Affordable Housing

What is affordable housing?

In Sonoma County, there are several affordable housing options. Some will cost about 30 percent of your income and some will cost more.

Government subsidizes almost all affordable opportunities in some way or other. That could mean government contributed land or financial or technical help. Government might be providing ongoing rental subsidies. The subsidy can come from all levels: cities, counties, the state, or the federal government.

What does Sonoma County Offer?

In this section, you can discover Sonoma County's variety of affordable housing. Click on the types below that interest you.

They are: 

• Voucher Programs

• Housing Communities

• Housing for Seniors

• Shared Housing

• Housing for Veterans

How do I qualify?

No matter what kind of affordable housing interests you, competition is stiff. For the voucher program, for example, the nation-wide need is five times greater than the supply.

Each affordable housing opportunity has its own guidelines for eligibility and screening.

To improve your chances of finding and keeping affordable housing, read Keys to Successful Affordable Housing Applications.

If your application is denied, you may wish to appeal the decision. Learn tips in Appealing Denials.

Additional Reading

• Sonoma County’s Affordable Housing Communities (master list)

• Move-in Assistance Programs

• Open Waitlists

• Sober Living Environments (SLEs)

• History of Affordable Housing (pdf)

• Overview of Federal Housing Assistance Policies and Procedures (pdf)

It might surprise you that government offers more housing subsidies to higher income households than to lower income households. You can learn more about this topic by reading Imbalance in Housing Aid by Andrew Woo.