The Struggle for Home

Mapping Housing Access and Displacement in Sonoma County

Legal Aid of Sonoma County & North Bay Organizing Project

Introduction

A healthy community begins with secure housing, where renters can thrive, not just survive. It provides a safe haven to raise families, pursue careers, and contribute to the community. The constant threat of eviction, skyrocketing rents, and climate disasters hangs heavy over renters in Sonoma County. The lack of secure housing disproportionately impacts BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities, perpetuating a cycle of inequality established by a history of discriminatory housing policy.

Community members in Petaluma campaign for Eviction Protections!

Together, tenants and allies can fight for fair and reasonable housing policies that ensure stability and prevent displacement!

This storymap is a tool

Struggle for Home is a tool created in collaboration with Legal Aid of Sonoma County, North Bay Organizing Project, and scholars of the University of Irvine to map all available data around housing and displacement and demonstrate the urgent need for stronger tenant protections and policies that will keep Sonoma County’s most vulnerable community members in their homes.

The word “struggle” or “lucha” in Spanish can reflect hardship or disparities, but it’s also a term used by grassroots movements to describe organizing for a more just and equitable world. 

Why and how we made this tool

Sonoma County and its cities lack essential tools that allow renters, advocates, and decision-makers to track the reasons for or numbers of evictions and other helpful data, like a rental registry could. The ability to track rental information increases transparency and empowers communities to identify areas where support is needed, track abuse of power by landlords, owners, and property management companies, streamline communication and improve enforcement of housing codes.

Using public records requests, Legal Aid of Sonoma County tracked and mapped all available eviction data over the last five years. This type of eviction data would not be accessible to the public without a tool like this. We urge local governments to take action to prioritize rental registry programs so that the public and policymakers can track missing information, such as the reasons renters are evicted by region, as well as unlawful evictions and rent increases, while exposing loopholes that hurt renters in our community.

We hope this project empowers tenants, community organizations and advocates to work towards housing justice and equitable outcomes for all residents of Sonoma County. We envision a County where land and housing enrich our community and provide economic stability for the BIPOC community, elders, and low wage earners.

How to use this tool

Explore the website to hear real life stories from tenants and view the maps to see available data about renters, including evictions, in Sonoma County. We believe information and stories have power to transform our communities. They help illustrate the need for the effective tenant protections proven to keep people housed.  At the end of this site you will find information on  policies adopted by other municipalities across California to address the housing crisis and power imbalance between renters and landlords. You will also find resources should you need them.

The maps are designed to be interactive and are laid out by either census tract, zip code, or address.

A census tract is a small, relatively permanent geographic area within a county that the U.S. Census Bureau uses to collect census data. Census tracts are intended to be similar to neighborhoods, with populations of around 2,500 to 8,000 people and boundaries that follow visible features like roads, rivers, and power lines. Unless otherwise noted, all data available on this site is derived from the most recent ACS 2018-2022 Five Year Estimates and is available by census tract. 

We encourage you to explore the maps by zooming in, where detailed information can be found by hovering over or clicking on an area, or zooming out, where general trends can be visible.

The Deepening Housing Crisis

Sonoma County has a mix of renters and homeowners, with renters making up 38% of households, compared to 44% statewide. Housing cost burden is on the rise.  A household spending more than 30% of their income on housing is considered housing cost burdened and according to California Housing Partnership, that makes up 43% of Sonoma County renters. Households with severe housing cost burden (spending more than half of their income on housing) make up 22% of Sonoma County renters. Severely cost burdened households are more likely to sacrifice other necessities like healthy food and healthcare to pay the rent, and to experience evictions.

Sonoma County is notorious for being an expensive place to live. If someone is evicted from their home, there are few places for people to go, which puts them at a higher risk of being unhoused. Homelessness is on the rise, as there was an 11% increase in homelessness from 2023 to 2024, according to a  County report .

For the past three decades, Sonoma and Solano Counties have had the highest rent burden in the Bay Area, according to the Bay Area Equity Atlas. This means a large portion of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing. Rent burden disproportionately affects Black, Latinx, Indigenous, Pacific Islander, and other renters of color, especially in female-headed households.

