calculates the number of housing units assigned to each city and county and distributes each jurisdiction’s housing unit allocation among four affordability levels. For this RHNA cycle, the RHND increased by 135%, from 187,990 to 441,776. For more information on the RHNA process this cycle, see ABAG’s website: https://abag.ca.gov/ourwork/housing/rhna-regional-housing-needs-allocation Almost all jurisdictions in the Bay Area are likely to receive a larger RHNA this cycle compared to the last cycle, primarily due to changes in state law that led to a considerably higher RHND compared to previous cycles.
In January 2021, ABAG adopted a Draft RHNA Methodology, which is currently being reviewed by HCD. For Sebastopol, the proposed RHNA to be planned for this cycle is 213 units, a slated increase from the last cycle. Please note that the previously stated figures are merely illustrative, as ABAG has yet to issue Final RHNA allocations. The Final RHNA allocations that local jurisdictions will use for their Housing Elements will be released at the end of 2021. The potential allocation that Sebastopol would receive from the Draft RHNA Methodology is broken down by income category as follows:
Table 1: Illustrative Regional Housing Needs Allocation from Draft Methodology Income Group Sebastopol
Units
Sonoma
County
Units
Bay Area
Units
Sebastopol
Percent
Sonoma
County
Percent
Bay Area
Percent
6 For more information on HCD’s RHND calculation for the Bay Area, see this letter sent to ABAG from HCD on June 9, 2020:
https://www.hcd.ca.gov/community-development/housing-element/docs/abagrhna-final060920(r).pdf Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
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Very Low Income
(<50% of AMI) 55 3999 114442 25.8% 27.5% 25.9%
Low Income (50%-
80% of AMI) 31 2302 65892 14.6% 15.8% 14.9%
Moderate Income
(80%-120% of AMI) 35 2302 72712 16.4% 15.8% 16.5%
Above Moderate
Income (>120% of
AMI)
92 5959 188130 43.2% 40.9% 42.6%
Total 213 14562 441176 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Source: Association of Bay Area Governments Methodology and tentative numbers were approved by ABAG’s Executive board on January 21, 2021 (Resolution No. 02- 2021). The numbers were submitted for review to California Housing and Community Development in February 2021, after which an appeals process will take place during the Summer and Fall of 2021.
THESE NUMBERS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE
PER HCD REVIEW
4. Population, Employment and Household Characteristics
4.1 Population
The Bay Area is the fifth-largest metropolitan area in the nation and has seen a steady increase in population since 1990, except for a dip during the Great Recession. Many cities in the region have experienced significant growth in jobs and population. While these trends have led to a corresponding increase in demand for housing across the region, the regional production of housing has largely not kept pace with job and population growth. Since 2000, Sebastopol’s population has decreased by 0.4%; this rate is below that of the region as a whole, at 14.8%. In Sebastopol, roughly 11.4% of its population moved during the past year, a number 2.0 percentage points smaller than the regional rate of 13.4%.
Table 2: Population Growth Trends
Geography 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020
Sebastopol 7008 7470 7774 7760 7379 7610 7745
Sonoma County 388222 416776 458614 475703 483878 500640 492980 Bay Area 6020147 6381961 6784348 7073912 7150739 7595694 7790537 Source: Universe: Total population
Source: California Department of Finance, E-5 series
For more years of data, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table POPEMP-01 Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
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In 2020, the population of Sebastopol was estimated to be 7,745 (see Table 2). From 1990 to 2000, the population increased by 10.9%, while it decreased by 5.1% during the first decade of the 2000s. In the most recent decade, the population increased by 5.0%. The population of Sebastopol makes up 1.6% of Sonoma County.7 Figure 1: Population Growth Trends
Source: California Department of Finance, E-5 series Note: The data shown on the graph represents population for the jurisdiction, county, and region indexed to the population in the first year shown. The data points represent the relative population growth in each of these geographies relative to their populations in that year.
For some jurisdictions, a break may appear at the end of each decade (1999, 2009) as estimates are compared to census counts.
DOF uses the decennial census to benchmark subsequent population estimates.
For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table POPEMP-01.
