Whether it’s called “Missing Middle” or “Workforce” housing, Healdsburg has not provided for its vital middle income workers. Why not?
Healdsburg sees plenty of construction: luxury condos, townhouses—the so-called “multi-family” Mill District priced $1.5m to $8m; hotel suites where “a key” represents three bedrooms/two bathrooms; we see new ADU’s—often cabanas/pool houses, (not for local workers), and working class neighborhoods see teardowns and McMansion rebuilds, often vacant. Though we banned vacation rentals, our 30-day rental ordinance enforcement is weak—often ignored.
Healdsburg has built more than its required low-income housing; in fact, there are two fully-funded projects: 200 more units. The majority of our workers are low wage hospitality earners commuting into town servicing many hotel rooms, expensive restaurants, and quaint businesses in what the Chamber of Commerce markets as: “A small town with world class charm.”
To boldly address this housing crisis, the city council placed Measure “O” on the November ballot with the aspiration that proposed changes to the Growth Management Ordinance will “encourage” building of missing middle rentals and for sale dwellings.
The current GMO allows for unlimited building of: affordable housing, below market, ADUs, Senior Housing, and middle income restricted, multi-family units (Measure P passed in 2018).
So why change the voter-approved 24 year-old GMO, the Growth Management Ordinance?
Answer: Councilmembers pointed to the GMO quota on building market rate housing as responsible for the shortfall and asked staff to research options and tweak the ordinance. After discussion and public comment, the council voted for their favored option: 3 geographic GMO exemptions.
The measure asks:
“To encourage creation of middle class and workforce housing on underutilized parcels, should the City of Healdsburg exempt multi-family housing along certain portions of the Healdsburg Avenue corridor from the Growth Management Ordinance?”
To help folks in the voting booth, here are some facts:
1) Let’s look at the ballot language above: To “encourage” is not to mandate or require. HOW will removing all restrictions on building high density market rate apartments and condos in three geographic areas of Healdsburg result in affordable homes for middle class families?
2) “Middle Class” in Healdsburg means a minimum household income of $154,000/year; 80-85% of Healdsburg’s workforce is not part of the Missing Middle and is not able to afford housing requiring a minimum $154,000 salary. A 2024 public school teacher, police sergeant, police officer, fire captain, firefighter, or registered nurse could not afford these proposed units. These vital workers are among the higher paid middle income earners in Healdsburg.
3) “Multi-Family” housing is not income restricted. It is a designation: a housing unit with a shared wall. Luxury condos are MF units.
What Healdsburg can count on: Without O’s passage, 970 housing units will be built, 2023–2031 (Housing Element). Measure O invites uncontrolled growth without middle class guarantees. Perhaps we are hoping by building more, prices will decrease? Hope is a verb. Pass or fail, a community vision is needed. We cannot afford to get this Housing wrong.
Brigette Mansell is a full-time, middle class Healdsburg resident and served as mayor in 2018.