Context: A History of Intentional Discriminatory Housing and Land Use Policies California’s BIPOC community carries the weight of a discriminatory past. Racially restrictive covenants in property deeds and redlining development practices explicitly segregated communities by race, denying BIPOC and immigrants opportunities for homeownership and generational wealth building.

According to  research from UC Berkeley’s Othering & Belonging Institute , the local realty board in Sonoma County had an unofficial agreement in the 1960s not to show property to Black potential homebuyers in Sonoma, and realtors admitted to artificially raising prices for Black prospective buyers, outright refusing to show them homes, and lying about the availability of properties in order to maintain exclusivity in Sonoma. As of 1960, no Black residents were living in Sebastopol or Sonoma.

This legacy of discrimination continues through biased zoning and unequal land distribution which exacerbates housing, economic, and environmental racism, educational inequalities, and compounds public health crises in BIPOC communities. Check out the following resources to learn more.

Renters on the Map

Toggle between maps and zoom in for closer view of the breakdown of renter occupied v. owner occupied housing in Sonoma County. Click on a census tract for more detailed information.

Owner Occupied (Blue)

Renter-Occupied (Teal)

Race and Ethnicity

Housing Characteristics

Financial Burden of Renters

Demographics and Household Composition

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Life of a Tenant

June is a disabled veteran and domestic violence survivor who came into Legal Aid because she received a 30-day notice to perform a covenant of her lease or quit. The notice demanded she pay $16,691 in damages caused by setting off the sprinkler system and flooding her unit. June was not home when the flooding occurred, and did not cause it.

Legal Aid was able to use Sonoma County’s eviction moratorium, which was in effect at that time due to the pandemic, to defend the case since water damages did not present an “imminent threat to health or safety,” nor was the payment a “rent” obligation. The case was dismissed and June was able to keep her housing voucher, remain stably housed, and has not been held liable for the alleged $16k in damages.

In a follow up call in 2023, June expressed how the eviction process affected her mental and physical health. She had to take anxiety medication from 2021-2022 due to the stress and fear of becoming homeless. Her anxiety levels have decreased significantly since she is stably housed and no longer facing the threat of being evicted.

When asked how eviction protections would change June’s experience as a renter she stated that “they would help me not live in fear of losing my housing and I’d feel more protected and secure.” At that time, having a home in Sonoma County would have meant being able to continue her family legacy and put down roots in the county that has been her family’s home for generations.

June's grandmother came to Sonoma County during the Southern Migration. Her siblings were the first to graduate from both high school and college here. Unfortunately, June was one of the only black residents in the veteran’s housing development. She eventually felt unsafe living there. After one of her neighbors tried to attack her on the premises and management failed to take it seriously, she decided to leave Sonoma County.

*A pseudonym is used throughout to protect the client’s privacy

I pray for the healing of people in similar situations and the healing and correction of systems that are unfair to people like me.

– June

[Landlords] don't look at you as human beings, but they look at you as more of a commodity…

S.A., Cloverdale

Facing discrimination

According to a  2023 study from Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California  (FHANC), Sonoma County had the highest level of discrimination based on national origin out of three North Bay counties, Solano, Marin and Sonoma. In 2022, FHANC led a Race & Source of Income Audit which revealed that Sonoma County had the highest incidence of race discrimination (63%) and source of income discrimination (88%), with 92% revealing at least some evidence of either or both.

Unsafe Living Conditions

The Nelson family, a Black family who recently moved back to Sonoma County, found themselves in a precarious situation. They entered a verbal rent-to-own agreement with a friend from church for a seemingly beautiful house on a hillside in unincorporated Cotati. Instead of a fresh start, they faced horrible living conditions and discrimination while residing at the house.

At move-in, the 56-year-old grandmother and 11-year-old granddaughter faced failing electrical and gas systems, extreme plumbing issues including contaminated sulfur water, and no heat throughout the winter months. When bringing up these issues to the landlord, they received little to no action to make the unit habitable. After two months of living at the home and putting in $4,000 of their own funds to make repairs on the home, they received a 30-day notice to vacate.