4.2 Age
The distribution of age groups in a city shapes what types of housing the community may need in the near future. An increase in the older population may mean there is a developing need for more senior housing options, while higher numbers of children and young families can point to the need for more family housing options and related services. There has also been a move by many to age-in-place or downsize to stay 7 To compare the rate of growth across various geographic scales, Figure 1 shows population for the jurisdiction, county, and region indexed to the population in the year 1990. This means that the data points represent the population growth (i.e. percent change) in each of these geographies relative to their populations in 1990.
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within their communities, which can mean more multifamily and accessible units are also needed.
In Sebastopol, the median age in 2000 was 40.6; by 2019, this figure had increased, landing at around 47 years. More specifically, the population of those under 14 has decreased since 2010, while the 65- and-over population has increased (see Figure 2).
Figure 2: Population by Age, 2000-2019
Universe: Total population
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 SF1, Table P12; U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2010 SF1, Table P12; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5- Year Data (2015-2019), Table B01001
For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table POPEMP-04.
Looking at the senior and youth population by race can add an additional layer of understanding, as families and seniors of color are even more likely to experience challenges finding affordable housing. People of color8 make up 2.4% of seniors and
28.0% of youth under 18 (see Figure 3).
8 Here, we count all non-white racial groups
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Figure 3: Senior and Youth Population by Race
Universe: Total population
Notes: In the sources for this table, the Census Bureau does not disaggregate racial groups by Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity, and an overlapping category of Hispanic / nonHispanic groups has not been shown to avoid double counting in the stacked bar chart.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B01001(A-G)
For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table SEN-02.
4.3 Race and Ethnicity
Understanding the racial makeup of a city and region is important for designing and implementing effective housing policies and programs. These patterns are shaped by both market factors and government actions, such as exclusionary zoning, discriminatory lending practices and displacement that has occurred over time and continues to impact communities of color today9. Since 2000, the percentage of residents in Sebastopol identifying as White has decreased – and by the same token the percentage of residents of all other races and ethnicities has increased – by 8.2 percentage points, with the 2019 population standing at 6,141 (see Figure 4). In absolute terms, the Other Race or Multiple Races, Non-Hispanic population increased the most while the White, Non-Hispanic population decreased the most. 9 See, for example, Rothstein, R. (2017). The color of law : a forgotten history of how our government segregated America. New York, NY & London, UK: Liveright Publishing.
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Figure 4: Population by Race, 2000-2019
Universe: Total population
Notes: Data for 2019 represents 2015-2019 ACS estimates. The Census Bureau defines Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity separate from racial categories. For the purposes of this graph, the “Hispanic or Latinx” racial/ethnic group represents those who identify as having Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity and may also be members of any racial group. All other racial categories on this graph represent those who identify with that racial category and do not identify with Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, Table P004; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015- 2019), Table B03002 For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table POPEMP-02.
4.4 Employment Trends
4.4.1 Balance of Jobs and Workers
A city houses employed residents who either work in the community where they live or work elsewhere in the region. Conversely, a city may have job sites that employ residents from the same city, but more often employ workers commuting from outside of it. Smaller cities typically will have more employed residents than jobs there and export workers, while larger cities tend to have a surplus of jobs and import workers. To some extent the regional transportation system is set up for this flow of workers to the region’s core job centers. At the same time, as the housing affordability crisis has illustrated, local imbalances may be severe, where local jobs and worker populations are out of sync at a sub-regional scale.
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One measure of this is the relationship between workers and jobs. A city with a surplus of workers “exports” workers to other parts of the region, while a city with a surplus of jobs must conversely “import” them. Between 2002 and 2018, the number of jobs in Sebastopol increased by 8.3% (see Figure 5).
Figure 5: Jobs in a Jurisdiction
Universe: Jobs from unemployment insurance-covered employment (private, state and local government) plus United States Office of Personnel Management-sourced Federal employment
Notes: The data is tabulated by place of work, regardless of where a worker lives.
The source data is provided at the census block level. These are crosswalked to jurisdictions and summarized.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics, Workplace Area Characteristics (WAC) files, 2002-2018
For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table POPEMP-11.
There are 4,068 employed residents, and 6,839 jobs10 in Sebastopol - the ratio of jobs to resident workers is 1.68; Sebastopol is a net importer of workers.
