Page 6 - Sonoma County Gazette - August 2018

LETTERS cont’d from page 4
those who are in need of this social program reality. “The Projects” may have been a disparaging term in her former community but for many, In the past and currently, this has been
a life-saver and people have been grateful to have a place to call: HOME. We can always change the paradigm to meet the needs of the times and find language that has more positive connotations, however, realistically, we cannot change the circumstances or outcome of people’s life situation which brings them into a culture and cycle of poverty - one often created by our capitalistic policies favoring the well-off over the poor.
now for a few months. Have had some potential buyers but they were only wanted to pay 100,000 cash and finance the rest with me.
I am writing this email in response to Vesta Copestakes July 2018 front- page article on: “Housing: Who gets what, When & How?”
I have a loan from some local friends and I have to pay that by the end of October. So I need to have at least the amount to cover that loan and several years of back taxes. I used to be a letter carrier at the Forestville post office and we have met on several occasions. I also I’m interested in knowing who that woman is that you referred to who buys houses fix them up and sells them.
Unfortunately, I think Vesta may have infused her usual reasonable premise for presenting a viable solution for a complex issue with her own personal bias regarding what she termed, “The Projects,” as a term for Low-Income-Housing, because as she wrote: “Where I come from these were called: The Projects, and it didn’t work out very well over time.” . .
Judith Dide, Santa Rosa
Vesta further writes: “These developments are filled with low- income families who have none of
the comforts and security of HOME. Buildings become old and fall into disrepair.” This opinion coming on the heels of the county of Sonoma considering building low-income- housing or affordable housing. Buildings falling into disrepair can
be maintained rather than having a scenario as painted by Vesta. There is no reason that maintenance isn’t and can’t be mandated as part of the units safety and esthetics by a proper board and agency.
I admire Vesta having found a personal solution in her own life for having participated in a Equity Share Partnership, however, I feel this is a limited solution, and what is needed is genuine economic support toward building and making affordable housing available to the many citizens in our county in need and across
the country. Poverty has long been stigmatized and this includes people who are low income or living on fixed incomes who must rent, who do not wish or need to purchase a house in order to have a place to call HOME, I feel poverty, on-the-edge, and aging people need to be viewed in the light of benevolent regard by others and policy makers and our city planners and the government.
If someone asks me, I will pass your phone number on. I asked the woman who fixes houses to sell and she has enough on her plate at the moment. Let’s see if any readers will take a ride down Mays Canyon Road to see your house and find it worthy of home.
My home was a major fixer when I bought it nearly 30 years ago - as is. The roof leaked the first year I lived here and it took me 20 years to turn it into a real house, but it’s MINE.
Her argument for having home ownership as designed by Burbank Housing and Habitat for Humanity via “sweat equity’ in exchange for not having a down payment as an example of a way around the housing dilemma with a compromise being made by those on a tight budget. Which from my viewpoint has
At this point it would rent for almost twice my monthly nortgage. It was worth the risk I took. There’s no place like HOME!
WE THE PEOPLE - Respectfully, Roberta Llewellyn
Fixer HOUSE for SALE in
I’ve been reading your articles in the recent Sonoma County Gazette and thought maybe you could help me. I have a super fixer-upper available on Mays Canyon Road. Corner of 116. Forestville side. The mail box has been removed but the address is 11162.
Hans Bruher took me up on this topic of How to Finance a Fixer in his column. SEE Ask the Loan Man in this issue. I hope someone finds the home that sheltered you for 23 years as their place to make your house their home ~ Vesta
many flaws. While sounding all well and good on paper, and, yes, some individuals and families do qualify for the mortgage and subsequent homeownership, while most who are currently experiencing lack of housing or marginal housing, will not be able to do so.
Forestville
CANNABIS: How Close is Too Close?
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE
SONOMA COUNTY BOARD OF
Not many of us in this life have the power and opportunity to safeguard the well-being of thousands of our neighbors.
I attended the Planning Commission meeting on June 28th during which changes were recommended to
the Cannabis Ordinances Setback Regulations to improve Neighborhood Compatibility.
Vesta states further: “If a person can rent, chances are they can pay a mortgage.” This line of reasoning doesn’t take into account or the equation that not only is there a housing CRISIS in Sonoma County as else where, there are significant numbers of people currently patch- working- housing and/or without housing who are jobless, under- employed, aging and aged, while many are homeless. These people do not have “Sweat Equity” as an option except in rare instances.
SUPERVISORS
I lived there for 23 years. Now that I’m 70 and alone, it was not safe for me to continue to live there due to health issues and lack of public transportation. So I bought a mobile home in Santa Rosa.
But, at this moment, you do.
Now I’m trying to sell the house. It needs a lot of work. Although I lived there myself in its current condition.
You now have a complex job on your hands. With respect, let me try to simplify it for you by asking you to keep one thing very clearly in mind:
Most likely displaced persons have not kept up their credit and have zero savings; if they have managed to maintain a bank account at all.
Problem is people cannot get a loan for it because of the condition it’s in. And I need to get at least 190,000 cash upfront to pay back my lender for
The vast MAJORITY of residents in Sonoma County DO NOT WANT to live near a commercial cannabis operation.
6 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 8/18
LETTERS cont’d on page 9
I respectfully disagree with her opinion and what appear to be a bias toward rentals and low-income housing or affordable housing for
the mobile home and back taxes. The balance I would be willing to owner finance. I’m asking 265 but would settle for a little less than that.
Many of these residents have lived in the County their whole lives, some families for generations. Suddenly, their quality of life is
I have a realtor but she doesn’t seem to be doing much to make this happen. We’ve been on the market