The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors has approved a list of affordable housing sites that are now eligible to receive free internet for one year.
A total of 556 low-income Sonoma County households will have free access to the Internet, through funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, promoted by President Biden and passed by Congress in 20231. Eligible sites were selected among affordable housing properties countywide with a minimum of 20 housing units, and operated or served by Burbank Housing, MidPen Housing, PEP Housing and West County Community Services. Other criteria used to identify eligible sites included geographic distribution throughout the county, distribution among housing for seniors, families, low-income workers, and un-housed individuals, and location within Comcast’s service area.
Sonoma’s share of the free online access includes 80 units at Springs Village, and 40 units at Celestina Garden Apartments, both in Sonoma
According to Board of Supervisors Chair Lynda Hopkins, “The Board has prioritized finding creative solutions to broadband infrastructure development in Sonoma County. This free internet program is a step toward equity as we continue to pursue public funding and strategic partnerships that can finally close the digital divide facing many of our shared communities.”
The internet subscriptions purchased by the County will be distributed on a first-come first-served basis to residents of the eligible properties and are good for one year of free service at a speed of 100 MBPS download and 20 MBPS upload. Only residents of the selected affordable housing sites will be eligible to participate in this program. The subscriptions cover all costs of equipment rentals, surcharges, and fees for the standard one-year of service.
The property locations eligible for free internet service were distributed between Sonoma, Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Healdsburg, Guerneville and Sebastopol. The announcement came in Mid-March and residents of the two Sonoma locations who have not acquired the free access should contact the
Sonoma County Economic Development Collaborative at edc@sonoma- county.org, or by calling 707.565.7170
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