Figure 6 shows the balance when comparing jobs to workers, broken down by different wage groups, offering additional insight into local dynamics. A community may offer employment for relatively low- income workers but have relatively few 10 Employed residents in a jurisdiction is counted by place of residence (they may work elsewhere) while jobs in a jurisdiction are counted by place of work (they may live elsewhere). The jobs may differ from those reported in Figure 5 as the source for the time series is from administrative data, while the cross-sectional data is from a survey.
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housing options for those workers - or conversely, it may house residents who are low wage workers but offer few employment opportunities for them. Such relationships may cast extra light on potentially pent-up demand for housing in particular price categories. A relative surplus of jobs relative to residents in a given wage category suggests the need to import those workers, while conversely, surpluses of workers in a wage group relative to jobs means the community will export those workers to other jurisdictions. Such flows are not inherently bad, though over time, sub-regional imbalances may appear. Sebastopol has more low-wage jobs than low- wage residents (where low-wage refers to jobs paying less than $25,000).
At the other end of the wage spectrum, the city has more high-wage jobs than highwage residents (where high-wage refers to jobs paying more than $75,000) (see Figure 6).11
Figure 6: Workers by Earnings, by Jurisdiction as Place of Work and Place of Residence
Universe: Workers 16 years and over with earnings
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data 2015-2019, B08119, B08519
For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table POPEMP-10.
Figure 7 shows the balance of a jurisdiction’s resident workers to the jobs located there for different wage groups as a ratio instead - a value of 1 means that a city has the same number of jobs in a wage group as it has resident workers - in principle, a 11 The source table is top-coded at $75,000, precluding more fine grained analysis at the higher end of the wage spectrum.
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balance. Values above 1 indicate a jurisdiction will need to import workers for jobs in a given wage group. At the regional scale, this ratio is 1.04 jobs for each worker, implying a modest import of workers from outside the region (Figure 7).
Figure 7: Jobs-Worker Ratios, By Wage Group
Universe: Jobs in a jurisdiction from unemployment insurance-covered employment (private, state and local government) plus United States Office of Personnel Management-sourced Federal employment
Notes: The ratio compares job counts by wage group from two tabulations of LEHD data: Counts by place of work relative to counts by place of residence. See text for details.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics, Workplace Area Characteristics (WAC) files (Jobs); Residence Area Characteristics (RAC) files (Employed Residents), 2010-2018
For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table POPEMP-14.
Such balances between jobs and workers may directly influence the housing demand in a community. New jobs may draw new residents, and when there is high demand for housing relative to supply, many workers may be unable to afford to live where they work, particularly where job growth has been in relatively lower wage jobs. This dynamic not only means many workers will need to prepare for long commutes and time spent on the road, but in the aggregate it contributes to traffic congestion and time lost for all road users.
If there are more jobs than employed residents, it means a city is relatively jobsrich, typically also with a high jobs to household ratio. Thus bringing housing into the Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
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measure, the jobs-household ratio in Sebastopol has increased from 1.42 in 2002, to
1.5 jobs per household in 2018 (see Figure 8).
Figure 8: Jobs-Household Ratio
Universe: Jobs in a jurisdiction from unemployment insurance-covered employment (private, state and local government) plus United States Office of Personnel Management-sourced Federal employment; households in a jurisdiction Notes: The data is tabulated by place of work, regardless of where a worker lives.
The source data is provided at the census block level. These are crosswalked to jurisdictions and summarized. The ratio compares place of work wage and salary jobs with households, or occupied housing units. A similar measure is the ratio of jobs to housing units. However, this jobs-household ratio serves to compare the number of jobs in a jurisdiction to the number of housing units that are actually occupied. The difference between a jurisdiction’s jobs-housing ratio and jobs-household ratio will be most pronounced in jurisdictions with high vacancy rates, a high rate of units used for seasonal use, or a high rate of units used as short-term rentals.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics, Workplace Area Characteristics (WAC) files (Jobs), 2002-2018; California Department of Finance, E-5 (Households)
For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table POPEMP-13.
4.4.2 Sector Composition
In terms of sectoral composition, the largest industry in which Sebastopol residents work is Health & Educational Services, and the largest sector in which Sonoma Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
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residents work is Health & Educational Services (see Figure 9). For the Bay Area as a whole, the Health & Educational Services industry employs the most workers.
