Healthy and Safe Communities

Summary of objective implementation status 

The Lead Agency for the Continuum of Care (Sonoma County Homeless Coalition) was transferred from the Community Development Commission in early 2023 to the Department of Health Services.  Along with this change, the Coalition Board was also revised to include representation from all regions of the County (with representatives from jurisdictions nominated by various City Councils to the Coalition Board).  This is the primary avenue for partnering with cities and other stakeholders to address homelessness; the Coalition is the primary policy body for addressing homelessness in Sonoma County.

Significant progress includes coordination at monthly Coalition Board meetings as well as staff presentations at City Manager meetings/stakeholder meetings.  Another area of significant progress is the development of the first ever regional homelessness prevention pilot, Keep Sonoma Housed, that will begin in December 2024.  This project resulted from coordination between the County, City of Santa Rosa, City of Petaluma, and All Home (a Bay Area TA provider).  The cities and County contributed $1.3 million in start-up funds, with All Home providing $2.6 million in matching philanthropic funding.  The project will serve approximately 150 households per year over 2 years and fill the largest gap in the homeless system of care – supporting people at risk of homelessness.

A significant delay and the reason for not 100% achievement, is the delay in executing Memorandums of Understanding with the Lead Agency and Homeless Coalition.  This is now in progress after delay and scheduled to be completed by early 2025.

Key milestone update 

See above – homelessness prevention pilot, monthly meetings, and emphasis on collaboration in the annual Point in Time Homeless Count, with advance planning and training scheduled between the County and City partners in late 2024.

Coordination and partnership update

Monthly Homeless Coalition Board meetings as well as regular coordination calls between jurisdictional partners (homeless staff leads) and Lead Agency Ending Homelessness staff.  These calls include coordination on the new homelessness prevention pilot, the annual Homeless Count, and grant applications being sought by cities (such as Project Homekey).  The County continues to provide operating funds for two Homekey Interim Housing sites, Labath Landing in Rohnert Park, and L&M Village in Healdsburg. 

Community, equity, and climate update

The Lead Agency, in partnership with the Homeless Coalition, began a Racial Equity Workgroup in 2023 to address racial inequities and disparities.  This group meets monthly and will begin advising the Coalition Board on a monthly basis, including possible training needs. 

Objective funding

N/A