"We were bringing up things that needed to be repaired. Like there's no heat, there's electrical issues. We can't cook here, we can't bathe here, we can't use the restroom here. [Our issues] were dismissed and nothing was done. It's really sad that such a beautiful place doesn't have many landlords that are accountable and that want to provide safe, clean, habitable housing."

– R.N., 56 years old

Unsafe Living Conditions

“Upon entering the house, it was clear that mold was present, not only from the walls but also from the air. I left with a cough and a headache and could only imagine what it must be like for your place of refuge to make you sick.”

– Margaret DeMatteo, Legal Aid of Sonoma County

These photos were taken at the rental home of the Nelson family after they asked their landlord for necessary repairs to make the unit livable. They received a 30-day-eviction notice in return. Click on the i for details.

What It Shows

This story illustrates the need for anti-retaliation protections. A simple clause in a tenant protection ordinance could provide renters who assert their rights with a defense to a retaliatory eviction. It also demonstrates the need for anti-harassment protections, which would prevent a landlord from engaging in conduct intended to influence a tenant to vacate their home outside of formal eviction procedures. This conduct would include refusal or failure to make a rental unit habitable.

Emergencies and Climate Disasters

Sonoma County residents face climate change-fueled disasters on a cyclical basis. Since 2017, Sonoma County residents have endured repeated disasters: catastrophic wildfires and historic floods. COVID-19 further weakened housing stability in Sonoma County, as residents were still recovering from the climate disasters of Tubbs, Kincade and LNU Complex fires as well as numerous floods. We know these crises exacerbate housing unaffordability, immigrant exclusion and displacement of working class and communities of color from our region. High housing costs squeeze family budgets, leaving few resources to pay for other expenses, save for emergencies, or make long-term investments. 

The tenant protections put into place during Covid-19, were extremely effective at reducing displacement during a public health crisis. These protections were hard fought for by the community. Ensuring eviction moratoriums and financial assistance are automatically triggered by the next public health crisis, fire or flood is critical to ensuring Sonoma County's most vulnerable remain housed during states of emergency.

Open link

Click on image for story. (Crissy Pascual / Argus-Courier Staff)

Displacement in Sonoma County

Displacement can come in many forms. Tenants are forced to leave their homes to escape harassment by their landlord, threats of eviction or refusal to make the rental unit safe and habitable, or through the eviction process itself.

Nationwide, some groups are at greater risk of eviction than others. Researchers have explored these disparities, particularly as they pertain to race, ethnicity, gender, and household composition… and the same conclusions continue to come up. Black renters face a disproportionate share of evictions. Less than one in every five renters in the U.S. is Black (18.8%), but over half of all eviction filings are against Black renters (51.1%). When children are living in the unit, the eviction rate further increases.

Data on eviction in Sonoma County is somewhat limited. Without a rental registry, we are unable to track the number of tenants that move out in response to an eviction notice or the reasons for eviction. What we can count are court evictions, which make up only a part of the total evictions tenants face county-wide. We can also track the number and location of court evictions that result in a sheriff lockout, discussed below. Roughly 50% of court evictions result in a sheriff lockout in Sonoma County.

Preventing Displacement

Ana Singh is an elderly Fijian woman who lives in a multi-generational household with her family. All but her 3-year-old great-granddaughter immigrated from Fiji. Since coming to the United States 19 years ago, Ana has lived in the same apartment in Santa Rosa. 

Health issues began causing severe stress on the family. First, Ana’s husband was diagnosed with cancer and was in almost daily chemotherapy treatments. Ana’s daughter had a brain aneurysm and has been unable to work ever since. Taking care of her family has cut into Ana’s ability to earn money, but nonetheless, she and her family have never missed a rent payment. 