Figure 9: Resident Employment by Industry
Universe: Civilian employed population age 16 years and over Notes: The data displayed shows the industries in which jurisdiction residents work, regardless of the location where those residents are employed (whether within the jurisdiction or not). Categories are derived from the following source tables:
Agriculture & Natural Resources: C24030_003E, C24030_030E; Construction:
C24030_006E, C24030_033E; Manufacturing, Wholesale & Transportation:
C24030_007E, C24030_034E, C24030_008E, C24030_035E, C24030_010E, C24030_037E; Retail: C24030_009E, C24030_036E; Information: C24030_013E, C24030_040E; Financial & Professional Services: C24030_014E, C24030_041E, C24030_017E, C24030_044E; Health & Educational Services: C24030_021E, C24030_024E, C24030_048E, C24030_051E; Other: C24030_027E, C24030_054E, C24030_028E, C24030_055E
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table C24030
For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table POPEMP-06.
4.4.3 Unemployment
In Sebastopol, there was a 0.1 percentage point increase in the unemployment rate between January 2010 and January 2021. Jurisdictions through the region Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
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experienced a sharp rise in unemployment in 2020 due to impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic, though with a general improvement and recovery in the later months of 2020.
Figure 10: Unemployment Rate
Universe: Civilian noninstitutional population ages 16 and older Notes: Unemployment rates for the jurisdiction level is derived from largergeography estimates. This method assumes that the rates of change in employment and unemployment are exactly the same in each sub-county area as at the county level. If this assumption is not true for a specific sub-county area, then the estimates for that area may not be representative of the current economic conditions. Since this assumption is untested, caution should be employed when using these data. Only not seasonally- adjusted labor force (unemployment rates) data are developed for cities and CDPs.
Source: California Employment Development Department, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), Sub-county areas monthly updates, 2010-2021.
For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table POPEMP-15.
4.5 Extremely Low-Income Households
Despite the economic and job growth experienced throughout the region since 1990, the income gap has continued to widen. California is one of the most economically Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
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unequal states in the nation, and the Bay Area has the highest income inequality between high- and low-income households in the state12.
In Sebastopol, 50.2% of households make more than 100% of the Area Median Income (AMI)13, compared to 14.8% making less than 30% of AMI, which is considered extremely low-income (see Figure 11).
Regionally, more than half of all households make more than 100% AMI, while 15% make less than 30% AMI. In Sonoma County, 30% AMI is the equivalent to the annual income of $29,450 for a family of four. Many households with multiple wage earners – including food service workers, full-time students, teachers, farmworkers and healthcare professionals – can fall into lower AMI categories due to relatively stagnant wages in many industries.
Note on Estimating the Projected Number of Extremely Low-Income Households
Local jurisdictions are required to provide an estimate for their projected extremely low-income households in their Housing Elements. HCD’s official Housing Element guidance notes that jurisdictions can use their RHNA for very low-income households (those making 0-50% AMI) to calculate their projected extremely low-income households. For more information, visit HCD’s Building Blocks page on Extremely Low-Income Housing Needs.
This document does not contain the required data point of projected extremely lowincome households, as Bay Area jurisdictions have not yet received their final RHNA numbers. Once Sebastopol receives its 6th Cycle RHNA, staff can estimate the projected extremely low-income households using one of the following three methodologies:
• Option A: Assume that 59.8% of Sebastopol’s very low-income RHNA is for extremely low-income households.
o According to HCD’s Regional Housing Need Determination for the Bay Area, 15.5% of the region’s housing need is for 0-30% AMI households while 25.9% is for 0-50% AMI households. Therefore, extremely low-income housing need represents 59.8% of the region’s very low-income housing need, as 15.5 divided by 25.9 is 59.8%. This option aligns with HCD’s guidance to use U.S. Census data to calculate the percentage of very low-income RHNA that qualifies for extremely 12 Bohn, S.et al. 2020. Income Inequality and Economic Opportunity in California. Public Policy Institute of California. 13 13 Income groups are based on HUD calculations for Area Median Income (AMI). HUD calculates the AMI for different metropolitan areas, and the nine county Bay Area includes the following metropolitan areas: Napa Metro Area (Napa County), Oakland-Fremont Metro Area (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties), San Francisco Metro Area (Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties), San JoseSunnyvale-Santa Clara Metro Area (Santa Clara County), Santa Rosa Metro Area (Sonoma County), and Vallejo-Fairfield Metro Area (Solano County). The AMI levels in this chart are based on the HUD metro area where this jurisdiction is located. Households making between 80 and 120 percent of the AMI are moderate-income, those making 50 to 80 percent are low-income, those making 30 to 50 percent are very low-income, and those making less than 30 percent are extremely low-income. This is then adjusted for household size.
