Rohnert Park is working closely with community organizations, government agencies and experts in the homeless services field to address and ultimately end homelessness in our City. The City Council identified homelessness as a top priority in January 2021 and has dedicated $3.5 million in Fiscal Year 2024-25 to fund homeless services.
PERMANENT HOUSING
Catholic Charities - Master Lease Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH)
The City is providing $552,270 this fiscal year to Catholic Charities to operate a Master Lease PSH program. Catholic Charities 'master leases’ 17 units to provide housing for individuals with higher needs who may not qualify for an apartment on their own due to issues such as poor credit or lack of housing history. Supports include assistance with budgeting and increasing income, and education on landlord-tenant rights and responsibilities.
SHARE Sonoma County – Affordable Shared Housing
The City is providing $235,078 this fiscal year to SHARE Sonoma County to provide affordable permanent housing opportunities for individuals through their shared “Community Homes.” These homes provide housing opportunities to individuals who are unable to qualify for an apartment on their own due to barriers like low income or poor credit. SHARE also matches home-seekers who are either homeless or at-risk of homelessness with home-providers who have an extra room in their house. Support is provided to both parties for the duration of their living arrangement.
INTERIM HOUSING
HomeFirst - Labath Landing
Labath Landing is a 60-room interim housing facility that provides for homeless individuals’ immediate needs and offers an array of services designed to connect them with permanent housing. The program opened its doors on October 24, 2022 and is operated by a non-profit, HomeFirst. The annual operating budget is $2.5 million, which is funded via City, County and State funds. Read more about the Labath Landing here.
HOMELESS OUTREACH
Homeless Outreach Services Team (HOST)
This fiscal year, the City is providing $196,887 to Catholic Charities to fund outreach services to individuals experiencing homelessness in Rohnert Park. A dedicated team of three skilled outreach workers from the Catholic Charities Homeless Outreach Services Team (HOST) are in the field in Rohnert Park four days per week providing services to unsheltered individuals. These services include connecting individuals with housing options, accessing shelter, obtaining government identification, increasing income, connecting with medical, mental health and substance use services, and meeting some of their basic needs. HOST outreach workers engage with unsheltered individuals in various settings including encampments, vehicles, and service hubs like the weekly mobile shower program.
Unsheltered Friends Outreach (UFO)
Unsheltered Friends Outreach (UFO) was started by two Rohnert Park residents who wanted to help their unsheltered fellow community members. What began as an ad hoc volunteer group operating entirely with donated goods and funds has become a volunteer-led non-profit organization partnering with the city to meet the basic survival needs of individuals experiencing homelessness in Rohnert Park. This fiscal year, the City is providing $36,000 to UFO to fund these survival services including providing meals, clothing and toiletries. UFO also operates a weekly mobile shower program. UFO also collaborates closely with HOST and other local homeless service providers to connect homeless individuals to housing and shelter options.
By-Name List
The City developed a By-Name List (BNL) program to track, identify and meet the needs of each individual experiencing homelessness in Rohnert Park. Additionally, this list helps us prioritize those with higher needs for supportive services and permanent housing opportunities. Though the list focuses on Rohnert Park, it is part of a larger regional effort to better track the needs of homeless individuals in Sonoma County across systems of care and to develop permanent housing solutions tailored to the needs of each individual.