Even so, they were served with an unlawful detainer (court eviction) over several minor lease violations from a new property management company that had taken over their complex. Just one eviction put four generations at risk of being unhoused. As a result of Legal Aid of Sonoma County’s legal intervention, the Singh family remains stably housed in the same apartment where they have resided for 19 years. Ana is able to work more and can focus better on taking care of her husband and daughter as a result of having the eviction case settled.

What is an Unlawful Detainer?

An Unlawful Detainer (UD) marks the first official step in a court eviction process, following the expiration of a notice of termination of tenancy. It is the legal paperwork and process used when a landlord moves to evict a tenant from their home.

The mapping of court evictions, known as unlawful detainers, is only available by zip code and year and was obtained via public record requests of the Sonoma County Superior Court.

Before the pandemic, the average rate of court eviction filings was 1,004 per year. In 2020, UD filings dropped substantially as the Tenant Protection Act took effect as well as many federal, state and local renter protections due to Covid-19. In 2021, when Sonoma County passed an eviction moratorium limiting evictions for only the most essential reasons, UD's dropped even further. They began rising again after the County eviction moratorium expired September 30, 2022.

Unlawful Detainers 2017 - 2023

What is a Sheriff Lockout?

A sheriff lockout, also known as an eviction or restoration, is the final step in the unlawful detainer process when a sheriff removes someone from a property after a court judgment. It is a traumatic event for a tenant, because it often results in not just the loss of their home, but the loss of their personal possessions, sometimes pets, and leaves a negative mark on their record as a tenant, making future housing further out of reach. It can be extremely traumatic for children. Below, we explore the sheriff lockouts that were scheduled for properties across Sonoma County over the past 7 years. This data was acquired by address, via public record requests of the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office, which allowed for more analysis than unlawful detainers as it could be compared with census tract data.

The Sheriff's Department does not collect racial or other demographics, so we cannot look at how many lockouts by race or other demographic happen. What we can show is an overlay of what we do know. A rental registry would allow critical information to be added to these maps and tell a larger story about who is most vulnerable to eviction.

Explore the maps below by clicking on a black dot to see lockout details, or the Census tract to view data about the renters and families that live in areas with higher eviction rates. You can also click on the magnifying glass in the top left of the map to search by address.

Sheriff Lockouts 2017-2023

Sheriff lockouts can be mapped by address or census tract via public data regarding sheriff lockouts. This is because a Sheriff eviction is on a tenant’s record and is public information. The data provided here includes all lockouts that were requested by a landlord from 2017-2023.

You can start and stop the map to see the increase in evictions over time. Zoom in to get a closer view on a particular neighborhood. Click on the dot symbol for more information about the sheriff lockout.

Sheriff Lockouts & Race and Ethnicity

Sheriff Lockouts & Housing Characteristics

Sheriff Lockouts & Financial Burden of Renters

Sheriff Lockouts & Demographics and Household Composition

Tenant Power, Tenant Protections

Tenant leaders and the North Bay Organizing Project formed the Sonoma County Tenants’ Union in 2018. The renter-led union was born out of the recognition for a political vehicle for the working class, immigrant and renters of color in Sonoma County. We believe that in order to create a housing system that truly honors “housing as a human right,” we must build a base of organized tenants. 

Using grassroots community organizing strategies, the Sonoma County Tenants Union builds tenant power by forming tenant associations, canvassing our neighborhoods, and addressing landlord discrimination and unlawful evictions head on. We build campaigns for transformative housing policies, develop community leaders, organize direct actions and build community. 

“How am I being evicted when I've never not paid my rent? Facing [an eviction] process is so confusing. It felt like despair. Hopeless, helpless, panicked in the dead of winter."

– R.N., 56 years old

After just two months at their rental in unincorporated area of Cotati and spending up to $4,000 of their own money in repairs to make the rental more habitable, the Nelson family received a 30-day notice from their landlord to terminate their tenancy. That notice led to an Unlawful Detainer despite the Nelsons attempts to move out.

Legal Aid's intervention helped them respond to the court eviction documents and negotiate with the opposing counsel to avoid a court judgment. Though this family is now safely out of their uninhabitable rental, they are struggling to find long-term affordable housing because of steep move-in cost requirements.