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low-income households, as HCD uses U.S. Census data to calculate the Regional Housing Need Determination.
• Option B: Assume that 55.2% of Sebastopol’s very low-income RHNA is for extremely low-income households.
o According to the data shown below (Figure 11), 913 of Sebastopol’s households are 0-50% AMI while 504 are extremely low-income.
Therefore, extremely low income households represent 55.2% of households who are 0-50% AMI, as 504 divided by 913 is 55.2%. This option aligns with HCD’s guidance to use U.S. Census data to calculate the percentage of very low-income RHNA that qualifies for extremely low-income households, as the information in Figure 11 represents a tabulation of Census Bureau Data.
• Option C: Assume that 50% of Sebastopol’s very low-income RHNA is for extremely low-income households.
HCD’s guidance notes that instead of using use U.S. Census data to calculate the percentage of very low-income RHNA that qualifies for extremely low-income households, local jurisdictions can presume that 50% of their RHNA for very low income households qualifies for extremely low-income households.
Figure 11: Households by Household Income Level
Universe: Occupied housing units
Notes: Income groups are based on HUD calculations for Area Median Income (AMI).
HUD calculates the AMI for different metropolitan areas, and the nine county Bay Area includes the following metropolitan areas: Napa Metro Area (Napa County), Oakland-Fremont Metro Area (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties), San Francisco Metro Area (Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties), San Jose-SunnyvaleAgenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11 City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
Santa Clara Metro Area (Santa Clara County), Santa Rosa Metro Area (Sonoma County), and Vallejo-Fairfield Metro Area (Solano County). The AMI levels in this chart are based on the HUD metro area where this jurisdiction is located. The data that is reported for the Bay Area is not based on a regional AMI but instead refers to the regional total of households in an income group relative to the AMI for the county where that household is located. Local jurisdictions are required to provide an estimate for their projected extremely low-income households (0-30% AMI) in their Housing Elements. HCD’s official Housing Element guidance notes that jurisdictions can use their RHNA for very low-income households (those making 0-50% AMI) to calculate their projected extremely low-income households. As Bay Area jurisdictions have not yet received their final RHNA numbers, this document does not contain the required data point of projected extremely low-income households. The report portion of the housing data needs packet contains more specific guidance for how local staff can calculate an estimate for projected extremely low-income households once jurisdictions receive their 6th cycle RHNA numbers.
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) ACS tabulation, 2013-2017 release For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table ELI-01.
Throughout the region, there are disparities between the incomes of homeowners and renters. Typically, the number of low-income renters greatly outpaces the amount of housing available that is affordable for these households.
In Sebastopol, the largest proportion of renters falls in the Greater than 100% of AMI income group, while the largest proportion of homeowners are found in the Greater than 100% of AMI group (see Figure 12).
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Figure 12: Household Income Level by Tenure
Universe: Occupied housing units
Notes: Income groups are based on HUD calculations for Area Median Income (AMI).
HUD calculates the AMI for different metropolitan areas, and the nine county Bay Area includes the following metropolitan areas: Napa Metro Area (Napa County), Oakland-Fremont Metro Area (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties), San Francisco Metro Area (Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties), San Jose-SunnyvaleSanta Clara Metro Area (Santa Clara County), Santa Rosa Metro Area (Sonoma County), and Vallejo-Fairfield Metro Area (Solano County). The AMI levels in this chart are based on the HUD metro area where this jurisdiction is located.
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) ACS tabulation, 2013-2017 release For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table POPEMP-21.
