Board of Supervisors approves $1.4 million in loans to address homelessness and housing in Sonoma County

SANTA ROSA, CA – The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors voted today to provide $1,415,130 in loans to expand the supply of affordable housing in the county by constructing 159 new housing units in Santa Rosa, Windsor and Guerneville.

“This is a pivotal step in increasing the affordable housing stock in Sonoma County,” said Supervisor Chris Coursey, chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. “Each one of these homes will play a critical role in providing stability, peace of mind and comfort to the most vulnerable members of our community.”

All of the housing units will be set aside for extremely-low, very-low and low-income households except for three units designated for on-site managers. The loans will be funded by the Permanent Local Housing Allocation program, which is administered by the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. 

The four housing projects include:

• George’s Hideaway, 21 units of permanent supportive housing in Guerneville
• Redwood Glen Apartments, 42 units of housing for very-low and low-income households, including large families in Windsor
• Caritas II, 63 units of housing in downtown Santa Rosa
• BRJE III, 30 units of housing for seniors in north Santa Rosa 

George’s Hideaway, a Project Homekey site, will transform the historic tavern on Highway 116 into permanent supportive housing for tenants who earn less than 30 percent of the area’s median income. The project has been awarded 21 project-based vouchers through the Sonoma County Housing Authority to guarantee project revenue. 

The Redwood Glen Apartments, located along Old Redwood Highway, is designed to provide housing for large families, considered a special needs population. Of the 42 housing units on the site, 37 will be three-bedroom apartments.

Caritas Homes Phase II, which will contain studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units in the 7th Street development, will be restricted to households with incomes between 20 percent and 60 percent of the area’s median income. This deep affordability means that homeless persons with disability income will qualify and can afford the provided housing. 

BRJE Phase III, located along Mendocino Avenue and Bicentennial Way, will provide 30 one-bedroom apartments for low-income and extremely low-income seniors. The four-story, elevator-equipped facility will be built into the market-rate properties from phases one and two. 

The purpose of the Permanent Local Housing Allocation program is to develop and preserve affordable housing for low-income households. The program provides loans to qualified developers, public entities, groups and individuals to increase the county’s affordable housing stock. 

For more information on Permanent Local Housing Allocations please visit the Community Development Commission webpage. 

Media Contact:
Gilbert Martinez, Communications Specialist
publicaffairs@sonoma-county.org 
575 Administration Drive, Suite 104A
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
(707) 565-3040