What it shows:

Their story underscores the need for just cause eviction laws starting at day one of tenancy, the protection of single family homes and the importance of relocation assistance. These protections would have prevented the family from going through the stressful eviction process, giving the Nelsons time to find safe housing without the looming threat of legal action. 

Our Policy Platform to Promote Housing Stability in Sonoma County

Adopt strong local, permanent, tenant protections:

Prevent harassment, retaliation, wrongful evictions and expand protections beyond the limited coverage of the California Tenant Protection Act of 2019. For instance:

  • Protections at day 1 rather than day 365 of a tenancy
  • Protections for tenants adding or replacing roommates, which is critical for tenants to afford the steep rents of Sonoma County
  • Protections for families - The addition of family members should not be cause for eviction, so long as number of occupants does not exceed occupancy limits
  • Tenants should not be evicted for a minor violation of their lease
  • No evictions for less than one month worth of  fair market rent 
  • No evictions for substantial remodeling unless the tenant has the right to return under same terms/rent
  • Withdrawal from the rental market (Ellis Act evictions) - The local laws should clarify that a sale is not withdrawal from the rental market, the owner should be required to file notice with the city/county and recorder's office and right to return if re-rented, for displaced tenants
  • Higher relocation payments and longer notice periods for all no-cause evictions
  • Expanded coverage to include single-family homes, subsidized housing and newer constructed units (built within last 15 years)

Adopt emergency-triggered community stabilization protections:

Enact temporary tenant protections that would be triggered by a declared state of emergency for natural disaster or public health crisis, including an eviction moratorium and financial stabilization measures.

Rent Stabilization 

Maintain existing affordable housing and limit disruptions and displacement caused by rapid rent increases.

Anti-Retaliation 

Rebuttable presumption if tenant asserted rights within 6 months of eviction.

Anti-Harassment 

Landlord cannot in bad faith engage in conduct intended to influence a tenant to vacate their rental unit

A tenant bill of rights is gaining traction at the local, state and federal level. The National Housing Law Project and National Low Income Housing Coalitions have published a National Tenant Bill of Rights.

Even the white house has set forth a tenant protection blueprint for local municipalities.

Read how tenant stories illustrate the need for stronger renter protections:

Elena's Story: Eviction for nonpayment of one month of rent

Elena, a Spanish speaker and single mother of a teenage son, became vulnerable to homelessness when she could not afford rent. Like so many in Sonoma County, her employment is seasonal and doesn't provide a steady income. Elena came into Legal Aid of Sonoma County (LASC) with court eviction papers based on nonpayment of just one month’s rent. Luckily, her tenancy was protected by the just cause and notice requirements of the Petaluma Just Cause Ordinance that LASC, North Bay Organizing Project and the Sonoma County Tenants Union campaigned for and got passed in May of 2023. The termination of tenancy notice failed to provide all the information required by the Ordinance, and was not provided in Spanish as required. Luckily, based on LASC raising the defenses provided by Petaluma’s Ordinance, and her ability to secure a half month’s worth of rental assistance from Petaluma People Services Center, Elena and her son were able to pay the remaining balance and remain in their home. When it was all over, Elena expressed tremendous relief, exclaiming that, thanks to Legal Aid, she could “finally breathe."  

Evelyn's Story: Eviction protections in Section 8 and affordable housing

Evelyn is an eighty-year-old who recently secured a section 8 voucher and has resided in subsidized housing for the last 12 years. She sought Legal Aid’s services in 2023 when her daughter, Clara, became a threat to her housing stability. Clara suffers from schizophrenia, self-medicates, and has been homeless on and off for a long time. Evelyn had maintained a good relationship with her property management until management changed recently and became unwilling to tolerate Clara’s disturbances on the property. Three strokes had left Evelyn with weak hands and the stress of receiving an eviction notice made her shake uncontrollably for weeks. As a senior being caught in the crosshairs of a tightening housing market and caring for a daughter with a mental health disability, Evelyn was forced to make the decision to move to Texas in hopes of finding a more affordable community for her family. She hopes her daughter will be able to obtain treatment and live independently so she can go on to live the rest of her life with stability.