Currently, people of color are more likely to experience poverty and financial instability as a result of federal and local housing policies that have historically excluded them from the same opportunities extended to white residents.14 These economic disparities also leave communities of color at higher risk for housing insecurity, displacement or homelessness. In Sebastopol, Black or African American (Hispanic and Non-Hispanic) residents experience the highest rates of poverty, followed by White (Hispanic and Non-Hispanic) residents (see Figure 13). 14 Moore, E., Montojo, N. and Mauri, N., 2019. Roots, Race & Place: A History of Racially Exclusionary Housing the San Francisco Bay Area. Hass Institute.
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Figure 13: Poverty Status by Race
Universe: Population for whom poverty status is determined Notes: The Census Bureau uses a federally defined poverty threshold that remains constant throughout the country and does not correspond to Area Median Income.
For this table, the Census Bureau does not disaggregate racial groups by Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity. However, data for the white racial group is also reported for white householders who are not Hispanic/Latinx. Since residents who identify as white and Hispanic/Latinx may have very different experiences within the housing market and the economy from those who identify as white and non-Hispanic/Latinx, data for multiple white sub-groups are reported here. The racial/ethnic groups reported in this table are not all mutually exclusive. Therefore, the data should not be summed as the sum exceeds the population for whom poverty status is determined for this jurisdiction. However, all groups labelled “Hispanic and NonHispanic” are mutually exclusive, and the sum of the data for these groups is equivalent to the population for whom poverty status is determined.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B17001(A-I)
For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table ELI-03.
4.6 Tenure
The number of residents who own their homes compared to those who rent their homes can help identify the level of housing insecurity – ability for individuals to stay in their homes – in a city and region. Generally, renters may be displaced more quickly if prices increase. In Sebastopol there are a total of 3,333 housing units, and Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
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more residents rent than own their homes: 50.2% versus 49.8% (see Figure 14). By comparison, 38.5% of households in Sonoma County are renters, while 44% of Bay Area households rent their homes.
Figure 14: Housing Tenure
Universe: Occupied housing units
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B25003 For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table POPEMP-16.
Homeownership rates often vary considerably across race/ethnicity in the Bay Area and throughout the country. These disparities not only reflect differences in income and wealth but also stem from federal, state, and local policies that limited access to homeownership for communities of color while facilitating homebuying for white residents. While many of these policies, such as redlining, have been formally disbanded, the impacts of race-based policy are still evident across Bay Area communities.15 In Sebastopol, 0.0% of Black households owned their homes, while homeownership rates were 24.2% for Asian households, 25.5% for Latinx households, and 51.3% for White households. Notably, recent changes to state law require local jurisdictions to examine these dynamics and other fair housing issues when updating their Housing Elements.
15 See, for example, Rothstein, R. (2017). The color of law : a forgotten history of how our government segregated America. New York, NY & London, UK: Liveright Publishing.
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Figure 15: Housing Tenure by Race of Householder
Universe: Occupied housing units
Notes: For this table, the Census Bureau does not disaggregate racial groups by Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity. However, data for the white racial group is also reported for white householders who are not Hispanic/Latinx. Since residents who identify as white and Hispanic/Latinx may have very different experiences within the housing market and the economy from those who identify as white and non-Hispanic/Latinx, data for multiple white sub-groups are reported here. The racial/ethnic groups reported in this table are not all mutually exclusive. Therefore, the data should not be summed as the sum exceeds the total number of occupied housing units for this jurisdiction. However, all groups labelled “Hispanic and Non-Hispanic” are mutually exclusive, and the sum of the data for these groups is equivalent to the total number of occupied housing units.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B25003(A-I) For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table POPEMP-20.
The age of residents who rent or own their home can also signal the housing challenges a community is experiencing. Younger households tend to rent and may struggle to buy a first home in the Bay Area due to high housing costs. At the same time, senior homeowners seeking to downsize may have limited options in an expensive housing market.
In Sebastopol, 83.4% of householders between the ages of 25 and 44 are renters, while 35.3% of householders over 65 are (see Figure 16).
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Figure 16: Housing Tenure by Age
Universe: Occupied housing units
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B25007
For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table POPEMP-18.
Figure 17: Housing Tenure by Housing Type
Universe: Occupied housing units
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Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B25032
For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table POPEMP-22
4.7 Displacement
Because of increasing housing prices, displacement is a major concern in the Bay Area. Displacement has the most severe impacts on low- and moderate-income residents. When individuals or families are forced to leave their homes and communities, they also lose their support network.
