We have ENCOURAGING NEWS!
We are on the agenda for the Board of Supervisor's meeting on Oct 20th.
We will need to continue to push this forward - read below for what to do.
Our impact at the Fort Bragg BOS meeting on September 15 was wildly successful!
Ted Williams and John Haschak will meet with representatives of the public and all affected agencies, leading to more discussion at their meeting in Ukiah on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. Find out the full details under the Updates tab.
Leading up to that meeting, your Housing Action Leadership is forming teams to meet with residents in each district of the county to discuss the elements of a community-designed housing amnesty and code enforcement oversight program.
We consider that development 100% success to date, and we cannot thank you enough for all you have done to help get us here.
HERE IS WHAT YOU CAN DO NEXT TO HELP:
Please take the following actions before OCTOBER 20, 2026 to help us convince the BOS to enter into a meaningful program to design housing reform with community participation:
1. Sign up to receive updates as we make progress through this critically important conversation with our elected representatives. Stay informed and keep in touch. Please send this message to all your Mendocino County contacts on all your platforms!
2. BRING US YOUR STORIES! And documentation. We need written stories and photographed/video'd documentation of overreach on code enforcement – there might be a BOS member who is still skeptical about the gravity of the problem.
3. Please visit our website: https://www.saveourhousing.org/take-action.html - we have made it easy to read and sign the petition and signify your approval of the different elements of a community-designed housing amnesty program. There is a link where you can ask us questions.
4. Browse our document library to learn more about this complex issue and become inspired to engage in the conversation.
5. Talk to the BOS! Your letters, eComments through the County website, and voicemails are more important than ever in this moment.
6. COME TO THE BOS MEETING IN UKIAH ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20!
You can learn more about this urgent and important moment by reading our full report as of September 25 on our Updates Page. Also, feel free to browse the full issue on the Library Page which contains documents, helpful facts, sample letters and history about our work toward meaningful housing reform for Mendocino County.
Ask your Action Team questions by clicking the button at the bottom of the main Take Action Page.
Carpooling saves gas and creates or deepens friendships - we hope to see you there in person!
Why we need your help
The current code compliance process does not take into consideration affordability or other overriding circumstances for the current resident, many of whom live on fixed or reduced incomes. Full code enforcement can include fines, penalties, escape taxes and liens, and homes that people are living in today can be made illegal to occupy. Many residents cannot afford the expensive and inconsistently applied housing codes.
We are working to gather consensus through October 20, 2026 for a proposed community-designed amnesty program to be submitted to our Board of Supervisors, and the Mendocino County Planning/Building Services Department for final collaborative design input and ultimate support and approval.
That work begins with a community-designed proposal and the confirmed support of at least one member of the Board of Supervisors who will put consideration of a proposed amnesty program on the October 20, 2026 agenda for the meeting in Ukiah.
Based on input from policy makers and planners, this is the current pathway to a lasting amnesty program for our unpermitted homes.
Read the Mendocino Voice article about the September 15, 2026 BOS meeting and the housing issue here: https://mendovoice.com/2026/09/mendocino-county-supervisors-weigh-housing-amnesty-composting-toilets
Common questions
Doesn't state law already protect unpermitted dwellings?
In many cases, yes. Under AB 2533 (2024), California counties must approve permits for most dwellings (including ADUs and junior ADUs) built before January 1, 2020 — they cannot deny you just because the unit was originally built without permits, and they cannot charge penalty fees. A permit can only be denied if the unit is genuinely substandard (unsafe under the state health & safety definition).
- The county is required to post a checklist of those health & safety criteria on its website.
- You have the right to a confidential inspection by a licensed contractor of your choosing before you ever apply — you can find out where your unit stands without contacting the county.
- Separate state law also lets homeowners request a five-year delay of code enforcement for older violations that aren't health or safety threats.
Gov. Code § 66311.7 (AB 2533); Health & Safety Code §§ 17920.3, 17980.12. This is general information, not legal advice.
What is a "Housing Amnesty" program?
A clear, affordable process for legalizing an existing unpermitted dwelling: the county publishes what criteria a unit must meet, the owner gets an inspection (their own or the county's), fixes anything unsafe, and receives a certificate that makes the home legal to live in and rent. Jurisdictions across California — including rural Humboldt County — already run programs like this.
Will asking questions expose me to enforcement?
You don't have to identify yourself or your property to learn your options. Start with the confidential third-party inspection right described above, or leave a question for community organizers — questions go only to the community effort, never to the county.
How can I help?
There is a role here for everyone:
- Fill out and sign the Policy Consensus Worksheet form
- Sign the petition as a resident or a business owner
- Submit a letter to the Board of Supervisors
- Show up — respectfully — at the September 15, 2026 Board of Supervisors meeting in Fort Bragg
- If you have a story to tell, submit a Case Document Form on this website (you can stay anonymous unless you wish to be identified)
- Tell your neighbors. Consensus is built one conversation at a time, and we are building it through September 15
- Sign up for updates — stay informed of the latest developments and stay engaged
- Submit any documents you might have that could be helpful to our Library page
Documents & Resources
County notices, sample response letters, program proposals, and guides — everything in one place, free to download and share.
Browse libraryUpdates
What's happening with the county, upcoming meetings, and what the community effort needs next.
Read the latest