Kaiser invests $1 million in Sonoma County Housing Fund to accelerate affordable developments

The Santa Rosa Metro Chamber and Kaiser Permanente are excited to announce a significant first investment to the Sonoma County Housing Fund in the amount of $1 million from Kaiser Permanente. Kaiser Permanente’s Public Affairs Director Judy James and Community Benefit Manager Alena Wall made the announcement and presented the check to the Metro Chamber at a recent meeting of the Employers Housing Council, a collaboration between the Santa Rosa Metro Chamber and the North Coast Builders Exchange to convene the region’s major employers to advance housing in our community.

“Kaiser Permanente is pleased to present the Housing Fund with $1 million to put toward making more affordable housing here in Sonoma County,” Ms. James told the attendees of the Housing Council. “Housing security and affordability is a key factor in health and well-being. Together we can make progress toward ensuring that everyone has an affordable home where they can live and thrive. We hope this initial investment will entice other organizations and groups to contribute—that this will be a catalyst for more to come.”

“We can’t thank Kaiser Permanente enough for this significant investment that will help accelerate affordable housing projects in our community,” says Santa Rosa Metro Chamber CEO Peter Rumble. “These funds are immediately available for affordable housing projects, including for acquisition costs and pre-development work, which can be critical to getting projects off the ground.”

The Sonoma County Housing Fund is a collaborative partnership between the Santa Rosa Metro Chamber and Housing Trust Silicon Valley aimed at financing affordable housing development in the Sonoma County region. Housing Trust Silicon Valley is providing an approximate 2-to-1 match as part of the partnership to help encourage local investment in the Housing Fund and help spur more affordable projects in the short term. The Housing Fund prioritizes supporting multi-family workforce housing with an emphasis on in-fill projects in urban and priority development areas throughout Sonoma County.

For more information on accessing the funds, contact Peter Rumble, CEO of the Santa Rosa Metro Chamber, at 707-545-1414.