The University of California, Berkeley has mapped all neighborhoods in the Bay area, identifying their risk for gentrification. They find that in Sebastopol, 0.0% of households live in neighborhoods that are susceptible to or experiencing displacement and 0.0% live in neighborhoods at risk of or undergoing gentrification.
Equally important, some neighborhoods in the Bay Area do not have housing appropriate for a broad section of the workforce. UC Berkeley estimates that 74.2% of households in Sebastopol live in neighborhoods where low-income households are likely to be excluded due to prohibitive housing costs. 16 16 More information about this gentrification and displacement data is available at the Urban Displacement Project’s webpage: https://www.urbandisplacement.org/. Specifically, one can learn more about the different gentrification/displacement typologies shown in Figure 18 at this link:
https://www.urbandisplacement.org/sites/default/files/typology_sheet_2018_0.png. Additionally, one can view maps that show which typologies correspond to which parts of a jurisdiction here: https://www.urbandisplacement.org/san-francisco/sf-bay-areagentrification-and-displacement Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
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Figure 18: Households by Displacement Risk and Tenure
Universe: Households
Notes: Displacement data is available at the census tract level. Staff aggregated tracts up to jurisdiction level using census 2010 population weights, assigning a tract to jurisdiction in proportion to block level population weights. Total household count may differ slightly from counts in other tables sourced from jurisdiction level sources.
Categories are combined as follows for simplicity: At risk of or Experiencing Exclusion: At Risk of Becoming Exclusive; Becoming Exclusive; Stable/Advanced Exclusive At risk of or Experiencing Gentrification: At Risk of Gentrification; Early/Ongoing Gentrification; Advanced Gentrification Stable Moderate/Mixed Income: Stable Moderate/Mixed Income Susceptible to or Experiencing Displacement: Low- Income/Susceptible to Displacement; Ongoing Displacement Other: High Student Population; Unavailable or Unreliable Data Source: Urban Displacement Project for classification, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B25003 for tenure.
For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table POPEMP-25.
5. Housing Stock Characteristics
5.1 Housing Types, Year Built, Vacancy, and Permits
In recent years, most housing produced in the region and across the state consisted of single-family homes and larger multi-unit buildings. However, some households Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
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are increasingly interested in “missing middle housing” – including duplexes, triplexes, townhomes, cottage clusters and accessory dwelling units (ADUs). These housing types may open up more options across incomes and tenure, from young households seeking homeownership options to seniors looking to downsize and agein-place.
The housing stock of Sebastopol in 2020 was made up of 63.2% single family detached homes, 9.6% single family attached homes, 10.9% multifamily homes with 2 to 4 units, 14.4% multifamily homes with 5 or more units, and 2.0% mobile homes (see Figure 19). In Sebastopol, the housing type that experienced the most growth between 2010 and 2020 was Single-Family Home: Detached.
Figure 19: Housing Type Trends
Universe: Housing units
Source: California Department of Finance, E-5 series
For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table HSG-01.
Production has not kept up with housing demand for several decades in the Bay Area, as the total number of units built and available has not yet come close to meeting the population and job growth experienced throughout the region. In Sebastopol, the largest proportion of the housing stock was built 1960 to 1979, with 1,409 units constructed during this period (see Figure 20). Since 2010, 0.7% of the current housing stock was built, which is 26 units.
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Figure 20: Housing Units by Year Structure Built
Universe: Housing units
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B25034
For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table HSG-04.
Vacant units make up 4.1% of the overall housing stock in Sebastopol. The rental vacancy stands at 3.2%, while the ownership vacancy rate is 1.5%. Of the vacant units, the most common type of vacancy is For Rent (see Figure 21).17 Throughout the Bay Area, vacancies make up 2.6% of the total housing units, with homes listed for rent; units used for recreational or occasional use, and units not otherwise classified (other vacant) making up the majority of vacancies. The Census Bureau classifies a unit as vacant if no one is occupying it when census interviewers are conducting the American Community Survey or Decennial Census. Vacant units classified as “for recreational or occasional use” are those that are held for shortterm periods of use throughout the year. Accordingly, vacation rentals and shortterm rentals like AirBnB are likely to fall in this category. The Census Bureau classifies units as “other vacant” if they are vacant due to foreclosure, personal/family reasons, legal proceedings, repairs/renovations, abandonment, preparation for being rented or sold, or vacant for an extended absence for reasons such as a work assignment, military duty, or incarceration.