Louise: No safety net for the most vulnerable

“Louise,” a senior black woman, was facing eviction based on a 30 day no-cause eviction notice. A no-cause eviction is an eviction for no reason, frequently served on tenants in non-profit managed and/or subsidized housing. The tenant lived in a Committee on the Shelterless (COTS) home in Petaluma. A Legal Aid attorney filed a motion in her defense on the grounds that the eviction violated the COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act of 2020. The judge ruled against the client but luckily the opposing counsel agreed to dismiss the case, allowing the client to remain stably housed in her unit.

Louise was a military brat who grew up moving from place to place. She had experienced homelessness many times throughout her life, usually working two jobs to try and make ends meet. Going through the eviction process in 2020 was “emotionally devastating” even though she obtained a relatively successful outcome when the case was dismissed. Louise attributed her success to the protections that were in place due to COVID, although it was ultimately the other side’s willingness to dismiss the case that allowed her to remain housed. This housing stability allowed Louise to prepare for the next stage of life and “not be thrown out on the street.” Now that her children are grown, Louise hopes to move to a more affordable state that can offer stability. She dreams of being able to afford her own home to provide a long-term sense of security. Unfortunately, that dream is not possible here.

Bill's Story: The need to regulate no-fault evictions

Bill is a senior, Native American veteran who sought services from Legal Aid of Sonoma County in 2021 when he was facing an eviction based on a 60-day notice terminating his tenancy due to the landlord removing the property from the rental market (“Ellis Act eviction”). There were three tenants residing on the property and Bill was the only one who received an eviction notice. He was unable to find alternative housing which led to him receiving an Unlawful Detainer (UD). Legal Aid took the case to trial when the opposing counsel refused to mediate. The judge found that the eviction failed to comply with Sonoma County's Covid-19 Eviction Moratorium because the other two tenants on the property were not issued notices demonstrating that the landlord was not immediately removing the property from the rental market. This victory allowed the case to be dismissed and allowed the client to stay in the unit. The tenant harassment Bill endured from landlord after the trial, pushed him to agree to vacate his home for $3000. Bill spent the next 2 years living in his car feeling like a "fish in a bowl." The impact the eviction had on Bill's life was so egregious that he felt driven away from Sonoma County. He had no security, sense of privacy and felt as if the support networks in Sonoma County were so broken that he decided to move to San Mateo County. In a recent conversation Bill expressed his concern for others who may encounter these same issues due to the rising cost and demand of housing in Sonoma County. Despite the obstacles he has encountered Bill recently got an apartment and is going back to school!

Resources

Are you a renter currently experiencing harassment, neglect, or discrimination where you live? Are you facing exorbitant fees and rent increases? You are not alone. 

The North Bay Organizing Project, Sonoma County Tenants Union and Legal Aid of Sonoma County supports tenants in knowing their rights and advocating for themselves. We’ve worked with tenants across Sonoma County to fight against unlawful rent increases, unfair evictions, and mistreatment by landlords. 

We know laws that protect tenants are often complex and riddled with loopholes. That’s why we organize tenants to know their rights and stand together as neighbors against mistreatment of their landlords. We know undocumented tenants, people of color, and LGBTQIA+ people face significantly higher rates of discrimination and harassment in their housing, and it will take organized people power to transform the systems that oppress working people and people of color. 

144 South E Street, Suite 100 Santa Rosa, CA 95404 (707) 843-4432

Client Intake Hours Monday and Tuesday 9:15-11:30 AM 1:15-4:00 PM

Wednesday: 9:15-11:30 AM

Thursday: 9:15-11:30 AM 1:15-4:00 PM

Send an email to the Sonoma County Tenants Union:  sctu707@gmail.com .

Phone (415) 457-5025

Online Resources

Community members in Petaluma campaign for Eviction Protections!

Owner Occupied (Blue)

Renter-Occupied (Teal)