Renewal Enterprise District JPA

In the months following the 2017 wildfires, there was heightened awareness of the importance of ensuring County-wide economic vitality by meeting housing development goals. The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors and the Santa Rosa City Council have been working to address the problem, and directed staff to identify new and more effective structures that can facilitate substantially increased housing development for all income levels. In response, the concept of a regional housing construct began to take shape in the Renewal Enterprise District (RED).

The basic premise of the RED is to work across jurisdictions to market and attract developers, to blend private financing and public funds, to leverage state and federal grant funds and to facilitate creation of housing that meets established public policy goals for increased density, access to transit, protection of open space and community separators and improving energy efficiency, climate resilience and affordability. By working together through a joint powers association (JPA), the City and County have an opportunity to develop and implement a common vision and drive regional renewal efforts by leveraging their real estate assets, regulatory authority and new funding sources for maximum effect and long-term benefit.