Attitudes about affordable housing must change to end crisis, California state senator says

California state Sen. Mike McGuire, who represents much of an area devastated by home-consumer wildfires about 13 months ago, assessed the area’s recovery so far, with some promises and a plea at a Nov. 7 North Bay Business Journal conference.

The North Bay wildfires were the costliest in U.S. history, with insured losses approaching $10 billion. They also killed 40 people and destroyed 6,200 homes.

The promise was for more aid in housing, brush-clearing funds, and for building more future state commitment of funds and rule changes to support affordable housing.

And the plea was that if affordable housing is proposed, that communities see the need and ignore their bias against having the homes built near them.

“We need a change of culture in our communities, one that accepts affordable housing,” McGuire said. “We may say we all support it now, but will we be willing to accept it when it is built a half block from where we live? We have to accept this change and work together.”

His address to the Impact Sonoma: State of the Wildfire Recovery conference in Santa Rosa was highlighted by what McGuire said has been state-level attention to helping areas that suffered the loss of thousands of homes. That relief for the areas includes the state this year “backfilling” about $22 million in property-tax losses for counties.

Looking forward, he said California is providing $1.3 billion in funding statewide over the next five years so the community can take steps to clear brush ahead of fires, and when fire threats loom or begin, the state will improve how it warns people.

“Emergency alerts need to pick up our game across the state,” McGuire said. “We are going to alert you (of emergencies) whether you want it or not, across all platforms,” he told the crowd of about 300 people.

Also, recognizing that fire season is now year-round, he said the state’s main firefighting agency, CalFire, also will be active year-round. “Vietnam-era” firefighting helicopters are being replaced with night-flying Blackhawk helicopters.

The legislator, from Healdsburg in Sonoma County and first elected in 2014, said the state, with some of the highest rents in the county and the lowest homeownership rate since the 1940s, needs 100,000 new homes built each year to keep up with demand.

He said the state is supplying short-term housing aid, plus banking on a housing bond passed by voters Nov. 6 to help communities encourage more affordable housing developments. Cutting red tape and taking some powers away from cities when it comes to permitting certain housing projects may be “upsetting” to some but needed to help address the problem statewide.

“Overall, Sonoma County and the North Bay’s best days are ahead of us,” McGuire said.