Sonoma City Council, planning commission to talk housing

On Tuesday, Jan. 25, at 6 p.m. the Sonoma City Council and the Sonoma Planning Commission will hold a joint virtual “Town Hall” meeting to discuss the preparation of the new Housing Element and receive a report on steps taken to date by city staff and the Housing Element consultant.

The Housing Element is a part of the General Plan that assesses housing needs in the city and lays out policies for addressing those needs. The city is currently engaged in the process of updating this document.

The agenda for the Tuesday meeting includes:

∎ Housing Element basics – what a Housing Element is and what is included in the update.

∎ Timeline and community engagement, with overview of schedule and opportunities for residents, businesses and other stakeholders to be involved in the Housing Element update process.

∎ Status of work effort and next steps.

∎ Audience Q&A.

The meeting can be viewed on channel 27 or on the city’s CivicWeb portal. Those interested in participating can do so virtually on Zoom.

The public is encouraged to submit comments by e-mail at publiccomment@sonomacity.org (which will be shared with leaders and posted publicly, but not read at the meeting), or by attending the meeting speaking during the public comment period for the agenda item.

The City’s Housing Element update is due to the state Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) on Jan. 31, 2023.