Fred Allebach
Member Sonoma Valley Housing Group
Member Santa Rosa/ SoCo NAACP
12/25/23
City of Sonoma DAC status from US Census 2022 5-Year ACS survey update
This study shows percent of City Census Block Groups (BGs), households and persons with DAC status. See accompanying reference map with City BG location and numbering, and Excel chart. Many thanks to Iris Lombard for setting up the Excel charts and for her feedback.
Abstract
The City of Sonoma has disadvantaged community or DAC populations. This is demonstrated by objective, current evidence from the US Census ACS survey, by a simple, reasonable methodology. These DAC communities of interest are seniors, mobile home park residents, immigrant Latino working class, and white working class. Membership in these DAC COIs crosses BGs in the City and into the unincorporated County towards Temelec, the southeast side, and the Springs.
Of Block Groups entirely within the City: 969 households and 1,995 people meet DAC status MHI.
The whole City central west side, (Block Group 2 of Tract 1503.04) qualifies as is a DAC with 55.4% of households below 80% of state median household income.
In City west side mobile home parks (Block Group 3 of Tract 1502.03), 41.3% of households qualify for DAC status MHI. The City’s central east side and northwest side have smaller percentages of DAC COIs.
Of Block Groups partially within the City, 1,188 households and 2,316 people meet DAC MHI status. To dice out the exact number of in-city DACs a DistrictR-type tool with Block-level analysis will be needed.
How and why to map and show DACs and DUCs?
The state has different metrics for DACs and DUCs depending on what agency is doing the measuring. One common criteria is to be 80% and below state MHI. If the City wanted to prove it has populations with DAC status and that these are contiguous with DAC COIs in local unincorporated areas, this study gives an example of how to do that. If it does not, why not? On what assumptions will we see and map the facts one way or another? What would be the upside and downside of an analysis that shows DACs in the City? Why would people not want to see DACs in the City if DACs can objectively be demonstrated to be there?
6th cycle City Housing Element demographics and DACs
As a result of this study, pertinent questions arise as to the level of detail the HE analyzed and mapped City populations. Final HE recommendations on zoning and RHNA site inventory appear to be based on a Tract-only view which erases local DACs and COIs.
Selected Findings
Ø Tract 1502.03 BG3 (Sonoma MHPs), Tract 1502.04 BGs 1 and 2 (Sonoma central west and Sonoma central east) are entirely within the City. Tract 1502.05 BG3 (northwest side), 1502.05 BG1 (central northwest side) are also entirely within the City. Other City BGs have portions that are outside the City.
Ø The whole City central west side BG is a DAC, and 41.3% of west side MHP households are a DAC.
Ø In Sonoma west side MHPs 41.3% of 676 total households and 530 people have DAC status. On the central west side 55.4% of 680 households and 754 people have DAC status. This is the City’s high DAC concentration area.
Ø In Sonoma, of BGs entirely within the City, 969 households and 1,993 people meet DAC status. The numbers will be higher because City residents also live in BGs that are only partially in the City.
Ø The City has communities of interest with DAC status, these are: MHP residents, seniors, white working class, immigrant Latinos. These same communities of interest cross over into the adjacent and contiguous unincorporated County where DACs become DUCs.
Communities of interest
Temelec and 7 Flags MHP represent senior and MHP lower-income communities of interest. Immigrant and first-generation Latino DACs in the City, on the northwest and central northwest sides, are unified with the same cohort in El Verano (Tract 1503.04), Boyes/ Fetters (Tract 1503.05), Mission Highlands and Springs east A white working class community of interest blends from the City central west side and Moon Valley all-age MHP to El Verano and Boyes/ Fetters.
Protected class
Sonoma Valley Latinos, Latino immigrants and people of Latino national origin are a protected class. This status may protect against discrimination in housing and planning as well as for voting and employment rights.
Conclusion: These findings, evidence that the City has DACs and that these DACs are unified with DUCs in the adjacent and contiguous SV USA*, have implications for the coming LAFCO Plan West SoCo DUC study, for possible future City annexations, for AFFH law to address City and Valley segregation, the City/ County Housing Elements, and General Plans.
A DAC, by DWR standards, is measured by community of interest with household income below 80% state MHI. A LAFCO DUC is the same but only in unincorporated areas.
80% CA state MHI
CA State MHI is $91,905 with latest 2022 Census update
80% is $73,524
80% SoCo MHI
SoCo MHI is $99,266 with latest 2022 Census update
80% is $79,413
A SoCo COLA is called for to accurately represent SV DACs and DUCs
Since SoCo MHI is $5,889 higher than state MHI, the real cost of living here is $5,889 higher. A COLA of $5,889 is justified to account for the higher SoCo COL.
Data access
Click on this link to access the data. Drag map with cursor to locate various BGs; place cursor over BG and click to open data for that BG. Zoom in and out for a larger Valley map view or street detail view. Once a BG is open, scroll down below the map to see data for that BG. Cursor needs to be put in data section to scroll down.
Methodology
MHI stats are the latest available from recently released updated ACS US Census sources, from the Census Reporter website.
To calculate percent of a BG < 80% state MHI: Using the above data access link, scroll to BG MHI, click show data, then click view table. Add up percent lines up to the $60 - $74,999 line. I took $73,524/ 80% state MHI as equivalent to $74,999.
To calculate number of households < 80% state MHI: ask what percent of the households < 80% MHI are of the total number of BG households.
To calculate number of people < 80% state MHI: multiply persons per household by number of households < 80% state MHI.
Margin of Error
Smaller units of measurement like Census BGs have larger margins of error than Census Tracts, even though the data is the exact same at the Tract level. Despite sometime large margins of error in ACS BG-level data, I believe valid and compelling patterns are shown. Margins of error can just as well be that DACs are undercounted as well as overcounted.
Census data starts with Blocks, then Block Groups, then Tracts, and Places. Districting studies are done by demographic consultants that get very fine-grained to for example, make Trustee districts in the local school district. Upon these fine-grained studies, Supervisorial, Congressional, and other special districts are made. The upshot here is that when local Housing Element and General Plan policy are made, these need to be based on the most accurate studies that show the actual demographics to the maximum extent possible, and that do not discriminate against protected classes nor erase valid COIs.
The County uses ACS data as a primary source, personal communication from Dave Kiff, former interim Sonoma City Manager, former CDC Director and current SoCo Homeless Services Division Director.
*See accompanying Sonoma Valley DUC study
City Block Group map key
1 Lovall Valley
2 Far east side
3 Central east side
4 Central NE side
5 Southeast side
6 Central west side
7 West side MHPs
8 Central NW side
9 Northwest side
10 Mission Highlands
11 Southwest side
12 Temelec, 13 Boyes/ Fetter’s, 15 El Verano provided for reference location only
Acronyms
ACS US Census American Community Survey
SV Sonoma Valley
LAFCO Local Agency Formation Commission
BG US Census block group
DWR CA Dept of Water Resources
DAC disadvantaged community
DUC disadvantaged unincorporated community
MHI median household income
COLA cost of living adjustment
COL cost of living
SoCo Sonoma County
MHP mobile home park
USA urban service area
AFFH Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing
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