18 In a region with a thriving economy and housing
17 The vacancy rates by tenure is for a smaller universe than the total vacancy rate first reported, which in principle includes the full stock (4.1%). The vacancy by tenure counts are rates relative to the rental stock (occupied and vacant) and ownership stock (occupied and vacant) - but exclude a significant number of vacancy categories, including the numerically significant other vacant. 18 For more information, see pages 3 through 6 of this list of definitions prepared by the Census Bureau:
https://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/definitions.pdf
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market like the Bay Area, units being renovated/repaired and prepared for rental or sale are likely to represent a large portion of the “other vacant” category.
Additionally, the need for seismic retrofitting in older housing stock could also influence the proportion of “other vacant” units in some jurisdictions.19 Figure 21: Vacant Units by Type
Universe: Vacant housing units
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B25004 For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table HSG-03.
Between 2015 and 2019, 59 housing units were issued permits in Sebastopol. 42.4% of permits issued in Sebastopol were for above moderate-income housing, 33.9% were for moderate-income housing, and 23.7% were for low- or very low-income housing (see Table 3).
Table 3: Housing Permitting
Income Group value
Above Moderate Income Permits 25
Moderate Income Permits 20
Low Income Permits 10
Very Low Income Permits 4
19 See Dow, P. (2018). Unpacking the Growth in San Francisco’s Vacant Housing Stock: Client Report for the San Francisco Planning Department. University of California, Berkeley.
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022
Universe: Housing permits issued between 2015 and 2019
Notes: HCD uses the following definitions for the four income categories: Very Low Income: units affordable to households making less than 50% of the Area Median Income for the county in which the jurisdiction is located. Low Income: units affordable to households making between 50% and 80% of the Area Median Income for the county in which the jurisdiction is located. Moderate Income: units affordable to households making between 80% and 120% of the Area Median Income for the county in which the jurisdiction is located. Above Moderate Income: units affordable to households making above 120% of the Area Median Income for the county in which the jurisdiction is located.
Source: California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), 5th Cycle Annual Progress Report Permit Summary (2020)
This table is included in the Data Packet Workbook as Table HSG-11.
5.2 Assisted Housing Developments At-Risk of Conversion While there is an immense need to produce new affordable housing units, ensuring that the existing affordable housing stock remains affordable is equally important.
Additionally, it is typically faster and less expensive to preserve currently affordable units that are at risk of converting to market-rate than it is to build new affordable housing.
The data in the table below comes from the California Housing Partnership’s Preservation Database, the state’s most comprehensive source of information on subsidized affordable housing at risk of losing its affordable status and converting to market-rate housing. However, this database does not include all deed-restricted affordable units in the state, so there may be at-risk assisted units in a jurisdiction that are not captured in this data table. There are 253 assisted units in Sebastopol in the Preservation Database. Of these units, 0.0% are at High Risk or Very High Risk of conversion.20
Note on At-Risk Assisted Housing Developments
HCD requires that Housing Elements list the assisted housing developments at risk of converting to market-rate uses. For more information on the specific properties 20 California Housing Partnership uses the following categories for assisted housing developments in its database: Very-High Risk:
affordable homes that are at-risk of converting to market rate within the next year that do not have a known overlapping subsidy that would extend affordability and are not owned by a large/stable non-profit, mission-driven developer.
High Risk: affordable homes that are at-risk of converting to market rate in the next 1-5 years that do not have a known overlapping subsidy that would extend affordability and are not owned by a large/stable non-profit, mission-driven developer.
Moderate Risk: affordable homes that are at-risk of converting to market rate in the next 5-10 years that do not have a known overlapping subsidy that would extend affordability and are not owned by a large/stable non-profit, mission-driven developer.
Low Risk: affordable homes that are at-risk of converting to market rate in 10+ years and/or are owned by a large/stable non-profit, mission-driven developer.
Agenda Item Number 11 Agenda Item Number 11
City Council Meeting Packet of August 2, 2022