City of Rio Dell press release: 

Garnes n’ Gav

Mayor Debra Garnes was invited by the Governor to attend a meeting at the Capitol to discuss the future of housing in Rio Dell. The meeting took place on Thursday, February 28, 2019 at the Governor’s office. Garnes and Newsom were joined by representatives of the Department of Housing and Community Development to discuss the update to the City’s General Plan Housing Element as Governor Newsom is aggressively pushing for more housing across the State. Mayor Garnes came to Sacramento to update the Governor on Rio Dell’s progress on related projects.

“I was impressed that the Governor was interested in learning about Rio Dell and all of the projects moving forward.” Garnes stated. “Our housing numbers are going to be dramatically improving particularly for more vulnerable populations.”

Construction is slated to begin on a 26 unit supportive housing project in the spring of 2019. This single project alone is a significant step towards meeting the goals outlined in the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) set by the State and Humboldt County Association of Governments (HCAoG). The Governor has recently threatened to sue municipalities that do not comply with the latest housing legislation.

“As long as the State is willing to equally apply the law to all jurisdictions, rich or poor, urban and rural, Rio Dell will do its part to help solve the housing crisis. We look forward to partnering with the Governor to make it happen.” Garnes concluded.