This guest blog post is written by Sonoma County Supervisor David Rabbitt who will be one of the panelists for CSAC’s Housing Workshop during the 2021 Virtual Legislative Conference on April 22.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the most pressing issues that our state and California counties are currently facing, and just as it was pre-pandemic, the lack of an adequate supply of market-rate and affordable housing is among the most prominent. It is also one of the key drivers of the homelessness crisis. As a County Supervisor, I’m particularly aware of the complexities that exist when it comes to building housing, which requires time, patience, and funding necessary to see a housing project through from idea to completion. Addressing the availability and affordability of housing requires a multi-pronged approach and serious efforts in order to make meaningful progress in tackling the issue.

Building traditional market-rate and affordable housing has become increasingly expensive in jurisdictions across California, meaning developers and local governments often have to work together to make it possible for housing projects to pencil out. I’ve been encouraged to see some of the creative strategies used and partnerships formed by local governments, developers, and other stakeholders coming together in order to make projects feasible.

To shed some new light on a lingering issue, the CSAC Housing, Land Use and Transportation Policy Committee is hosting a new workshop during the 2021 Legislative Conference called “Understanding the Basics of How Housing is Financed and Built.” This session will provide counties with an overview of how housing is created and financed and will include a discussion on the regulatory environment as well as some of the financing strategies key players often use to make housing projects come together.

During the workshop, we’ll talk about a project in Sonoma County where 162 units of affordable housing for seniors will replace the former Journey’s End Mobile Home Park in Santa Rosa. We will also be discussing Self-Help Enterprises’ projects in Tulare County, which include a manufactured housing project, farmworker housing, and several Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities projects.

I am looking forward to this discussion and hope that together with my other esteemed panelists, we can explore some of the roadblocks for developing affordable and market-rate housing and share some of the strategies used in order to make sure housing is built in our communities. Our confirmed panelists for this workshop include David Garcia, Policy Director of the UC Berkeley Terner Center for Housing Innovation; Betsy McGovern-Garcia, Program Director of Real Estate Development of Self-Help Enterprises; and Lawrance Florin, Chief Executive Officer of Burbank Housing.

We hope participants will leave with a greater understanding of the multiple factors impacting housing development and find renewed interest and commitment to increasing California’s much-needed housing supply.

I look forward to “virtually” seeing you at the workshop, which is scheduled to be held on Thursday, April 22 from 8:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. Be sure to register for the CSAC Legislative Conference, and this session in particular, here.