Housing Working Group
Helping Mendocino Be Housed
Welcome to GrassRoots Institute's Housing Working Group, Mendocino County's advocate for equitable housing. We are devoted to fostering inclusive communities that are available for everyone. Our volunteer Working group members meet and discuss actionable ways to ensure appropriate policies are implemented to allow for affordable housing and inclusionary projects. We collaborate with government organizations and stakeholders to bring focus to local zoning and development efforts to improve neighborhoods for generations to come. Get in touch with us if you'd like to join our meetings, need assistance in finding housing in the region, or would like to inquire about land-use planning recommendations.
Housing Resources
If you are looking for housing on the Mendocino Coast, here are some websites and pages that can assist your search:
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Craigslist - Mendocino County Apartments
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Facebook: Mendocino County Roommate and Rental Finder
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Photo: City of Fort Bragg
Activism
At the Housing Working Group, we are dedicated to improving housing conditions and policy for everyone in Mendocino County and beyond. We perform activism and work to recommend legislature and policy that has the power to positively influence the housing climate in a meaningful way. We focus on local city and Mendocino County policy and laws, along with broader State and Federal legislature that affects our community's housing climate.
We are a group of passionate individuals who care deeply about the local and regional housing climate and are committed to making a difference, one policy at a time.
We welcome input from any members of the community, and invite you to join for one or many meetings, even if it your first time working with this subject.
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Please see below for some of the housing policies we are working on:
Photo: Shutterstock
Short Term Rentals
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We believe that local housing should first and foremost serve people who live locally. Mendocino County is a very rural and geographically-segmented region, and housing supply must harmoniously align with demand in order for each individual, family, and community to thrive.
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Short Term Rentals (Airbnb, VRBO, Vacasa, etc) have become increasingly popular in recent years, and many property owners are choosing to rent out residential units on a short-term basis rather than making them available for long-term renters. This has resulted in a decrease in the availability of affordable workforce housing, making it more difficult for many people to find suitable places to live. The increase in short-term rental properties has led to an increase in housing prices, making it even more difficult for residents to find affordable housing.
Mendocino County has recently announced that it will be reviewing and updating the current Short Term Rental regulation for the Mendocino Zoning code for the Division I Zone. This zone, sometimes referred to as the Inland Zone, encompasses all of Mendocino County besides the areas of the Coastal Zone that extends for the first 0-5 miles from the coastline, depending on this map.
This includes many areas that we know and love as the "Mendocino Coast", including most neighborhoods north, south, and east of the City of Fort Bragg, along with the communities that are just east of the towns of Mendocino, Albion, Elk, Point Arena, and more.
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The Housing Working Group submitted a letter and petition requesting that the Mendocino County Planning Department incorporate sensible regulations that prioritize local housing, while still encouraging economic stimulation to both homeowners and the broader community through tiered regulation for Short Term Rentals, in order to promote tourism and local business to Mendocino County.
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Join Us
Click below or email grassrootsinstitute707@gmail.com to join The Housing Working Group and find out about upcoming meetings, actions, and activism.