Evictions are underway for a group of holdout tenants at Sebastopol’s Woodmark Apartments, a 48-unit affordable housing complex originally intended for farmworkers and their families. The complex opened in late 2024 but was largely leased to other low-income renters, sparking a controversy that has now escalated into a legal fight.
Newly disclosed records tied to the developer, The Pacific Companies, shed light on how this situation developed behind the scenes.
The apartments were a game changer for many residents, offering a long-sought chance at stability. However, with little choice, most of the 45 households accepted buyouts offered starting in September 2025.
A group of 14 tenants—including single mothers, older residents on fixed incomes, and people with complex medical needs—banded together to stay and fight. Only two original households were eligible farmworkers.
They are scheduled to appear in court in July, represented by the nonprofit Legal Aid of Sonoma County.
Beth Gallock, a holdout tenant battling Stage 3 kidney disease and caring for her husband with dementia, said the buyout was not a viable option. The couple needs a reliable home without fear of sudden rent hikes, and the outside support her husband receives depends on him being housed.
There are few affordable alternatives to Woodmark, with long waiting lists for existing options.
Correspondence between The Pacific Companies and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides fresh insight into the developer's decision to fill the complex largely with non-farmworker tenants, despite federal financing and tax credits tied to farmworker housing.
The USDA reached out on January 30, 2025, citing "media and congressional inquiries" about the complex. The developer responded on February 5, describing unsuccessful attempts to find farmworker residents and requesting a waiver from the requirement.
A USDA official wrote back the next day, calling attention to the timing of the waiver request—after filling the apartments with other tenants. "The lack of notification from the borrower to the agency is deeply concerning, as lease up and occupancy in the manner that you described is not permissible until once and only after the agency approves," said Daniel Rogers of the USDA's Rural Housing Service.
The agency warned that any waiver could have broader consequences, impacting future awards in the same market or county.
The next month, the USDA sent an official noncompliance letter, noting no communication about lease-up concerns. "Under no circumstances" would the agency close on Woodmark's loan without farmworker families occupying the units or an official waiver.
Current tenants would be allowed to remain until the end of their year-long leases. The agency offered to extend the loan closing deadline to May 1, 2026.
The $26 million project relied on private and public funding, including a $1.2 million owner contribution, $8 million in bank financing, $15.8 million in federal low-income housing tax credits, and a $1 million USDA loan at 1% interest plus rental assistance. A second phase would add 36 additional unrestricted low-income units.
The Pacific Companies, one of the largest affordable housing developers in the U.S., has built hundreds of properties across the West, including 75 in partnership with the USDA and 18 specifically for farmworkers in California. In Sebastopol, the company told the USDA that despite "concerted" outreach by its property management company, Aperto, starting in April 2024, they experienced little success in finding USDA-qualified households.
They cited barriers such as the seasonality of farmwork, variability in income, and immigration status restrictions.
Farmworker advocates and service providers told The Sebastopol Times in early 2025 that there had been little documented outreach or wider knowledge of the project. Karym Sanchez, lead organizer for the Graton Day Labor Center, said the outreach would have pre-dated his tenure but that he wasn't aware of much interaction beyond flyers being dropped off.
"What’s necessary to reach them is a personal connection," he said. "Someone who can speak to them face to face and answer questions.
And it shouldn’t just be a one-off."
Other affordable housing developers in the region, such as Burbank Housing and MidPen Housing, have had success filling farmworker units through relationship-based outreach. Burbank uses a "relationship-based approach" where the company partners with local organizations, presents at regular gatherings, and creates in-person meetings.
MidPen has leased up two Sonoma County farmworker properties recently and has more applicants on a waiting list. "We’ve never had to do a waiver," said Matt Franklin, president and CEO of MidPen Housing.
In November 2024, Aperto started contacting low-income applicants who didn't meet its original criteria. By the end of December, Woodmark was fully leased up.
By September 2025, with no waiver granted, The Pacific Companies told the USDA it had begun telling tenants their year-long leases would not be renewed. Property managers offered $10,000 or $5,000 buyout offers along with potential placement at sister properties.
Those who signed the deal gave up their right to sue, file claims, or disparage Woodmark and its representatives.
The buyout wasn't much of an option for Beth Gallock. As someone battling Stage 3 kidney disease and taking care of her husband with dementia, the couple needed a reliable home without fear of sudden rent hikes.
The outside support her husband receives is contingent on him being housed. There are few affordable alternatives to Woodmark and long waiting lists for the options that do exist.
"It’s really hard," she said.