In a commendable effort to reshape the landscape of homelessness, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors has taken a bold step to transition away from temporary emergency shelter sites towards longer-term housing systems. As reported by the County of Sonoma, the 2023 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count showed that the number of homeless individuals in the county decreased by a significant 22% from last year.
This decrease marks the largest year-over-year drop in homelessness since 2015, a 27% decrease. The annual PIT Count report displayed a substantial reduction in unsheltered individuals, attributing this to an overall increase in the number of beds available in new housing projects. The number of homeless individuals living in shelters also saw an increase from 805 in 2022 to 975 in 2023.
As a result of the promising statistics, the Board of Supervisors has voted to replace the Emergency Shelter Site at the County campus with longer-term housing systems. This decision will lead to the closing of the Emergency Shelter Site, which was established in March at 2550 Ventura Ave. In its place, the County aims to create a 2.4-acre site on Russell Avenue, where a mix of RV and trailer parking will be combined with tiny homes. Furthermore, the County is planning to phase out the 3.5-year-old pallet shelters at Los Guilicos Village and refurbish dormitories on the east Santa Rosa site to facilitate longer-term housing solutions.
The transition of these two shelter sites is estimated to cost around $3 million and should be completed by the end of this year. The Russell Avenue site will see the addition of 50 beds through RV/trailer parking and up to 24 beds in 12 tiny homes. The refurbishment of two vacant dormitories at Los Guilicos will introduce up to 140 beds, offsetting the removal of 60 individual shelters and paving the way for a net addition of up to 80 beds.
According to Supervisor Chris Coursey, chair of the Board of Supervisors, the County has made "ending homelessness and creating affordable housing" a priority. The County's investments in new shelter facilities, expanded supportive services, and the development of current and new affordable housing projects highlight the dedication to their mission of achieving "functional zero." Functional zero is defined in this case as any episode of homelessness being rare, brief and non-recurring.
The full 2023 Point-in-Time Homeless Count report can be found on sonomacounty.ca.gov.
