Tomorrow afternoon, September 27, Supervisors will, for the first time ever, consider a change in policy that would allow some of the more than 10,000 low income renters on private rural property to remain in their safe, affordable trailers and tiny homes without fear of eviction from county code enforcement.
Housing advocates are asking anyone who cares about affordable housing and the right of low income people to stay in their safe, rented modest homes, to call (or email-see below for names and fill list) their Supervisors’ at (707) 565-2241. Or, if you have the time, join the zoom meeting and speak during public comment. The meeting agenda can be downloaded here and the specific agenda item can be found in here. The building code update is the first agenda item in the afternoon session and will likely be held after 1:00 p.m.
Join us in urging supervisors to make these historic changes to building code enforcement and policy:
1) Create a new class of temporary housing for trailers and tiny homes
2) Legalize waterless composting toilets
3) Permit a “hold and haul” option for wastewater disposal, allowing thousands of people losing in trailers to remain there without being attached to septic systems for wastewater, which is un-permitable for many property owners.
Last year, a two month long investigation by the Sonoma Independent found that Permit Sonoma issued 30-day orders forcing property owners to evict about 189 rent-paying tenants, many of them seniors, out of the only safe housing they could afford in the county, for lack of unobtainable or prohibitively expensive permits.
Supervisors now have an opportunity to stop many of these evictions. Contact your Supervisor. The [hone number for all districts is (707) 565-2241. Ask to speak with your supervisor and leave a message or speak to a staffer. Or you can send an email.
Listing of supervisors:
Susan Gorin, 1st District (East Santa Rosa, Kenwood, Sonoma) Email: Susan.Gorin@sonoma-county.org
David Rabbitt, 2nd District (Cotati, Penngrove, Petaluma). Email: David.Rabbitt@sonoma-county.org
Chris Coursey, 3rd District (Santa Rosa / Rohnert Park). Email: district3@sonoma-county.org
James Gore, 4th District (Windsor to Cloverdale). Email: district4@sonoma-county.org
Lynda Hopkins, 5th District (West Santa Rosa, Sebastopol. West County). Email: district5@sonoma-county.org