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Faith may not be able to move mountains, but it can build affordable housing.

At least that was the case when a Santa Rosa-based coalition of synagogue and church members recently showed up en masse to support a controversial low-cost housing project.

Representatives of the 41-unit housing project, called Jay's Place, enlisted the help of more than 100 members of the Faith-Based Coalition to counter vehement opposition. As a result, the project was ultimately approved by a unanimous vote of the Santa Rosa Planning Commission.

"I've been waiting seven years to see a roomful of people supporting affordable housing," said Santa Rosa Planning Commissioner Vinny Denietolis.

It won't require another seven years to see a similar display of interfaith force, according to Steven Harper, the organization's chair.

"Last time, we rallied 100 people," said Harper, who also serves as Congregation Shomrei Torah's social action committee chair. "In the future, we will be prepared to send out 500 people, if necessary."

Noting that the lack of affordable housing in Santa Rosa directly affects congregants, including himself, Rabbi George Gittleman said the Faith-Based Coalition could have a profound impact in the community.

"If this success is any type of indication," Gittleman said, "I think we can make a real difference. This is political will power using the hands and feet of God to make the world a better place. It's really exciting."

Jay's Place is named after the late Jay Stromgren, an affordable housing advocate in Sonoma County.

Located on two-plus acres (as part of the Northpoint Village), the project consists of rental units for low- and very low-income residents. It ranges from rental units serving couples whose maximum income doesn't exceed $16,000 annually to larger units serving six people whose combined annual salary doesn't exceed $39,000 annually.

Construction on the $6.3 million project will begin in July for the project, which is slated for completion in late 2001.

The presence of the Faith-Based Coalition at the planning board meeting made a huge impact, according to John Morgan, the project manager of the nonprofit Burbank Housing Development Corp., which will begin construction on Jay's Place in July,

"Stephen's army of great souls parted the seas and I believe may have ushered us to a new land of general public support for affordable housing," Morgan said.

Noting that Jay's Place will be a model of "smart growth" containing sycamore trees, oak trees and pedestrian thoroughfares, Morgan said that part of the difficulty with building low-cost housing is the imagery it conjures up.

Harper agrees, saying that low-cost housing can suffer from "stereotyping of the worst kind."

"The phrase conjures up images of dope-dealers, car-jacking and police raids, which is stereotyping at its worst," said Harper, who added that those living at Jay's Place would be people such as letter carriers, school teachers, shoe salesmen and secretaries.

"These are people making $20,000 to $35,000 a year — which doesn't go very far in Santa Rosa," Harper said. "The problem of low-cost housing here is just enormous. Two of my own kids can't afford to live here."

In fact, statistics provided by the Association of Bay Area Governments show that Santa Rosa ranks second (behind San Jose) among Bay Area cities in the amount of needed affordable housing.

According to ABAG, during the next five years, Santa Rosa needs to build 5,254 units to comply with state guidelines for affordable housing.

But factions in the community have been less than supportive, according to Harper. When a permanent homeless shelter was proposed in a long-vacant Santa Rosa building three years ago, neighboring businesses helped nix the project.

"Unfortunately, the pressure from the NIMBYS [not in my back-yarders] was too great, and the project failed," he said.

That sentiment was taken a step further by Connie Sabin, a member of the Faith-Based Coalition who attends Cross Crown Lutheran Church.

"We have NIMBYism up the wazoo here," said Sabin, adding that religious institutions have historically been an effective tool for changing entrenched beliefs.

"A lot of social changes began with faith-based organizations," she said, citing integration and the end of the Vietnam War. "I really like the idea of a synagogue leading the way, because sometimes there's a tendency for churches to work separately from our Jewish friends.

"What really blows me away," Sabin continued, "is that a good portion of the newly wealthy are terrified of the poor. Some of the people are people of faith –it's just hard for me to understand."

It's not just the poor in Santa Rosa that are feeling the squeeze. Some elderly people — including one of Shomrei Torah's founding members — are concerned that the spiraling costs of housing will eat up their savings.

"It's like those ads you see on television," said 80 year-old Florence Brown, "when elderly people have to choose between food, medicine or rent."

Brown, a widow living on a fixed income, has seen her rent increase from $700 per month (the rental rate for the past four years) to $900 since the R.W. Zukin Corp. took over the management of her duplex at the start of the year.

"The dumpster is full of stuff from people who had to move," Brown said.